Thieves reportedly steal $5,000 of premium Wagyu beef from San Francisco restaurant

Thieves reportedly made off with a meaty loot in San Francisco last week. 

The burglars broke into the storage room at Ace Wasabi sushi restaurant in the Marina District at dawn on Thursday, and bagged up $5,000 in premium Wagyu beef from the freezer, owner Ken Lowe told ABC7. 

Lowe believes that the burglars initially tried to break into the Apple Store next door on Chestnut Street, before jumping a fence and hitting his establishment. The interior surveillance footage appears to show two figures pulling items out of a freezer. Lowe, who also owns Pinsa Rossa in Pacific Heights, told the outlet that his restaurants have been burgled four times in the last three years, though this is the first time he’s filed a police report. 

“I’m hoping by getting the word out, the city understands that, hopefully, will make some changes,” Lowe told ABC7. “Whatever we’re doing now is not working. I’m numb to it. I’m saddened by our city that’s not holding people accountable.”

Ace Wasabi has been serving rock n’ roll-themed sushi rolls, Wagyu skewers and personalized omakase seatings, among other offerings, for 28 years at 3339 Steiner. 

San Francisco police confirmed the report to SFGATE Monday. “The victim stated that his business on the 3300 block of Steiner Street was burglarized on December 13, 2023 at approximately 5:24 a.m. by multiple unknown suspects,” a spokesperson wrote over email. “The suspects gained entry to the business and took various items of property and then fled from the scene.” 

According to the SFPD crime dashboard, as of Monday, the city has seen a 6.1% drop in reported burglaries compared to the same time period in 2022.