Live cockroaches and black slime: See latest Sacramento County restaurant inspections

Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local liquor store after discovering more than a dozen cockroaches and expired health permits.

Six other local businesses received yellow placards for violations ranging from food being stored at improper temperatures to a grimy meat grinder and white slime in 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.

Green means a restaurant passed the inspection.

The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, Ken Casparis, a spokesman, previously told The Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.

Last week, there were no restaurant closures.

Here are the food facility inspections for Dec. 13 through Wednesday, as of noon Thursday:

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Jacqueline Pinedo at jpinedo@sacbee.com. The Bee will publish weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.

Sacramento liquor store closed due to roaches, expired permits

Court Liquor, 6225 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, had five violations on Dec. 14, which resulted in the store’s closure.

More than a dozen live German cockroaches were found in various places in the liquor store, including on floors, on cardboard boxes, near a three-compartment sink and under and around a chest-style freezer, according to the inspection report.

Additionally, the three-compartment sink did not have hot water available when inspected.

Plus, health permits for the store were expired at the time of inspection.

The store has since had two re-inspections, the latest on Monday. However, the store remained closed as of Friday due to roaches.

The Sacramento Bee reached out to the store owners for comment, but they had not responded as of Friday morning.

Sacramento County restaurants get yellow placard violations

The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of Dec. 13 through Dec. 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.

Kiki’s Chicken Place, 4991 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, had 13 violations on Dec. 14.

The restroom was out of hand towels during the inspection. Both cooked chicken and raw chicken were at improper holding temperatures during the inspection, according to the report. An inspector observed an employee washing a utensil without properly sanitizing it and an employee washing their hands in a food preparation sink, according to the Dec. 14 report.

Welco Supermarket, 7100 Fruitridge Road in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Dec. 14.

An entire duck was observed thawing during last Thursday’s inspection at the wrong water temperature. The meat slicer had “heavy old food residue,” according to the inspection report. Raw shrimp was being stored above cooked shrimp in a standing freezer. In addition, a papaya salad being sold in the deli aisle had no labeling on its plastic container.

Tony’s Fried Chicken, 4147 23rd Ave. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Tuesday.

A total of 20 potato wedges and 15 chicken wings in a holding case were in the wrong holding temperature, according to the inspection report. Flour was found in an old oil bucket during the inspection. Additionally, inspectors saw employees’ food containers, a hat and cellphone on a food preparation table.

Toledos Mexican Market, 9059 Bruceville Road in Elk Grove, had 11 violations on Tuesday.

Tamales, pupusa sauce, rice, corn cakes and eggs were all found at incorrect holding temperatures during the Tuesday’s inspection. The sink was not set up properly to wash and sanitize dishes during the inspection, and a chorizo meat grinder had old meat accumulation. A container of raw beef was found directly above a pot of beans in a “low boy,” according to the report.

Icicles, 1431 Howe Ave. in Sacramento, had four violations on Wednesday.

The cold top cooler was not at the proper temperature, and inspectors asked the ice cream shop to fix the freezer. During the inspection whipped cream was at an improper holding temperature, according to the inspection report.

Valero, 7282 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, had 13 violations on Wednesday.

White slime was observed on a “metal baffle inside the ice machine,” inspectors wrote in a report. Food boxes were on the floor behind an ice machine during the inspection. Black slime was found on a three-compartment sink, and mops were stored head down, according to the report.

This story was originally published December 22, 2023 at 9:58 AM.