Ocean Seafood Market Fails with Flies and Food on Ground

Ocean Seafood Market Inc in San Francisco's Excelsior district failed its routine health inspection on October 3, 2025, with inspectors discovering a disturbing array of violations including food stored directly on the ground, fly infestations, and employees failing to wash their hands after handling raw meat and fish. The most shocking discovery came when Inspector Cristina Fung-Autry found cut wintermelon and other food items stored directly on the ground underneath equipment at the Chinese seafood market located at 1500 Ocean Avenue, near Balboa Park BART. The inspector immediately ordered staff to remove and elevate all ground-stored food items during the inspection.

Major Health Violations Discovered

The inspection revealed 14 total violations, including three major infractions that pose serious health risks to customers. Fly activity was observed in the room connecting to the cash register area, prompting the inspector to order the facility to hire a licensed pest control operator and provide service reports. Perhaps most concerning were the extensive handwashing violations observed throughout the facility. Inspectors documented employees failing to wash their hands after using tobacco products before resuming food preparation, not changing gloves when required after taking out garbage, and touching their faces before handling food. Staff were also observed washing their hands while wearing gloves and failing to remove gloves when switching between handling different types of raw meat and fish. Additional food safety violations included employees using the same cutting board to cut different meats and fish without sanitizing between uses, and storing cut wintermelon on the bottom shelf of a food preparation table next to bleach while raw meat was being processed directly above it.

Cross-Contamination Risks

The inspection uncovered multiple cross-contamination hazards that could expose customers to dangerous foodborne pathogens. A fly strip was found hanging directly above food in the service line, and the facility's sanitizing bucket contained no measurable sanitizer despite operating for four hours at the time of inspection. The seafood market's shellfish handling also raised red flags, with inspectors finding commingled shellfish from different harvest dates stored in cascading water tanks without proper HACCP plans, violating food safety protocols designed to prevent contamination.

Equipment and Facility Issues

This inspection revealed significant equipment problems throughout the facility. Multiple refrigeration units were operating above the required 41°F temperature, including meat display cases, a three-door refrigeration unit, and the tofu/produce refrigeration unit that lacked thermometers entirely. The inspector ordered immediate repairs to all refrigeration equipment and prohibited the storage of potentially hazardous foods like bean sprouts, meat, eggs, and tofu in the malfunctioning units until repairs are completed. Additional violations included cutting boards in poor repair that couldn't be properly cleaned, equipment covered in fish scales and residue, cardboard lining surfaces that could harbor vermin, and accumulated food waste on floors throughout the facility.

First-Time Inspection

This marks Ocean Seafood Market's first recorded health inspection, with no previous inspection history available for the facility. The person in charge, identified as "Fang," refused to sign the inspection report despite being provided education on proper food safety procedures. The Excelsior neighborhood restaurant will need to address all violations and pass a follow-up inspection before fully demonstrating compliance with San Francisco health codes. Customers seeking safe seafood options in the area may want to consider alternatives until these serious health violations are resolved.