Let’s all agree, squab aside, pigeons are vile and disgusting. The Appeal brings us the very special tale of a health department shutdown on 24th Street, at Taqueria Vallarta, where some diners complained to inspectors last week that they saw the wingèd vermin nesting in the rafters of the restaurant, defecating on the premises, and coming and going as they pleased through a hole in the roof. Long story short, inspectors came, there was also a cockroach problem, and the well-loved restaurant is now closed.
The owner says they’re working hard on some “renovations” — they also face a hearing at the health department tomorrow — and he hopes to reopen in a few days. Says a spokesperson for the department, “Pigeon problems’ abound in this city and all cities throughout the U.S. and the world. What doesn’t abound are pigeons taking up residence inside restaurants. Very unusual occurrence, even for San Francisco.” Even for San Francisco, folks.
Open-Air Pigeon Nest Closes Popular Mission Taqueria [Appeal]
