Sacramento Mexican restaurant faces second closure for cockroaches in 3 weeks
Sacramento County inspectors recently closed a local Mexican restaurant for cockroaches for the second time in three weeks.
They also shut a Indian-Nepali restaurant in Sacramento after discovering rodent droppings, mold and other safety issues.
An additional 10 restaurants received citations for code violations involving mice, improperly stored food and more.
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide.
A red placard, however, 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 inspection.
The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, county spokesperson Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
Here are the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, April 10, through Wednesday, April 16, as of Thursday afternoon:
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com. The Bee publishes weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
Sacramento Mexican restaurant closed for cockroaches
Himalaya MoMo, 4740 Natomas Blvd., Suite 150, in Sacramento, had 13 violations on Friday, April 11.
The Indian-Nepali restaurant was shut down after county inspectors found evidence of a mouse infestation.
According to an April 11 report, there was a “heavy accumulation” of rodent droppings throughout the facility, including on counters with utensils and napkins for customers. A bag of dry goods had rodent gnaw marks.
On food storage racks and fan guards in refrigerators, inspectors observed “organic mold-like growth,” the report said.
A rotten potato was under a preparation table.
A raw chicken on a counter measured 10 degrees warmer than is considered safe.
Inspectors found a “large piece of raw goat meat” in a tray on the floor inside the eatery’s walk-in cooler.
Himalaya MoMo was re-inspected and issued a green placard on Saturday, April 12.
A restaurant representative had not responded to The Sacramento Bee’s request for comment as of Thursday afternoon.
Los Nopales Carniceria, 3106 Fulton Ave. in Sacramento, had one violation on Wednesday, April 16.
Sacramento County inspectors closed the Mexican restaurant due to a cockroach infestation, three weeks after shutting the facility for a similar issues.
Health officials found 10 to 11 live German cockroaches around the restaurant, including under a cabinet with employee items and in the door hinges of a cooler.
There were reportedly no glue traps in the facility, and the owner told inspectors they are working with pest control professionals to mitigate the issue.
The restaurant was previously closed in March for roaches and other safety violations.
Los Nopales Carniceria received a green placard after re-inspection on Thursday.
Maria Martinez, a representative for the restaurant, told a Sacramento Bee reporter that Los Nopales Carniceria reopened Thursday after experiencing a plumbing clog.
Local convenience store, boba shop cited for food safety violations
Yummy Buffet & Grill, 7217 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights, had 15 violations on Thursday, April 10.
The seafood buffet was issued a yellow placard for keeping food outside of the proper temperature ranges.
A bowl of eggs had to be thrown away after it measured warmer than is allowed. Tempura-fried shrimp, freshwater eel and beef were also at unsafe temperatures.
Various food items stored in plastic containers found on the kitchen floor were moved directly to preparation tables, shelves and stacked on top of other food containers.
Clean utensils were stored under a preparation table used for cutting meat, and inspectors noticed blood dripping onto the clean ware.
Restaurant staff reportedly did not wash their hands between handling raw meat and touching clean wares or cooked meat.
Buckets of water blocked access to a hand-washing sink, preventing it from being used.
Yummy Buffet & Grill was re-inspected and issued a green placard on Friday, April 11.
Los Inmortales Taqueria, 6670 Valley Hi Drive in Sacramento, had 18 violations on Thursday, April 10.
Inspectors gave the taco restaurant a yellow placard after finding improperly cooled food.
Five gallons of cooked beans were discarded after they measured warmer than is considered safe after three hours of cooling at room temperature.
Raw chicken was stored above cooked meat in a refrigerator, and raw shelled eggs were kept over open buckets of sauce in a walk-in cooler.
An employee’s drink was inside the soda machine’s ice bin, in contact with ice used for customers’ drinks.
Multiple food containers, including a bag of onions and bus tubs with food, were kept directly on the floor.
A used knife with food debris was underneath a microwave near the cook line.
Three employees had expired food handler cards, and the facility’s food manager certificate was not available at the time of the inspection.
Los Inmortales Taqueria passed a re-inspection on Friday, April 11.
Eric’s Donuts, 5669 Mack Road in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Friday, April 11.
The doughnut shop was cited by county inspectors for having “potentially hazardous foods” at improper temperatures.
Bagels with cream cheese filling kept outside of refrigeration measured too warm to be considered safe to eat.
According to the April 11 report, an employee told inspectors they were monitoring the bagels using time as a public health control,
However, there was no proper documentation indicating how long the food had been out. This was a repeat violation.
Pre-packaged boxes of take-out food were stored directly on the floor of the kitchen.
There were no thermometers in any of the facility’s refrigerators, which was a repeat violation.
A hand-washing sink near the food preparation line did not have paper towels at the time of the inspection.
Multiple multi-use wipe cloths in the kitchen lacked any measurable sanitizer.
Eric’s Donuts was inspected and issued a green placard on Saturday, April 12.
Wyndham Garden Hotel, 2298 Terracina Drive in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Monday, April 14.
The hotel was given a yellow placard for having “black-mold-like residue” on food contact areas and offering certain foods on the menu without having proper equipment to cook them.
Inspectors observed the facility’s permit does not allow it to cook raw food without a hood. However, there were raw beef patties stored in the kitchen and burgers on the menu.
There was “black mold-like residue” on parts of an ice machine, the April 14 report said, and it had come into contact with the ice.
Containers of pasta, chicken and raw beef were thrown in the garbage after they were kept in a too-warm cooler overnight.
The cooler’s ambient temperature measured 50 degrees at the time of the inspection, nine degrees warmer than what is allowed.
Other “potentially hazardous foods,” including cheese, liquid eggs and diced tomatoes, also measured outside of the safe temperature range.
A dishwashing machine was out of order and wasn’t able to dispense sanitizer during a wash cycle.
Wyndham Garden Hotel was re-inspected and issued a passing grade on Thursday, April 17.
One Stop Market, 5960 24th St. in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Monday, April 14.
Inspectors handed the convenience store a yellow placard after finding multiple cockroaches and mice in the facility.
Roughly 75 live and dead cockroaches were seen in glue traps around the store, including under food shelves.
Inspectors found four dead mice in retail and storage areas, and dozens of rodent droppings around and on top of prepackaged food containers.
A can of household Raid pest spray was stored on a shelf next to soda syrups.
The floor sink under the soda machine had “organic and mold-like growth,” the April 14 report said. This was a repeat violation.
An employee’s jacket, deodorant and other personal items were stored on top of and near open boxes with alcohol.
The market failed a re-inspection on Tuesday, April 15, after the rodent and roach violations were not adequately resolved. One Stop Market had not yet been re-inspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Dragon Tea, 4400 Elverta Road, Suite 180, in Antelope, had 11 violations on Monday, April 14.
Inspectors cited the cafe, which specializes in pho and boba tea, for cockroaches and food not being held at appropriate temperatures.
There were five dead Turkestan cockroaches on a glue trap adjacent to the shop’s back door.
Employees discarded 15 gallons of pho broth because the food had not been cooled to safe temperatures within the proper time frame.
Rice, bean sprouts, raw eggs and rice noodles stored outside of refrigeration measured warmer than is considered safe.
An ice machine had “pink residue” on interior parts of the machine, the April 14 report said.
The restaurant had been using a rice cooker and a microwave that were not approved for use in commercial settings.
The shop’s posted operating permit was not current at the time of the inspection.
Dragon Tea was issued a green placard after passing re-inspection on Wednesday, April 16.
Don Quixote Mexican Grill, 2648 Watt Ave., Suite 115, in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Monday, April 14.
The Mexican restaurant was issued a yellow placard for mold-like substances and improperly stored food.
Inspectors observed “mold-like” residue inside an ice machine, according to the April 14 report.
Dish racks and a basket in the dishwashing machine had “black scum build up,” the report read.
Multiple cans of food were stored directly on the floor in a storage area.
Various “potentially hazardous foods,” including shredded cheese, grilled union and cooked meats, were outside of safe temperature ranges.
Two deep pans of Mexican rice were thrown away after they did not cool to safe temperatures before a “critical” time limit.
Employees reportedly used ink-printed to-go bags to store raw meat in a freezer. This was a repeat violation.
The restaurant’s posted health permit was out of date at the time of the inspection.
Don Quixote Mexican Grill was reinspected and given a green placard on Wednesday, April 16.
Narumi Sushi, 12251 Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova, had seven violations on Tuesday, April 15.
The Japanese restaurant received a yellow placard for improperly stored food and other safety violations.
Sacramento County inspectors found shrimp and salmon in the display refrigerator that measured above a temperature of 45 degrees. Food must be kept at or below 41 degrees or above 135 degrees.
Inspectors also observed cutting boards drying in the kitchen after being washing without sanitizer. Food-contact surfaces must be effectively washed, rinsed and sanitized.
Narumi Sushi was reinspected and was issued a green placard on Wednesday, April 16.
Echo & Rig Sacramento, 500 J St., Suite 150, in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Tuesday, April 15.
The steakhouse got a yellow placard and was cited for improperly stored food and other issues.
Foods including ladyfingers, artichokes, roasted garlic, bok choy, roasted squash and hollandaise sauce were on top of a saute preparation cooler measured outside of safe temperatures.
Inspectors found raw ground beef patties stored above salmon in a back walk-in cooler.
Inspectors found the restaurant’s house-made caesar dressing, cut cherry tomatoes and various cheeses maintained over 6 degrees higher than the proper cooling temperature of 41 degrees.
There were empty paper towel dispensers for hand sinks on the main cookline and pantry station.
Debris and pooling liquid had accumulated between floor tiles in various areas of the kitchen
Additionally, California food handler cards and food safety manager certification were not available for review.
Echo & Rig Sacramento was reinspected on Wednesday, April 16 and passed with a green placard.
Divine Pacific Food Market, 7298 Franklin Blvd., Suite F, in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Wednesday, April 16.
The wholesale market got a yellow placard after county inspectors spotted old food accumulation on the ceiling panel above the meat cutter.
Health inspectors also found a dead moth, several dead flies and approximately “10 cockroach egg sacs” on the floor beneath a hallway storage rack.
At least five Turkestan cockroaches were on the floor beneath an orange table inside the side employee break room.
The market had an unsecured fire extinguisher on the floor next to the front register. All fire extinguishers must be mounted to a wall.
The store was also cited for having an empty paper towel dispenser in the kitchen. This was corrected by the manager at the end of the inspection.
Divine Pacific Food Market had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, April 17.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
