Ikes Love Sandwiches Fails Health Inspection Food Debris

Ikes Love & Sandwiches on Polk Street in Nob Hill failed a routine health inspection on October 21, 2025, after inspectors discovered unsanitary conditions that could pose serious health risks to customers. The popular sandwich shop at 901 Polk Street received a failing grade during this inspection conducted by San Francisco Department of Public Health inspector Jesus Zapien. The primary violation that led to the restaurant's failure involved the accumulation of food debris and waste materials underneath kitchen cooking equipment located at the cook's line. This type of cleaning violation creates conditions that can attract rodents, cockroaches, and other pests into food preparation areas where they can contaminate ingredients and surfaces that come into contact with customer meals.

Health Violations Found

Inspector Zapien documented the violation under California Retail Food Code Section 114143 and 114266, which governs the maintenance and cleanliness of floors, walls, and ceilings in food service establishments. The accumulation of organic matter under cooking equipment represents a significant sanitation failure that can lead to pest infestations and bacterial growth in areas where food is prepared. The inspector noted that the debris buildup under the kitchen equipment at the cook's line posed an immediate risk for vermin attraction. When food particles and grease accumulate in hard-to-reach areas beneath cooking surfaces, they create an ideal breeding ground for bacteria while simultaneously attracting mice, rats, and insects that can spread foodborne pathogens throughout the kitchen. The restaurant was given until October 30, 2025, to correct the violation and implement daily cleaning and sanitizing procedures to prevent future accumulation. This type of equipment maintenance issue suggests that proper cleaning protocols were not being followed consistently in the establishment's food preparation areas.

Customer Health Risks

Customers who dined at the restaurant before the violation was discovered could have been exposed to food contaminated by bacteria growing in the debris or by pests attracted to the unsanitary conditions. Food debris accumulation in kitchen areas can harbor dangerous pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can cause severe foodborne illness symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, hospitalization. The location of the violation - directly under cooking equipment at the cook's line where sandwiches are prepared - means that contamination could have easily spread to food contact surfaces, utensils, and ingredients used in customer orders. When pest attraction occurs due to poor sanitation, rodents and insects can leave droppings, urine, and shed skin particles that contaminate food preparation areas.

Restaurant Response and Inspection History

During the inspection, the person in charge, identified as Luis, refused to sign the inspection report, indicating disagreement with the inspector's findings. However, this was the restaurant's first recorded inspection in the San Francisco Department of Public Health database, making it impossible to determine whether this represents an isolated incident or part of a pattern of sanitation issues. The restaurant near Van Ness Muni serves sandwiches and other prepared foods to customers in the busy Nob Hill neighborhood. The establishment was not ordered to close despite the failing grade, meaning it could continue operating while addressing the violation. Inspector Zapien can be reached at (415) 252-3814 or jesus.zapien@sfdph.org for questions about the inspection findings. The restaurant must demonstrate compliance with proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures before its next inspection to avoid potential closure or additional violations.