No hot water, cockroaches. What else was found at these Sacramento-area eateries?
Sacramento County Health Inspectors gave four Sacramento-area facilities red placards for health food violations including finding 38 German cockroaches and a lack of hot water.
Inspectors also cited two eateries for violations including raw marinated chicken left out on the prep counter out of proper holding temperature and improperly cooling fried beef.
What do these inspections mean?
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail Food Inspection Guide.
A red placard, however, signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends an establishment’s 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 and about 97% of establishments pass, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
These were the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, June 11, through Wednesday, June 17, as of Thursday, June 18. If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
How to report a business to the health department
For readers who would like to report a local restaurant, food truck or café on health violations, they can do so by filing a complaint to the facility’s local environmental health departments.
The local health department is responsible for the initial investigation of consumer complaints regarding foods served or sold at retail food facilities, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Businesses temporarily closed by health inspectors
Pho Bac Hoa Viet
6645 Stockton Blvd., Suite 300, Sacramento
Number of violations: 2
Date: Thursday, June 11
- Sacramento County Health Inspectors gave a red placard to the Vietnamese restaurant after discovering 38 German cockroaches throughout the facility including in the area with the soda machine, ice machines and prep cooler.
- The facility had broken and loose tiles and standing water in front of the three compartment ware wash sink.
Pho Bac Hoa Viet was reinspected on Friday, June 12 and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the business but no representative answered.
Desi Pizza Bites
9045 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite G, Carmichael
Number of violations: 11
Date: Monday, June 15
- Health inspectors gave a red placard to the Carmichael pizzeria after finding a lack of hot running water at the facility’s hand sink.
- The facility’s kitchen handwash station lacked soap and paper towels.
- A pipe beneath the three compartment sink had a water leak.
- Raw round sausage meat was improperly stored inside the reach-in cooler and inside the upright freezer.
Desi Pizza Bites was reinspected on Tuesday, June 16 and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the business but no representative answered.
King International Mart
1537 Fulton Ave., Sacramento
Number of violations: 11
Date: Monday, June 15
- Health inspectors gave a red placard to the Arden Arcade mart after discovering seven dead and live German cockroaches throughout the facility including in a wall crevice behind the prep table and on a trap in the bakery.
- The facility lacked an employee with a Food Safety Manager’s certificate.
- Tightly packed and wrapped raw chicken on a vertical spit skewer was improperly cooling.
- The bakery’s oven hood had heavy grease and dust buildup.
King International Mart was reinspected on Tuesday, June 16 and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the business but no manager was on-site.
Jersey Mikes Subs
2808 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova
Number of violations: 2
Date: Monday, June 15
- Health inspectors gave a red placard to the Rancho Cordova sandwich chain after finding a lack of hot water in the facility.
- The facility’s handwashing station was completely blocked by multiple cardboard boxes.
Jersey Mikes Subs was reinspected on Tuesday, June 16 and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the business but no manager was on-site.
Raw marinated chicken and diced imitation crab all held above proper holding temperatures
Dumpling House
9635 East Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove
Number of violations: 5
Date: Thursday, June 11
- Health inspectors cited the Elk Grove Asian restaurant after finding raw marinated chicken left out on the prep counter, diced imitation crab meal and a bin of battered raw chicken all held above proper cold holding temperatures.
- Fried beef was improperly cooling in the two door reach-in.
- The facility’s current California food handler cards were not available for review.
- An employee touched raw dumplings and shumai (steamed dumplings) then placed gloves on their hands.
Dumpling House was reinspected on Friday, June 12 and received an additional yellow placard due to improper cooling methods and brown residue build up in the ice machine. The restaurant was reinspected on Monday, June 15 and passed with a green placard.
Solara Cafe
2020 Hurley Way, Suite 290, Sacramento
Number of violations: 6
Date: Thursday, June 11
- Health inspectors cited the Arden Arcade cafe after finding that the facility had obtained cooked beef from an unapproved source.
- Two trays of cooked egg rolls were held below proper hot holding temperatures.
- The facility lacked a Food Safety Manager’s Certificate.
- Health inspectors found prepared rice noodles in a sealed plastic container inside the upright refrigerator improperly cooling.
Solara Cafe was reinspected on Friday, June 12 and passed with a green placard.
