SF Burger Joint Responds To Viral Image Of Raw Beef Left Outside

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A viral photo of raw beef left outside on the floor of a San Francisco restaurant drew controversy over the weekend, prompting an explanation from the business.

The photo of the raw beef and mayonnaise left outside Hamburger Project in San Francisco was posted on Reddit on Sunday, amassing nearly 4,000 upvotes and 569 comments since.

Commenters joked about the photo, with one person saying, "Our new premium burgers (are) $34.50 because we cook them with 100% solar energy!"

Some people noticed the restaurant appeared to be closed and perceived it was a delivery error. But others questioned what the restaurant did to the meat.

"Ok, this is really nasty," another commenter said. "Likely the delivery drivers fault for just leaving it there, but pretty scary that the restaurant appears to have used the food."

SEE ALSO: Viral Video Shows Worker Breaking Up Meat Slabs On Wet Alley Ground: Report

The restaurant released a statement Monday, saying they were aware of the photo and that it was the result of a delivery driver not being able to access the restaurant because it was closed.

The delivery driver, according to Hamburger Project, said they didn't have time to wait for someone to arrive and left the product on the floor.

"When our team arrived at the restaurant and found the product outside, it was immediately discarded as it was obviously compromised," Hamburger Project said in a statement. "We take food safety extremely seriously and have already updated our delivery procedures to ensure this does not happen again."