SF Sushi Restaurant Serves Food with Mouse Droppings on Belt

Health inspectors made a horrifying discovery at Izumi Kaiten Sushi this week when they found mouse droppings directly on the restaurant's food serving conveyor belt, potentially exposing countless diners to dangerous contamination. The shocking violation represents one of the most egregious food safety breaches documented in recent San Francisco restaurant inspections.

The revolving sushi restaurant received a conditional pass after inspectors discovered not only mouse droppings on the conveyor belt where food travels directly to customers, but also additional rodent droppings scattered throughout the kitchen area. The facility was ordered to eliminate all rodents and cockroaches, remove all droppings, and sanitize affected surfaces with dilute chlorine solution.

This disturbing discovery headlines a week of concerning food safety violations across San Francisco restaurants, though no establishments were forced to close despite serious infractions involving pest infestations, temperature abuse, and unsanitary conditions.

Most Serious Violations

Beyond the mouse-contaminated sushi belt, inspectors uncovered multiple facilities harboring dangerous pest infestations. Suzu SF, which recently reopened, was found to have live cockroaches and small nymphs under kitchen equipment, despite passing inspection. The restaurant was ordered to eliminate cockroaches and rodents, with mandatory pest control services twice monthly.

Temperature violations posed significant health risks at several establishments. Tilak Indian Cuisine served chicken curry that had been sitting at a dangerous 46°F for over 24 hours, well above safe refrigeration temperatures. Inspectors forced staff to discard the potentially contaminated curry immediately.

Equipment failures created additional hazards throughout the week. Twin Peaks Pizza and Pasta lost hot water to all facility sinks, while multiple establishments lacked proper sanitizing solutions. Starbucks Coffee operated with a malfunctioning dishwashing machine that couldn't reach proper sanitation temperatures.

Cross-contamination violations threatened customer safety at Empero Taste, where raw proteins were stored directly above lettuce in refrigeration units. The facility also had employees attempting to wash hands while wearing gloves, demonstrating fundamental food safety training failures.

Restaurant Closures

No restaurants were forced to close this week despite serious violations, marking an unusual period where facilities managed to address critical issues without full shutdowns. However, several establishments received conditional passes requiring immediate corrective action.

The absence of closures doesn't indicate improved food safety standards across the city. Instead, it reflects restaurants' ability to implement rapid corrections during inspections, often through immediate disposal of contaminated items or emergency equipment repairs.

Conditional Passes and Reopenings

Twenty establishments received conditional passes, requiring follow-up inspections to verify compliance. Lazy Susan faced multiple violations including old mouse droppings under storage racks and rice scoops stored in room-temperature water instead of ice.

Balboa Teriyaki operated without proper food safety certifications and lacked sanitizing solutions during food preparation. The facility also failed to provide required consumer advisories about undercooked food risks.

Five restaurants successfully reopened after addressing previous violations: Old Pier Hotpot Buffet, Lam Hoa Thuan Restaurant, Sushi Zen, Suzu SF, and Mahalo!. These reopenings demonstrate restaurants can correct serious violations when properly motivated by closure threats.

Taqueria Mana Inc showed signs of ongoing pest problems with sticky traps containing dead and live cockroaches, though the infestation appeared somewhat controlled compared to previous inspections.

Results by District

Pacific Heights led violation counts with 7 inspections resulting in 5 conditional passes and only 2 full passes, indicating widespread compliance issues in the upscale neighborhood. SOMA matched the inspection volume with 7 visits but achieved better results with only 2 conditional passes and 5 passes.

The Castro district saw 5 inspections with 1 conditional pass and 4 passes, while the Tenderloin recorded 4 inspections with 1 conditional pass and 3 passes. Visitacion Valley completed the neighborhood breakdown with 4 inspections split evenly between 2 conditional passes and 2 passes.

These district-level results suggest food safety challenges aren't confined to specific neighborhoods, with violations occurring across diverse economic and demographic areas throughout San Francisco.

Recurring Violations

Several violation patterns emerged throughout the week's inspections. Missing or expired food handler certifications affected multiple establishments, including Park Gym, New San Wang Restaurant, and Hard Knox Cafe. These violations represent systemic training failures that compromise food safety knowledge among staff.

Inadequate sanitizing procedures appeared at numerous facilities, with restaurants lacking proper sanitizer buckets, test strips, or functioning dishwashing equipment. Day Darmet Catering Inc and Willys Food both struggled with sanitization compliance.

Pest control problems extended beyond the most serious cases, with Healthy Spirits Cortland discovering old rodent droppings in storage areas and Bus Stop Grocery facing structural gaps that allow vermin entry.

Weekly Overview

This week's 53 inspections revealed concerning trends in San Francisco's restaurant industry, with nearly 38% of inspected establishments failing to meet basic food safety standards on initial visits. The 20 conditional passes represent a significant portion of inspected facilities requiring immediate corrective action.

While the zero closure rate might suggest improved compliance, the severity of violations discovered indicates ongoing systemic problems. Mouse droppings on food service equipment, live cockroach infestations, and temperature abuse violations demonstrate that serious food safety threats persist throughout the city's dining establishments.

The inspection results highlight the critical importance of regular health department oversight, as violations ranging from pest infestations to equipment failures could have exposed thousands of diners to foodborne illness risks. Restaurant operators must prioritize proper training, equipment maintenance, and pest control to protect public health.

Moving forward, the health department's continued vigilance and enforcement actions will be essential to maintaining food safety standards across San Francisco's diverse restaurant landscape.