Cockroach infestations close 2 Sacramento County restaurants. What else did inspectors find?
Sacramento County health inspectors closed two local restaurants after finding more than 90 German cockroaches scattered across the facilities.
In addition, 12 restaurants throughout the county received yellow placards for health code violations including dirty floors, food debris and black mold-like build up inside an ice machine.
A yellow placard signals two or more major violations, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide. These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection.
A red placard signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends the health permit until violations are corrected. This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.
In contrast, a green placard means a restaurant passed the inspection.
The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.
Health inspectors recently closed a Carl’s Jr fast food restaurant due to a plumbing issue last week. The fast food restaurant reopened on March 14.
Here are the Sacramento County food facility inspections for March 14 through Wednesday, as of noon Thursday:
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Sacramento Bee reporter Jacqueline Pinedo at jpinedo@sacbee.com. The Bee will publish weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
Health inspectors close 2 Sacramento County restaurants
Serritella’s, 6241 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael, had 15 violations on Tuesday.
Inspectors found a total of 11 live German cockroaches and more than five dead roaches throughout the Italian restaurant on Tuesday, according to the report.
Nine live roaches were found between a hand-washing station and sink at the pizza preparation area, the report said, while one roach was seen running near a glass window and another was spotted near a soap dispenser.
Inspectors saw one egg case and several dead roaches on the floor beneath the prep sink, according to the report. They also spotted two dead roaches covered in grease residue on the floor behind the deep fryers, and another two near a water heater.
Cream cakes, tiramisu and whipped cream at the restaurant were outside of proper holding temperatures.
“Grease and black residue buildup was seen beneath front cooking equipment,” the report said, and there was “debris build-up inside several floor sinks at the cook’s area and beneath both dish machines.”
The restaurant was reinspected again on Wednesday, but inspectors found more than a dozen live roaches under a prep sink, Wednesday’s report said.
Inspectors also found 25 dead roaches “on the floor at the pizza prep area, beneath the grill, next to a deep fryer, next to a water heater and beneath the back storage metro shelf,” according to the report.
“All I can say is we’re a community restaurant and I have a huge space,” Serritella’s co-owner Bonnie Prophet told The Sacramento Bee in a Friday afternoon phone message. “We actually have some evidence of roaches in an outlet in one of our kitchens. We have two kitchens and that was remedied.”
“(The report) sounds ten times more dreadful than the actual experience when I was standing there with the inspector,” Prophet added.
Another inspection was conducted on Thursday and the restaurant reopened.
“Clearly we have a green pass on our door,” Prophet said. “We did some cleanup.”
Pho Saigon Bay, 1537 Howe Ave. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Tuesday.
Inspectors found a total of 57 live German cockroaches and 18 dead roaches throughout the pho restaurant on Tuesday, according to the report.
About 40 to 50 live roaches were behind a sink, while two were at a water heater and one was below a cold top cooler.
Inspectors also spotted a roach below a side cook’s line prep table, plus three behind a sink and three below a drainboard.
An additional 10 to 15 dead roaches were around the water heater, the report said, as well as two below a washing sink. One dead roach was below a rice cooker.
In addition, inspectors observed an employee’s drink on the prep table as food was being prepared.
They also found organic mold buildup in the ice machine and “dry good bags stored in old chemical buckets,” according to the report.
The restaurant was reinspected on Wednesday, but remained closed due to continued roach contamination. Inspectors found more than 10 roaches in various locations throughout the restaurant that day.
The restaurant was reinspected on Thursday and reopened.
The Bee reached out to the restaurant for comment on Friday morning and left a message with an employee, but had not received a reply as of midday Friday.
12 local restaurants cited for health violations
The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of March. 14 through March 20, resulting in a conditional pass.
Only the dates of violations are listed. Most restaurants fully pass reinspection within 72 hours. The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.
Friends with Benedicts Mimosa, 310 Palladio Parkway in Folsom, had five violations on Wednesday.
Inspectors observed an employee crack an egg with gloves and then proceed to touch bread without washing their hands.
There was food debris on the floor directly under the grill, according to Wednesday’s report, and chorizo, turkey, beans and salmon were outside of their proper holding temperatures.
The business was reinspected on Thursday, but received a yellow placard for improper food holding temperatures.
T4, 5120 Auburn Blvd. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Wednesday.
Inspectors “observed cross-contamination of equipment” at the tea shop when an employee washed a drain board in a three-compartment sink by a raw chicken, Wednesday’s report said.
A live German cockroach nymph was on a cardboard box at a beverage preparation area, the report said, and a dying nymph was on the floor next to the kitchen cooler.
Inspectors saw a large chicken improperly thawing inside of a three-compartment sink, according to the report.
They also observed heavy dust build-up on the fan guards near a ventilation hood. There was grease build-up on the floor beneath cooking equipment and black residue build-up on the floor beneath an ice machine, according to the inspection report.
The boba shop was reinspected on Thursday and received a green placard.
Wendy’s, 7931 E Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Wednesday.
A bottle of half-and-half was not stored in the proper holding temperature, according to the report. and a broom was stored next to a box of potatoes.
A “mop bucket was lined with a garbage bag and was used to collect oil from a grill,” Wednesday’s report said.
All equipment beneath the cook’s line had accumulated grease and old food debris, the report said.
The fast food restaurant was reinspected on Thursday and received a green placard.
Antolia Chevron, 11760 Douglas Road, in Rancho Cordova, had five violations on Wednesday.
No paper towels were available at the hand sink during Wednesday’s inspection and a dairy creamer was not stored in the proper holding temperature, according to the Wednesday report.
Additionally, two bags of ice were on the floor of a walk-in freezer.
The gas station had not been reinspected as of Thursday evening.
Mayhew Deli, 9333 Tech Center Drive in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Wednesday.
Raw bean sprouts were not in the proper holding temperature during the Wednesday inspection, according to the report.
Inspectors observed chili being improperly reheated.
Old food debris, residue and dust were in various locations throughout the restaurant, Wednesday’s report said. Some locations that required cleaning included fan guards inside a reach-in cooler and the floors beneath the refrigerator, freezer, prep tables, water heater and sink.
Large gaps that were 3/8 inches in size were seen in the wall around sewer pipes near a hand sink.
The restaurant had not been reinspected as of Thursday evening.
Journey to the Dumpling, 1700 21st St. in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Tuesday.
A hand sink located next to the dumpling prep station was out of soap during Tuesday’s inspection.
According to the report, employees’ water bottles were on a prep table and dry storage shelves, in both cases next to food.
Minced pork was outside its proper holding temperatures, according to the report, and frozen pork was improperly thawing on a push cart.
Debris was seen the floor in a walk-in cooler and freezer, according to the report. In the kitchen, cardboard was being used as a floor mat.
The restaurant was reinspected on Wednesday and received a green placard.
Fire Wings, 1229 Howe Ave. in Sacramento, had eight violations on Wednesday.
Fried chicken was outside of its proper holding temperature during Wednesday’s inspection, according to the report.
Inspectors observed two employees’ drinks, including an open can, stored above food inside of a walk-in cooler.
Organic buildup was inside of an ice chute, and there were utensils in stagnant water, the report said.
In addition, “excessive grease and old food debris was seen on the floors throughout the facility, under shelving, in the walk-in cooler, below the cooks line and surrounding the inside and outside of equipment,” Wednesday’s report said.
The restaurant had not been reinspected as of Friday morning.
Mayahuel, 1200 K St. in Sacramento, had eight violations on Tuesday.
Both hand-washing stations in the tequila bar area were out of paper towels, according to the inspection report.
Inspectors observed chemicals stored next to lids on a shelf and a box of tortillas on the floor next to a stand-up freezer.
A cracked plastic container was being used to store brown rice. Inspectors asked for it to be thrown out.
The restaurant was reinspected on Thursday and received a green placard.
Kiki’s Wings and Tenders, 3311 Power Inn Road in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Tuesday.
Two hand sinks had no soap during Tuesday’s inspection. Additionally, inspectors noticed that equipment and dishes were washed manually without any sanitizer, according to the report.
Pre-cooked chicken was outside of its proper holding temperature on Tuesday.
Black mold-like buildup was inside an ice machine and underneath it as well as behind a plastic ice chute, according to the report.
Inspectors “observed a bread knife wedged between unclean containers on a shelf above a front prep station,” according to the report.
The restaurant was reinspected on Thursday, but again received a yellow placard. The Thursday report stated the restaurant was still manually washing dishes without sanitizer.
Slice House, 3210 E Bidwell St. in Folsom, had four violations on Tuesday.
The hand sink in the prep area had no soap, according to the report.
Meatballs were outside of its proper holding temperatures.
In addition, the report said, pizzas at the front service counter were not discarded after the appropriate four-hour time period.
The pizzeria was reinspected on Wednesday and received a green placard.
Umami Ramen, 187 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom, had three violations on Tuesday.
Inspectors found a “bowl of raw vegetables ... stored in a hand sink,” Tuesday’s report said.
Fried chicken and tako yaki were outside of proper holding temperatures.
The restaurant was reinspected on Wednesday and received a green placard.
Jimboy’s Tacos, 7300 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove, had four violations on Monday.
Inspectors observed beef and chicken taquitos outside of proper holding temperatures.
Multiple containers of cooked rice and beans were on the counter without ice measured at the appropriate temperature of 113 to 155 degrees, according to the report.
The restaurant was reinspected on Thursday and received a green placard.
What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
