These San Francisco restaurants received a 'poor' grade on their restaurant safety scores

THEM KY (717 Ellis St.)

Score: 57

Violation notes: Contaminated or adulterated food

Date: Feb. 24, 2015



(Violation corrected Feb. 27, 2015) THEM KY (717 Ellis St.)

Score: 57

Violation notes: Contaminated or adulterated food

Date: Feb. 24, 2015



(Violation corrected Feb. 27, 2015) Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close These San Francisco restaurants received a 'poor' grade on their restaurant safety scores 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

Nothing ruins a good meal like evidence of vermin infestation. But rats are just one of the problems San Francisco food inspectors look for when investigating potential health hazards. Those violations are totaled up and translated onto a scorecard you often see hanging in the window.

SFGate producers decided to review the most recent San Francisco restaurant safety scores from February 2015 to March 2016 and list the businesses that rated as "poor," the lowest designation handed out by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

Restaurant safety scores are based on a 100 point scale in which a business should score 90 points to be considered "good" and 80 points to earn an "adequate" label. Anything below 70 is considered “poor” according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

"Poor" means that during the review, health inspectors noticed multiple violations and those issues were more likely high-risk, which "directly relate to the transmission of food borne illnesses, the adulteration of food products, and the contamination of food-contact surfaces," according to the SFDPH.

The most common violations cited for these SF restaurants include unclean food contact surfaces and vermin infestation.

But that’s not to say that these eateries have to close up shop. In fact, restaurants have the opportunity to correct their violations on the spot or with follow up inspections. We've indicated date of correction - where available - from the SFDPH in our slideshow above.

"Restaurant health inspections are an important component in assuring a safe and sanitary dining experience for the public," Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, told SFGATE. "The public is passionate about food, and certainly the safety of it."

Restaurant patrons should keep in mind that these violations aren’t necessarily reflective of a business’s day-to-day operation, especially since things can get a little hectic in the food business.

If the restaurant you are visiting ever makes you a little nervous, remember that operators are required by the DPH to post their inspection results.

Take a look at the gallery above to see the violations some San Francisco eateries received.