Dozens of cockroaches at Sacramento County restaurants. See latest inspections
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local diner, a Vietnamese restaurant and a boba tea shop after discovering over dozens of German cockroaches and other food safety violations.
Meanwhile, health inspectors shut down a Sacramento sandwich shop due to a lack of sanatizer, a blocked sink, “potentially hazardous foods” at unsafe temperatures, among other issues.
In addition, inspectors cited a total of 11 food-serving facilities for issues ranging from rodent droppings to moldy vegetables and “pink and black slime.”
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, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
The Bee publishes weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
There were the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, Oct. 23, through Wednesday, Oct. 29, as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Sandwich shop shut down due to lack of sanitizer
Charleys Cheesesteaks, 1689 Arden Way, Suite 2026, in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Thursday, Oct. 23.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the Philly-style cheesesteak sandwich restaurant due to a lack sanitizer and other food safety violations.
“Potentially hazardous foods” including chicken wings, pre-wrapped chicken slices and grilled onions were outside of proper holding temperatures, the Oct. 23 report said.
The restaurant was improperly cooling fried chicken wings.
A food safety certification was not available at the time of inspection.
Multiple boxes were stored in front of the rear handwashing sink.
Charleys Cheesesteaks was reinspected on Friday, Oct. 24 and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the restaurant for comment on Thursday, Oct. 30, but was unable to reach representatives.
Mr. Perry’s closed twice for cockroaches
Mr. Perry’s Coffee Shop, 7820 Alta Valley Drive in Sacramento, had three violations on Friday, Oct. 24.
Health inspectors closed the Sacramento diner after discovering more than a dozen dead and live German cockroaches on the cook’s line and on a glue trap.
On the cook’s line, there was grease and food accumulation in between and below the cooking equipment.
There was an large opening — measuring approximately 18 inches by 24 inches — in the cabinet above the floor sink.
Mr. Perry’s Coffee Shop was reinspected on Saturday, Oct. 25, and was shut down again after health inspectors found 46 dead and alive German cockroaches throughout the facility.
Mr. Perry’s Coffee Shop was inspected a third time on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the diner for comment on Thursday, Oct. 30, but was unable to reach representatives.
Carmichael boba tea shop closed due to cockroaches
New Rice Bowl & Boba Milk Tea, 7416 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael, had 15 violations on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The Carmichael boba tea shop was closed after health inspectors discovered 59 dead and live German cockroaches in several areas including on the wall alarm.
There was also “fecal matter near the kitchen’s handwashing sink,” according to the Oct. 28 report.
Eggs and shrimp measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
A floor drain next to the Vevor ice machine was filled with wastewater.
An employee’s food handler card had expired.
Inside the Vevor ice machine was “gray-colored residue,” the report said. This was a repeat violation.
A bag of onions was stored less than 6 inches off the floor in the dry storage room.
A spray bottle of water was missing a label at the beverage station, and the restroom’s paper towel dispenser was empty.
New Rice Bowl & Boba Milk Tea was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The restaurant received an additional red placard after inspectors discovered a total of 51 live and dead cockroaches as well as an “excess amount of cockroach fecal matter on the outlets, walls, and shelves” above the warewashing area and the two-door, cold-top refrigerator.
The tea shop had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
The Bee reached out to the facility on Thursday but no manager was available to comment.
Vietnamese restaurant shut for roaches, blocked sink
Banh Mi House, 6901 Stockton Blvd., Suite 300, in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the Sacramento Vietnamese restaurant after finding 38 dead and live German cockroaches at spots including under the three-compartment warewashing sink and at the water heater.
The hand sink in the back prep area was obstructed by a bucket, a repeat violation.
Marinated pork, deli meats and grilled pork measured outside proper holding temperatures.
The restaurant’s staff lacked food safety knowledge of temperature control.
Two bags of flour were stored open on the floor near the dough preparation station.
The glass upright cooler had a fan guard with dust accumulation.
Banh Mi House was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and received an additional red placard after finding additional cockroaches in the restaurant. On Thursday, Oct. 30, the restaurant was reinspected and received a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the restaurant on Thursday but a manager was not available to comment.
Chinese restaurant cited for unsafe foods
Dim Dim Food, 74 85 Rush River Drive, Suite 680, in Sacramento, had 12 violations on Thursday, Oct. 23.
The Chinese restaurant received a yellow placard after rice porridge and tofu wrap measured outside the temperature range considered safe.
Time as a public health control was missing for various rice noodle rolls held at room temperature.
An improper personal drink was found on the cook’s line.
An employee was using a hip towel to wipe their hands throughout their shift.
Health inspectors observed shrimp thawing at room temperature on the floor under the ware wash sink.
Raw ground meat was stored above whole meat and ready-to-eat items in a refrigerator in the retail area.
Dim Dim Food was reinspected on Friday, Oct. 24, and passed with a green placard.
Vela Cafe, 1000 I St., Suite 100, in Sacramento, had seven violations on Thursday, Oct. 23.
Health inspectors gave the Mediterranean restaurant a yellow placard after chicken, potatoes and meatballs measured at unsafe temperatures. This was a repeat violation.
Chicken was in the hot holding unit past the time it should have been discarded, a repeat violation.
The restaurant lacked a food safety certificate.
Hot fried eggplant was stacked greater than 2 inches in a hotel pan for cooling.
The scoop for rice was stored in plain water.
The plumbing from the prep sink to the floor sink lacks an air gap.
Vela Cafe was reinspected on Monday, Oct. 27, and passed with a green placard.
Sacramento convenience store had 322 rodent droppings
Buddy’s Supermarket, 5984 14th Ave. in Sacramento, had seven violations on Friday, Oct. 24.
The Sacramento convenience store received a yellow placard after health inspectors discovered a total of 322 rodent droppings at locations including near an unopened and unused deli and throughout the equipment room.
There was a gnawed cob of corn and spray foam in the market. Health inspectors found gaps at the top of the back door, as well as holes in the wall near the unused deli area and at the pipes near the rodent traps. There were gaps in the wooden base near the roll-up door.
There was a water leak near the three-compartment sink faucet, a repeat violation.
The women’s restroom was locked and a key was not available, a co-owner told inspectors.
There were gaps below the roll-up door measuring larger than a quarter of an inch.
The convenience store’s health permit had expired.
Buddy’s Supermarket was reinspected on Monday, Oct. 27, and received an additional yellow placard after health inspectors found 62 rodent droppings in the facility.
Buddy’s Supermarket had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Moo Moo Tea House, 8698 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 2B, in Elk Grove, had 11 violations on Friday, Oct. 24.
Health inspectors gave the boba tea shop a yellow placard after employees failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of proper warewashing and sanitizing procedures.
The handwash sink next to the ice machine was “completely inaccessible” due to a pot fully covering the sink, according to the Oct. 24 report.
Dishes were being washed manually in the three-compartment sink without any sanitizer.
The hot water from the handwash sink, prep sink and warewashing sink faucets measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
An employee’s water bottle, with an unapproved screw-top lid, was stored on the front preparation table.
Moo Moo Tea House was reinspected on Monday, Oct. 27, and passed with a green placard.
Mold, rodent droppings at Sacramento gas station
A & M Gas Station, 4011 Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento, had eight violations on Monday, Oct. 27.
The gas station received a yellow placard after health inspectors found 12 rodent droppings behind the ice machine.
The restroom lacked paper towels.
Milk stored in the four-door cooler measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
Health inspectors found “black mold-like growth” on the deflector panel inside the ice maker, according to the Oct. 27 report. This was a repeat violation.
Canned and bottled drinks were stored directly under the refrigerant line with “condensate dripping onto products,” the report said.
The evaporator refrigerant line in the walk-in cooler was dripping condensate.
The facility’s warewashing sink was completely obstructed by equipment.
The gas station’s posted health permit was not current.
A & M Gas Station had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Local Thai restaurant, Mexican meat market cited
Manna Thai, 4980 Watt Ave., Suite A, in North Highlands, had 21 violations on Monday, Oct. 27.
The Thai restaurant received a yellow placard after inspectors discovered the handwashing sink was blocked with a funnel and dish soap.
An egg measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
The dishwasher was not dispensing sanitizer.
Employees did not know how to properly set up the three-compartment sink for manual dishwashing.
California food handler cards were not available for review, a repeat violation.
An employee was eating on the preparation table, and there were dirty utensils and knives on the table.
Numerous dead cockroaches were found on traps, and there were two dead cockroaches outside traps.
Raw chicken was stored above fish and beef in the three-door freezer.
A box of tapioca was on the floor in the dry storage area.
Manna Thai was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and passed with a green placard.
Falafel Corner, 1004 J St. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Monday, Oct. 27.
Health inspectors cited the Mediterranean restaurant after finding sliced cheese in the single-door upright cooler below personal beverages observed with beverage spilled on the cheese.
In-use knives were stored in unsanitary areas including wedged between fryers in contact with “heavy grease buildup and old food debris and in between prep coolers,” the Oct. 27 report said.
The facility lacked an employee with a food safety certificate, and one worker was missing a food handler card.
An employee’s beverage was stored above food in the upright cooler.
Raw eggs in the Magic Chef mini refrigerator were held at improper temperatures.
Chicken wings were thawing in the upright cooler in standing water.
Raw chicken was stored above ready-to-eat items in the freezer.
Falafel Corner had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Paititi Peruvian Bistro, 2001 J St. in Sacramento, had 24 violations on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The handwashing station at Paititi Peruvian Bistro was blocked by a pot of boiled eggs inside the sink basin, earning the Peruvian restaurant a yellow placard.
Several vacuum-sealed packaged foods including cooked pork, marinades, sauces and raw meats lacked date markings.
The facility lacked an employee with a food safety certificate.
The restaurant’s food handler cards were not available to review at the time of inspection.
Inspectors saw one employee drinking from an unapproved beverage at the cook’s line. They spotted another employee drinking from a personal beverage and then donning gloves to touch food and food contact surfaces without washing their hands first.
The cook was not wearing gloves when contacting ready-to-eat foods including onion and garlic.
Scallops measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Unclean cutting boards were in the prep coolers.
The restaurant’s menu lacked a consumer advisory disclosure asterisk next to the raw seafood ingredients as well as a reminder statement for cold appetizers containing raw seafood.
There were 10 to 15 fruit flies in the bar.
Paititi Peruvian Bistro had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Carniceria Del Valle, 7137 Walerga Road, Suite 1 and 2, in Sacramento, had 20 violations on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The Mexican market was cited after health inspectors discovered the handwashing facility at the preparation area was inaccessible due to a bowl of frozen shrimp thawing in the sink.
Several foods were outside of proper holding temperatures, including carnitas, taquitos, pork tamales and potatoes and chorizo.
Employees were washing dishes on the three-compartment sink while the sanitizer bottle was empty.
An employee was unaware of the required chlorine concentration for sanitizer buckets.
Health inspectors observed an employee’s cup on top of the bucket containing masa on the prep table.
There were “moldy vegetables” in the market’s storage area, according to the Oct. 28 report.
The ice machine had “pink and black slime,” the report said.
There was no consumer advisory posted for the fish ceviche and shrimp ceviche.
A bottle of Windex window cleaner was stored on top of chicken seasonings on the floor, and chlorine bottles were stored alongside food items on the rack.
Meat and shrimp in the meat display refrigerator were stored directly on the surface rather than in clean, food-grade containers.
Carniceria Del Valle had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Asian restaurants in Folsom, Sacramento get yellow placards
Saigon Alley Kitchen & Bar, 2770 East Bidwell St., Suite 600, in Folsom, had four violations on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Health inspectors cited the Asian fusion restaurant after chicken measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Broth was being improperly cooled in the walk-in refrigerator. An employee told inspectors that the broth “began cooling (the) previous day,” the Oct. 29 report said.
The hand sink in the bar area was partially blocked by a blender.
There were markings on the time control system from the previous service period.
Saigon Alley Kitchen & Bar had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Sakura Grill & Buffet, 2344 Watt Ave. in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The buffet was cited after cooked rice, noodles, cantaloupe and flan measured at unsafe temperatures.
Health inspectors said mussels were missing a sticky note indicating when they should be discarded. The mussels were voluntarily thrown away that day.
Five food handler cards were missing. This was a repeat violation.
An employee’s drink without a straw was observed above the food prep area on the cook’s line. This was a repeat violation.
Cooked shrimp and cooked octopus were improperly cooling in the walk-in cooler.
Health inspectors saw a can opener with “heavy debris,” according to the Oct. 29 report.
Chemicals were stored next to food across from the cook’s line.
Handwashing sink faucet handles had “old food debris,” the report said.
Sakura Grill & Buffet has yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
Sunnyside Asian Fusion, 1221 19th St. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Health inspectors gave the Asian fusion restaurant a yellow placard after discovering the handwashing sink was blocked with coffee mixing cups.
Several foods were outside proper holding temperatures, including a bowl of rice, bacon, cheese, raw shrimp and raw chicken.
A container of whipped butter was not marked with a four-hour discard time.
The facility was missing at least two food handler cards.
Inspectors observed an employee cracking an egg with gloved hands. They were about to prepare other food without changing gloves and washing hands.
The menu did not identify which items may contain raw or undercooked animal products with an asterisk.
One fly was flying around the expo station.
A container for chicken batter was stored next to clean plates.
Sunnyside Asian Fusion had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
The Coconut River Park, 5489 Carlson Drive in Sacramento, had 13 violations on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Sacramento County health inspectors cited the Thai restaurant after finding a trash can placed in front of the hand sink. A bucket of water was inside the hand sink.
Bean sprouts, tofu and rice measured outside of proper holding temperatures. This was a repeat violation.
Tofu on the prep cooler cold top lacked a four-hour discard time label, another repeat violation.
The restaurant had seven expired California food handler cards.
Inspectors found an employee’s beverage without a lid at the prep table.
Several foods inside the cooler and freezer were missing covers, as were bulk ingredient containers in the dry storage hallway area.
Raw chicken was stored over the ready-to-eat foods inside the reach-in service area.
The Coconut River Park had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 30.
This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
