Rat Droppings Found on SF Restaurant Floor During Inspection

San Francisco health inspectors discovered rat droppings on the kitchen floor at Armenian Cultural Center during a routine inspection this week, contributing to the facility's failed health inspection. The rodent contamination was found near cooking equipment while staff were actively preparing food, raising serious concerns about food safety at the establishment.

The Armenian Cultural Center's violations extended beyond the pest infestation. Inspectors observed a food employee who had been washing dishes handle food ready for service without washing their hands first, a critical breach of basic hygiene protocols. Additionally, no sanitizing solution was available during active food preparation, and none of the kitchen staff or administrators had valid food handler cards or food safety manager certification.

Restaurant Closures

While the Armenian Cultural Center's violations were severe enough to warrant a failed inspection, San Francisco saw no restaurant closures during the week of November 10-16, 2025. However, the city did see positive developments with ten establishments successfully reopening after addressing previous violations.

Panda Express led the list of reopened restaurants, demonstrating successful remediation of prior issues. Hotel Kabuki Bar also resumed operations after meeting health standards. Vietnamese cuisine returned to compliant status with Y & Y Vietnamese Restaurant Inc reopening its doors to customers.

Garden Bakery successfully addressed its previous violations and reopened, bringing fresh baked goods back to its neighborhood. Round Table Pizza completed necessary improvements to return to active service, joining the other establishments in meeting the city's stringent health requirements.

Most Serious Violations

Beyond the Armenian Cultural Center's rodent issues, inspectors documented concerning violations at multiple establishments throughout the city. Cafeto Coffee Shop displayed a brown mold-like substance inside its ice machine, though inspectors noted the ice itself remained uncontaminated. The facility also revealed minimal rodent droppings below the shelf under the espresso machine, with staff reporting a small rodent sighting approximately one month prior.

Boudin Sourdough Bakery/cafe faced multiple sanitation challenges, including old rodent droppings in the back storage area where unused equipment is stored. Inspectors also discovered mold-like growth on beverage cooler and cold top prep cooler door gaskets, indicating ongoing maintenance issues.

Temperature control violations posed risks at several establishments. 7 Eleven 23342f served chicken rollers at a dangerously low 124.5 degrees Fahrenheit, well below the required 135-degree minimum for hot holding. The operator corrected the issue on site, achieving 149 degrees after increasing the heat.

Larry Flints Hustler Club measured pepperoni at 48 degrees Fahrenheit on the top portion of a food preparation cooler in the upstairs kitchen, exceeding the 41-degree maximum for cold holding. The dishwasher at the bar registered zero parts per million of chlorine during the sanitize cycle, failing to meet the 50 ppm requirement.

Employee hygiene violations created additional health risks. Beanstalk - Inner Richmond saw an employee washing hands in the three-compartment sink rather than the designated handwashing station. The front handwashing sink also lacked paper towels at the start of inspection. Raw shell eggs placed on top of the cook's line prep area created cross-contamination risks.

Conditional Passes

Forty establishments received conditional passes during the inspection period, indicating violations that required correction but didn't warrant closure. The Midway joined this category along with The Epicurean Trader, both needing improvements to meet full compliance.

Fat Beli Deli received conditional approval despite violations, as did Caffe Central. These establishments must address identified issues promptly to maintain operations and avoid potential closure.

SINOMBRE and Garden of Eden both received conditional passes, requiring corrective actions for continued operation. Each facility received specific directives from inspectors outlining necessary improvements.

Equipment and infrastructure problems plagued multiple facilities. Holy Nata operated without hot water at handwashing and food preparation sinks, forcing staff to use the three-compartment sink for handwashing until repairs could be completed.

Mission Shell experienced a leak at the front service station handwash sink requiring repair within seven days. The facility also displayed accumulation of debris on vents above ventless cooking equipment and yellowing tiles indicating inadequate cleaning.

Results by District

Nob Hill emerged as the district with the most concerning inspection results, with all six inspected establishments receiving conditional passes and zero full passes. This 100% conditional pass rate suggests systemic compliance challenges in the neighborhood's food service sector.

The Financial District showed better performance with ten total inspections yielding seven passes and only three conditional passes, demonstrating a 70% full compliance rate. This district's establishments generally maintained higher standards than other areas surveyed.

SOMA recorded seven inspections with five conditional passes and two full passes, indicating widespread compliance issues with a 71% conditional pass rate. The high concentration of food service establishments in this area makes these results particularly concerning for public health officials.

Bayview's six inspections resulted in four conditional passes and two full passes, showing a 67% conditional rate. The Mission district recorded similar challenges with five total inspections producing four conditional passes and only one full pass, an 80% conditional rate that highlights needed improvements.

Weekly Overview

The week of November 10-16, 2025, saw health inspectors complete 71 total inspections across San Francisco's diverse restaurant landscape. While no establishments required immediate closure, the single failed inspection at Armenian Cultural Center and 40 conditional passes indicate ongoing challenges in maintaining food safety standards.

The reopening of ten establishments demonstrated that remediation efforts can successfully address violations when properly implemented. These businesses invested time and resources to correct deficiencies and meet health department standards for safe food service.

Rodent activity emerged as a recurring theme across multiple inspections, from the Armenian Cultural Center's floor contamination to droppings found at Cafeto Coffee Shop and Boudin Sourdough Bakery/cafe. These findings suggest broader pest control challenges that the restaurant industry must address comprehensively.

Temperature control violations at multiple establishments highlight the critical importance of proper food holding procedures. Whether hot items falling below 135 degrees or cold items exceeding 41 degrees, temperature abuse creates ideal conditions for bacterial growth and foodborne illness.

Hand hygiene and sanitization failures represented another significant category of violations. Missing soap, paper towels, and sanitizer solutions at various establishments demonstrate fundamental lapses in infection control practices. These basic requirements form the foundation of food safety protocols.

The prevalence of expired or missing food handler certifications across numerous establishments reveals a systemic training gap. Without proper certification, employees may lack essential knowledge about safe food handling practices, temperature control, and contamination prevention.

Moving forward, San Francisco's restaurant industry must address these recurring violations through enhanced training, improved pest control measures, and stricter adherence to temperature control protocols. The health department's inspection program continues to identify risks before they result in foodborne illness outbreaks.

Restaurant operators should view conditional passes as warnings requiring immediate action rather than acceptable operating standards. The single failed inspection this week serves as a reminder that severe violations can result in immediate consequences for businesses that fail to maintain basic health and safety standards.

Public health depends on consistent enforcement of food safety regulations and prompt remediation of identified violations. While the absence of closures this week represents a positive outcome, the high number of conditional passes indicates substantial room for improvement across San Francisco's food service industry.

Author: Staff Reporter at SF Restaurant Inspections