SF Grill Fails Inspection with Dangerous Food Temperatures

A Mission District restaurant was caught serving dangerously undercooked meat and storing raw chicken above ready-to-eat foods during a routine health inspection that revealed multiple serious food safety violations. SF Grill, located at 799 Valencia Street near 24th Street Mission BART, received a conditional pass on December 1st after inspectors discovered cooked beef being held at a dangerous 77°F and chicken at 93°F - temperatures that create prime conditions for rapid bacterial growth and foodborne illness.

Critical Temperature Violations Found

The most serious violations occurred when inspectors found the restaurant's hot holding equipment completely shut off, leaving cooked meats and pastries at temperatures where harmful bacteria multiply rapidly. Spinach and onion pastries were discovered sitting at 71°F in the non-functioning hot case, while cooked beef and chicken sat in covered containers next to the grill at temperatures far below the required 135°F minimum for safe hot holding. According to health officials, temperature violations cause 63% of all foodborne illness outbreaks. Clostridium perfringens, a dangerous bacteria that causes severe food poisoning, multiplies rapidly between 70-120°F - the exact temperature range where SF Grill's cooked meats were being held.

Cross-Contamination Risks

Inspectors also discovered raw chicken skewers stored directly above sliced cheese in refrigerated drawers, creating a textbook case of cross-contamination. Raw chicken commonly carries Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria, which can drip onto foods below and cause serious illness when consumed. The restaurant also had issues with basic food handling procedures. Utensils used for serving falafel and rice were found sitting in room temperature water instead of proper sanitizing solution, and the front prep area hand sink initially lacked warm water when inspectors arrived.

Insect Contamination

In a particularly disturbing discovery, inspectors observed a small gnat-like insect land directly on a slice of tomato that was being prepared for service. The contaminated tomato was immediately discarded, but the incident highlighted ongoing pest control issues that could affect food safety.

Immediate Corrections Required

All violations were corrected on-site during the inspection, with restaurant staff immediately reheating the cold meats to the required 165°F and moving pastries to proper rapid reheating equipment. However, the conditional pass requires follow-up monitoring to ensure continued compliance.

Missing Food Safety Certification

The inspection also revealed that SF Grill lacks a certified food safety manager on staff, a requirement that significantly reduces the likelihood of critical violations. The restaurant has until December 29th to obtain proper certification and provide documentation to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

First-Time Violations

This marks the first recorded inspection for SF Grill, which opened recently in the Mission District. The restaurant is operated by JAJ Grill Inc and can be reached at (415) 810-1735. The violations discovered at SF Grill demonstrate how quickly food safety can deteriorate when proper procedures aren't followed, putting customers at risk for serious foodborne illnesses that can require hospitalization.