Barcha Mediterranean Gets Conditional Pass for Minor Issues

Barcha, a Mediterranean restaurant located at 28 Fremont Street in SOMA, received a conditional pass during its routine health inspection on November 20, 2025. The establishment can continue serving customers while addressing minor violations identified during the inspection. Health inspector Patrick Wood conducted the inspection from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, discovering two major violations that required immediate attention but did not warrant closure. The primary concern involved improper food thawing procedures, which staff corrected on-site during the inspection visit.

Inspection Violations Found

The most significant issue discovered during this inspection involved frozen lamb being thawed improperly in still water. This violation falls under California Retail Food Code Section 114419, which requires approved thawing methods to prevent dangerous bacterial growth. Inspector Wood emphasized the serious health risks associated with improper thawing, noting that incorrect vacuum packaging can create anaerobic conditions allowing Clostridium botulinum growth, which causes botulism and can be fatal in 5-10% of cases. The violation was immediately corrected when staff adjusted their thawing procedures to comply with health code requirements. The inspector documented the correction and provided guidance on proper food handling techniques to prevent future violations. The second major violation involved missing test strips for monitoring sanitizing equipment. The restaurant lacked proper quaternary ammonia test strips for the three-compartment sink and sanitizer buckets, as well as high-temperature dishwasher monitoring strips. These tools are essential for ensuring that sanitizing solutions maintain the required 200 parts per million quaternary ammonia concentration and that the dishwasher reaches the mandatory 160-degree Fahrenheit contact temperature for proper sanitization.

Restaurant Operations Continue

Despite the violations, Barcha remains open and continues serving customers near the Montgomery Street BART station in San Francisco's Financial District. The conditional pass allows the restaurant to operate while implementing the necessary corrections to achieve full compliance with health regulations. Restaurant management, represented by Santos who received the inspection report, must provide photo documentation of the corrected violations by December 4, 2025. This follow-up requirement ensures that all issues have been properly addressed and that the establishment maintains safe food handling practices.

Facility Background

Barcha operates under the ownership of Kais & Skan Inc and can be reached at (415) 624-5015. The restaurant serves Mediterranean cuisine in the heart of SOMA's busy Financial District, catering to office workers and residents in the area. This marks the first recorded health inspection for the establishment, as no previous inspection records were found in the San Francisco Department of Public Health database. The lack of inspection history suggests this may be a newly opened restaurant or one that has recently changed ownership.

Public Health Perspective

Conditional passes represent a middle ground in health inspection results, indicating that while violations were discovered, they were not severe enough to require immediate closure. The inspector's ability to observe corrections being made on-site demonstrates the restaurant's willingness to address food safety concerns promptly. The December 4 deadline for submitting photo documentation provides adequate time for the restaurant to implement lasting solutions while ensuring public health officials can verify compliance. Customers can continue dining at Barcha with confidence that identified issues are being addressed through proper regulatory oversight.