Mouse Droppings Found at SF's The Sherwood Restaurant

Health inspectors shut down The Sherwood this week after discovering mouse droppings on the kitchen floor near cardboard storage boxes, marking one of the most serious health violations in San Francisco's latest round of restaurant inspections. The facility had been operating without any pest control service from a licensed operator, creating conditions that posed immediate danger to public health.

The closure came during a week when San Francisco health inspectors conducted 150 restaurant inspections between September 22-28, 2025, revealing widespread violations across the city's dining establishments. Seven restaurants failed their inspections entirely, while 57 received conditional passes requiring immediate corrective actions.

Restaurant Closures

The Sherwood was the sole restaurant forced to close during this inspection period. Inspectors found mouse droppings scattered across the floor near cardboard boxes in food preparation areas. The violation report revealed the establishment had no active pest control service contract, a critical lapse in basic food safety protocols. Additionally, inspectors noted overgrown vines behind the building creating harborage conditions for pests.

The restaurant was also operating with an expired health license certificate and had outstanding permit fees with the San Francisco Tax Collector. Management was instructed to clean and sanitize all affected surfaces immediately and establish pest control service before any reopening could be considered.

Five restaurants that had been previously closed were cleared to reopen after addressing their violations: Precita Park Cafe, Broadway Taco, Hing Wang Bakery Co Inc, Delirium Cocktails, and Shoshin Sushi. These establishments successfully remediated their previous health code violations and passed follow-up inspections.

Most Serious Violations

Beyond the rodent infestation at The Sherwood, inspectors documented alarming food safety violations across multiple establishments. POKEWORKS faced a critical situation when inspectors found mouse droppings in their office area, requiring immediate cleaning and sanitization of all affected areas. The restaurant's hot-holding unit also failed to maintain safe temperatures, with chicken measured at only 113°F, well below the required 135°F minimum. Management voluntarily discarded the compromised chicken.

USHITARO presented multiple critical violations including dried mouse droppings on floors and a malfunctioning refrigeration unit holding potentially hazardous foods between 45-48°F, significantly above the required 41°F maximum. Soft-boiled eggs and beef were among the items held at dangerous temperatures that could promote bacterial growth.

Temperature violations plagued numerous establishments. Four Chairs had particularly egregious temperature control failures, with raw marinated chicken measured at 65°F in an upright reach-in refrigerator, cooked potatoes left at 86°F at room temperature, and poached eggs stored in water measuring 117°F on a cook line table. These temperature abuse violations create ideal conditions for rapid bacterial multiplication that can cause severe foodborne illness.

Lunette Cambodia struggled with both temperature control and time management of cooked foods. Inspectors found ground pork on an ice bath measuring 58°F after approximately one hour, and more alarmingly, a deep container of curry in the walk-in cooler still at 115°F six hours after cooking. The curry was voluntarily discarded by management due to the extreme temperature violation.

Presidio Pizza Company revealed extensive rodent activity with old droppings found on shelves under the point-of-sale system and in drawers near the restroom. Inspectors also discovered a large unsealed hole in the wall under the dishwasher area that could serve as an entry point for pests.

Conditional Passes

Fifty-seven restaurants received conditional passes, meaning they could remain open but required immediate corrective actions. These establishments faced violations ranging from blocked hand-washing stations to inadequate temperature control and missing food safety certifications.

Hand-washing violations emerged as a widespread problem. Old Jerusalem Restaurant Inc had its only kitchen hand sink blocked by a work table storing steam equipment, making proper hand hygiene impossible during food preparation. Lunette Cambodia similarly blocked their hand sink with a rice cooker, while BOBABYTES inspectors found the kitchen hand sink filled with utensils.

Temperature control failures affected multiple conditional pass recipients. Paris 75 had turkey, soft cheese, and hummus all measuring 47°F after being moved to a cooler three hours prior. Davids Deli&bistro showed similar problems with sour cream at 48°F, pooled eggs at 44°F, and chicken at 48°F in their undercounter cooler.

Missing or expired certifications proved problematic for several establishments. Old Jerusalem Restaurant Inc operated with an expired Food Manager Safety Certification under the name of a retired owner and all Food Handler cards were expired. Presidio Pizza Company had no food safety manager certificate on site and was instructed to register for certification within 45 days.

Water system failures created additional hazards. Red Bay Coffee had no soap in dispensers and missing quaternary ammonium test strips needed for sanitizer verification. D & T Market had multiple hand-washing stations without water, soap, or paper towels, including in the customer restroom.

Results by District

The Tenderloin district led the city with 38 total inspections, resulting in 17 conditional passes and 21 full passes. This troubled ratio reflects the ongoing challenges in one of San Francisco's most densely populated restaurant districts. The high number of conditional passes suggests systemic issues with food safety compliance in the area.

The Mission district saw 16 inspections split evenly between conditional passes and full passes, with 8 of each. This 50% conditional pass rate indicates significant room for improvement in food safety practices among Mission establishments.

North Beach recorded 12 inspections with exactly half receiving conditional passes. The even split between conditional and full passes mirrors the Mission's performance, suggesting similar compliance challenges across these popular dining destinations.

The Outer Richmond showed better results with 10 total inspections yielding only 3 conditional passes against 7 full passes. This 70% pass rate exceeded the citywide average and demonstrated stronger adherence to health codes.

The Financial District presented concerning results with 8 inspections producing 5 conditional passes and only 3 full passes. The 62.5% conditional rate in this business-heavy area raises questions about oversight in high-volume lunch establishments serving thousands of office workers daily.

Weekly Overview

The week's 150 total inspections revealed systemic problems across San Francisco's restaurant industry. With 7 failures, 57 conditional passes, and only 86 clean passes, just 57% of inspected establishments met health standards without requiring corrective actions.

The single closure at The Sherwood for rodent infestation represents the most severe enforcement action, but the widespread nature of violations suggests broader challenges. Hand-washing station blockages appeared in over a dozen establishments, indicating either inadequate training or deliberate bypassing of critical hygiene protocols.

Temperature control emerged as the most common violation category, with numerous establishments failing to maintain cold foods below 41°F or hot foods above 135°F. These temperature violations create dangerous conditions where bacteria can multiply rapidly, potentially causing severe foodborne illness outbreaks.

The pest control issues at multiple establishments including The Sherwood, POKEWORKS, USHITARO, and Presidio Pizza Company indicate inadequate preventive measures and maintenance. The presence of rodent droppings in food preparation and storage areas poses immediate health risks through potential contamination of food and surfaces.

Certification compliance problems affected numerous establishments, with expired or missing Food Manager certificates and Food Handler cards found repeatedly. These certifications ensure staff understand critical food safety principles, and their absence suggests knowledge gaps that could lead to dangerous practices.

The five reopenings this week demonstrate that remediation is possible when establishments commit to correcting violations. Delirium Cocktails, among the reopened restaurants, had previously faced issues including overuse of cockroach bait gel in food preparation areas and lack of warm water at hand-washing stations. Their successful remediation and reopening shows the inspection system can drive positive change.

Moving forward, the patterns revealed in this week's inspections suggest San Francisco restaurants need renewed focus on basic food safety fundamentals. The prevalence of blocked hand-washing stations, temperature violations, and pest activity indicates systemic issues that require both better training and more consistent enforcement.

The health department continues conducting regular unannounced inspections to ensure public safety. Consumers can check recent inspection scores and violation details for any San Francisco restaurant through the Department of Public Health's online database before dining out.

*Author: Staff Reporter at SF Restaurant Inspections*