Roaches, rodents, no permit: Restaurant closures, inspections in Riverside County, Aug. 6-12

Here are the restaurants and other food facilities that Riverside County Department of Environmental Health inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between Aug. 6 and 12, 2021. If no reopening date is mentioned, the department had not listed that facility as reopened as of this publication.

La Famosa #6 Carniceria and La Michoacana, 3650 Rubidoux Blvd., Jurupa Valley

• Closed: Aug. 12
• Grade: 82/B, failing, at the market; 85/B, failing, at the ice cream shop
• Reason: Cockroach infestation, sewage backup. Both facilities had cockroaches, and a floor sink in the market area wasn’t draining. The inspector instructed the facility to clean all equipment, flooring, walls, shelving and water lines of food debris buildup that was attracting the roaches. There was one other critical violation: No employees were washing their hands.

Baguette Bakery & Cafe, 767 Blaine St. Suite B, Riverside

• Closed: Aug. 12
• Grade: 86/B, failing
• Reason: Rodent infestation. The inspector found “extensive rodent activity” in a storage area. Two bags of almonds that had been gnawed through and there were fresh droppings on canned goods, plastic utensils, paper plates, cardboard boxes, storage shelves and floors, and in the bin where clean utensils are stored.

New Bombay Store, 1385 W. Blaine St., Riverside (partial closure)

• Closed: Aug. 11
• Grade: 80/B, failing
• Reason: Cockroach infestation. An inspector visited in response to a complaint about several food safety and sanitation issues. A bag of bulk food on the kitchen floor had numerous live roaches underneath and egg casings on top. The store was allowed to keep selling prepackaged items but not prepared items or bulk open food. There were two other critical violations: There were weevils in bags of flour and other food and on the shelves, and food was at unsafe temperatures in a cooler that was impounded for not keeping cold.

Chuyita’s, 24021 Alessandro Blvd., Moreno Valley

• Closed: Aug. 11
• Grade: Not graded
• Reason: Operating without valid health permit. The report from the restaurant’s last inspection in November (94/A, passing) showed its permit was going to expire in May.
• Reopened: Aug. 12

Los Zapatas Mexican Restaurant, 13373 Perris Blvd. Suite F503, Moreno Valley

• Closed: Aug. 10
• Grade: Not graded
• Reason: No hot water. The inspector came to conduct a routine inspection but halted it upon finding that the sinks didn’t have hot water for handwashing and dishwashing.

Non-closure inspections of note

Here are selected inspections at facilities that weren’t closed but had significant issues.

Min’s Dumpling House, at 440 N. McKinley St. Suite 103 in Corona, was inspected Aug. 12 and received a failing grade of 73/C with one critical violation. Onion pancake dough had been left in a bowl on the floor and was at an unsafe temperature. Among the 17 other violations, many of which were repeated or chronically repeated from past inspections, there was an “excessive” number of flies landing on equipment (but none were seen on food), there were ants on the floor, a prep cooler was impounded for not keeping cold, raw tilapia had been left unrefrigerated for an hour, an employee didn’t wash hands properly, sauces had been left at room temperature and contaminated with cooked meat, a dirty and deteriorated cutting board made of wood (not an acceptable material) was being stored on top of a trash bin and used for food prep, there was mold and biofilm in the ice machine, and surfaces throughout the restaurant were excessively dirty. This was the restaurant’s third failed inspection in less than a year, so it now faces a permit suspension/revocation hearing.

Marui Sushi, at 2347 California Ave. Suite 101 in Corona, was inspected Aug. 12 and received a failing grade of 80/B with one critical violation. Two employees didn’t wash hands; the inspector noted handwashing violations are a repeated problem and issued a citation. Among the 12 other violations, several sinks were blocked or lacking soap or paper towels, some food wasn’t being kept cold (and after the person in charge agreed to discard some tempura shrimp, an employee was seen placing it in a sushi roll), staff wasn’t keeping track of how long sushi rice was left at room temperature, frozen salmon wasn’t being thawed safely, the sushi display cooler and a non-commercial freezer had cracked doors, and there was mold in the ice machine.

Bear Valley Market & Liquor, at 32475 Clinton Keith Road Suite 111 in Wildomar, was inspected Aug. 12 and received a failing grade of 85/B with one critical violation. A refrigerated display case and a walk-in meat refrigerator were impounded for not keeping cold, and multiple containers of food had to be discarded. Among the nine other violations, there were flies in the food prep area. This was the market’s first inspection since being taken off probation at the end of 2020; it was put on probation in 2018 after failing three inspections in two years, and was closed once in 2019 for failing another inspection while on probation.

Charley Rokk’s BBQ, at 5145 Jurupa Ave. Suite G4 in Riverside, was inspected Aug. 10 and received a failing grade of 80/B. Among the 15 violations, the inspector said it was 100 degrees in the kitchen, a cooler was impounded for not keeping cold, employees weren’t properly washing hands, the facility needed cleaning and the inspector noted that sleeping accommodations are not allowed in areas where food is prepared or stored.

Richie’s Diner, at 32150 Temecula Parkway Suite I in Temecula, was inspected Aug. 10 and received a failing grade of 81/B with two critical violations. A cook didn’t wash hands after handling raw fish, and food was at unsafe temperatures in a cookline fridge that was impounded. Among the eight other violations, there were flies inside, a freezer was impounded for not being cold enough and the kitchen needed cleaning. This was the diner’s second failed inspection in less than two years.

Kabab Crush, at 350 N. McKinley St. Suite 102 in Corona, was inspected Aug. 9 and received a failing grade of 80/B with two critical violations. A prep cooler was impounded for not keeping cold; the inspector noted the same unit had been impounded last October, and that no refrigerators in the restaurant had display thermometers. Also, a large pot of cooked rice wasn’t being cooled down safely. Among the 10 other violations, the food-prep area’s only handwashing sink had the water turned off and employees were changing gloves but not washing hands (the inspector noted handwashing violations and obstructed sinks are a chronic problem), there were flies throughout the facility, knives and the vegetable dicer were encrusted with food debris, and food was being stored in non-food-grade Home Depot buckets. The restaurant passed a follow-up inspection Aug. 11 with a 97/A.

One Stop Mini Mart, at 4300 Green River Road in Corona, was inspected Aug. 9 and received a failing grade of 85/B with one critical violation. The inspector saw several baby cockroaches scatter after a cardboard box was picked up, and there were rodent droppings in cabinets and on shelves near the soda machine (a chronic problem). The person in charge said pest control hadn’t visited since early 2020. Among the eight other violations, the store was selling CBD-infused drinks, which are not approved for sale, and the ice machine was dirty and in disrepair.

The Del Taco at 81566 Highway 111 in Indio was inspected Aug. 6 and received a failing grade of 83/B with one critical violation. The inspector noted an “excessive” number of flies inside. Among the 11 other violations, guacamole had been left at room temperature for too long, and areas including the fry station and ceilings needed cleaning. This was the restaurant’s third failed inspection this year, and it was closed briefly in April for having a broken air conditioner and being 115-130 degrees inside.

Armando’s Bar & Grill, at 73260 El Paseo Suite 1A in Palm Desert, was inspected Aug. 6 and received a failing grade of 84/B. Among the 13 violations, the inspector saw three live cockroaches in the food-prep area plus dead roaches by the ice machine and at the bar. There were flies inside, especially in the food-prep area. The kitchen was “extremely hot,” causing employees to sweat, but the rest of the restaurant was comfortable; the facility was told to ensure the air conditioner was working and to relocate a portable A/C to the cook line.

Updates from past weeks

Kam Lun Chinese Food, at 66610 8th St. in Desert Hot Springs, was placed on probation Aug. 10, a week after failing an inspection with a score of 74/C and being closed over a rodent infestation. (It has not been listed as reopened yet.) That was the restaurant’s third failed inspection and second closure in less than two years. The previous closure in October 2020 was also because of rodents.

Barrel District, at 35939 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City, which was closed Aug. 5 for not having hot water, was permitted to reopen Aug. 11. It also passed an inspection with a 93/A.

About this list

This list is published online on Fridays. Any updates as restaurants are reopened will be included in next week’s list.

All food facilities in the county are routinely inspected to ensure they meet health codes. A facility loses four points for each critical violation — and may have to close if the violation can’t be corrected immediately — and one or two points for minor violations. An A grade (90 to 100 points) is passing. Grades of B (80 to 89 points) and C (79 or below) are failing and typically require the proprietor to make improvements and be re-inspected.

For more information on inspections of these or any restaurants in Riverside County, visit restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org. To submit a health complaint about a restaurant, go to www.rivcoeh.org/Complaint or call 888-722-4234 during business hours or 951-782-2968 after-hours.