Roaches Lead to Castro Eatery Closures

A handful of restaurants have reopened in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood after recently being closed when city inspectors found cockroaches and, in some cases, rodent infestations.

It's not clear where the vermin have come from, but one city health official indicated there's no reason to worry.

Nancy Sarieh, a spokeswoman for the health department, said when there are only about half a dozen eateries "in the last nine months in very different locations, that doesn't really raise any red flags for us."

No one from any of the restaurants responded to interview requests.

Slider's Diner, at 449 Castro Street, is the most recent eatery the health department's environmental health branch told to shut down temporarily.

An inspection report dated July 7 says rodents and cockroaches were behind the order.

"This facility shall cease and desist all operations and close to the public due to an imminent public health risk," the document says. "Your permit to operate is temporarily suspended due to the rodent and cockroach infestation observed."

The report included a "high risk violation" related to rodents and roaches, moderate-level problems with "inadequate food safety knowledge," and "low risk violations" for "unclean nonfood contact surfaces" and other conditions.

The city agency found "rodent droppings" throughout the shelving under the counter at the front service and cook's line areas, in the rear prep area, and in the upstairs storage space.

The inspector also noted "multiple live (lively) cockroaches in the rear prep area," and behind a refrigerator and freezer.

"A heavy build-up of dirt, debris, [and] organic matter," including "droppings and grease" were discovered throughout the business.

Among other directions, the inspector told the diner to "immediately eliminate cockroach and rodent activity utilizing a licensed pest control operator."

Slider's was also told to "Clean and maintain garbage areas in a manner that does not attract vermin," and to stop "storing onions on the floor."

The health department said the diner was to remain shut down until an inspector approved it to operate again.

In the report, Slider's received a score of 85, meaning it "needs improvement."

According to the Hoodline news site, which has been reporting on the closures for months, the diner had opened again by Friday, July 10.

Slider Bar

Cockroaches also led to the health department ordering Slider Bar, at 2295 Market Street, to close May 28.

Slider Bar had many high-risk violations.

Among other cockroach problems, an inspector found three live roaches between the wall and the grill on the cook's line. There were also two live and seven dead roaches, and eight egg casings around a water heater.

Other violations included the temperature at which food was held and unclean "food contact surfaces."

Slider Bar was ordered to "eliminate cockroach activity and continue working with a licensed pest control operator."

The restaurant's score was 77, putting it in the "needs improvement" range. The problems were confirmed to have been corrected June 4, according to health department data.

Posh Bagel

A cockroach infestation was also the reason the permit for Posh Bagel, at 495A Castro Street, was temporarily suspended, according to an inspector's report dated May 18.

An inspection revealed several live cockroaches in the prep area and other sections, as well as old "rodent droppings" that were under milk creates in a storage area.

Among other instructions, the report said the bagel shop should "elevate all food and food-related items at least six inches off of the floor to facilitate easy cleaning and minimize potential contamination."

Posh Bagel's final tally was 89. That's an "adequate" score, according to the health department's website, but seven of the 11 points that were lost were for high-risk violations.

Information from the health department shows the violations had been corrected May 19, the day after the closure had been ordered.

As with the other eateries, the inspection report for Posh Bagel was marked "Routine."

According to Hoodline, the health department recently shut down ManDu, at 2251 Market Street, because of a "rodent infestation," and that space became Janchi, serving Korean tapas.

Reasons Unclear

Sarieh didn't know whether there have actually been more vermin infestations, as the recent closures seem to indicate.

"From our perspective, we don't know, because our responsibility is to cite for violations," she said. The department doesn't do further inspections "to find the source. The responsibility of that is on the owner of the business," whose responsibility it also is to "get rid of" the problems.

"If we see droppings or a mouse or two, or a rat or two, it's not considered an imminent health risk," Sarieh said. But if there's "more than handful of mice or rats or droppings" the risk would be imminent, and "that automatically shuts down the business."

The department has more than 7,500 facilities to inspect, she said, and the agency tries to get inspectors out "to each facility and food prep business at least once a year."

Orphan Andy's, a popular diner at 3991 17th Street, wasn't shut down, but in March, an inspector did find a "moderate risk vermin infestation" among other problems, according to data from the health department. An April 9 inspection found the violations had been abated.

Co-owner Dennis Ziebell said the inspector from the health department had found mouse droppings in a common alleyway where garbage cans are kept. Ziebell, who suggested street construction in the area could have been part of the problem, said a professional exterminator visits his diner monthly.

"I've been here for almost 39 years, and we've never had what you would call 'an infestation,'" Ziebell, who lives upstairs from Orphan Andy's, said. He said he's never seen cockroaches or mice in the diner.

The business closes every three months so the kitchen can be steam cleaned, among other efforts, he said.

Ziebell said he had "no idea" what's behind the infestations the health department has found in area eateries, but he added that "it could be a problem of the building, not necessarily just the restaurant," such as if an adjacent retail business that the health department doesn't inspect is having an infestation.

He's not worried about people thinking it's not safe to eat in the Castro.

"Even the best restaurants" have been cited before, Ziebell said, and problems "can happen in a very, very short period of time. ... I think people understand."