Why did Sacramento County inspectors close pizza restaurant? Crawling cockroaches and more
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down a pizza restaurant in Sacramento after finding live and dead cockroaches throughout the facility.
Seven other restaurants were cited for food safety violations ranging from black mold and dirty cooking equipment to potentially hazardous foods stored at unsafe temperatures.
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.
Here are the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, Jan. 30, through Wednesday, Feb. 6, 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.
Pizza shop closed for cockroach infestation
Luccas Pizzeria, 400 12th St. in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down the pizza restaurant after discovering evidence of a cockroach infestation.
The pizzeria had 18 live and dead cockroaches throughout the facility, including one crawling on a container of bulk food and three behind an ice machine and dishwasher.
Inspectors said the restaurant’s health permit was not valid at the time of the inspection.
An automatic dishwasher had no measurable sanitizer through four separate wash cycles.
A worker washed their hands in a dish washing sink without soap, and a hand-washing sink had a paint brush and sink in the basin.
Luccas Pizzeria passed a reinspection Friday, Jan. 31, and was reissued a green placard.
On Friday, a representative for the pizzeria told The Sacramento Bee via email that the restaurant has a monthly pest control system, but “with the terrible weather we’ve had lately the roaches have been looking for places to hide inside.”
A pest control company serviced Luccas Pizzeria after the initial inspection, the restaurant representative said, adding that the restaurant is continuing to “bomb” the bugs to eliminate any remaining live roaches.
Local restaurants cited for black mold, food held outside of refrigeration
Tandoori Grill, 7208 Florin Mall Drive in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Thursday, Jan. 30.
The Indian fusion restaurant was cited by county health inspectors for improper storage and thawing of “potentially hazardous foods,” the Jan. 30 report said.
Inspectors discovered raw chicken sitting in a bus tub outside of refrigeration that was warmer than is considered safe.
The restaurant thawed raw chicken by removing it from the walk-in cooler, adding water and letting it sit for three hours.
A “personal half-eaten tortilla” was found on a preparation table, the report said, adding that food for employees was being prepared simultaneously with food for customers.
Various food items, including two containers of sauce and a pan of tofu, were uncovered in a walk-in cooler.
Inpectors also found dirty cooking equipment including a spoon, blender bucket and rice machine.
Bus tubs and an ice cooler were being stored in a staff restroom.
Tandoori Grill was reinspected and received a green placard on Friday, Jan. 31.
Riverside Clubhouse, 2633 Riverside Blvd. in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Monday, Feb. 3.
The eatery was issued a yellow placard after inspectors found food at unsafe temperatures.
Multiple food items, including raw and cooked chicken, chicken wings and tomatoes, were outside of safe food holding temperatures in a cooler.
Five dozen oysters had to be thrown away because they were not properly labeled as “shellstock.”
A dishwasher was not dispensing any sanitizer while washing items that had come in contact with food.
Menus were missing a disclaimer required when selling burgers, steak and other foods that may be ordered undercooked. The disclaimer informs consumers of the risk of eating undercooked foods.
The restaurant’s health permit was expired at the time of inspection.
Riverside Clubhouse was reinspected on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and received a green card.
Harir Gyro and Burger, 9270 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, had five violations on Monday, Feb. 3.
The Mediterranean restaurant received a citation after inspectors found food stored at unsafe temperatures for the second time.
A bucket of cooked chicken that was stored at room temperature measured outside of the safe temperature range. This was a repeat violation, the report said.
A staff restroom had no paper towels at a hand wash sink and toilet paper was stored outside of its dispenser.
The only hand-washing station in the kitchen had no cold water to mix with hot water. The water measured 135 degrees.
Harir Gyro and Burger passed a reinspection on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and received a green placard.
Nour’s Cafe, 5800 Madison Ave., Suite A, in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Monday, Feb. 3.
The cafe was given a yellow placard for improperly storing milk and accumulation on a food contact surface.
Milk was kept in a carafe at a coffee prep table outside of refrigeration, and it measured too warm to be considered safe.
An ice machine had “slime-like accumulation” on a part that touches ice, the report said.
Inspectors found at least 20 cigarette butts on the floor of an outdoor sitting area, as well as several bags of garbage and broken furniture outside of a back door.
Multiple bags of drink powder were stored on the floor inside a dry storage room and in the kitchen.
A spray bottle of stainless steel cleaner was stored alongside food under a prep table.
Nour’s Cafe had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Adalberto’s Mexican Food, 5544 Watt Ave. in North Highlands, had 10 violations on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Health inspectors cited the Mexican restaurant after finding improperly stored food and black residue on a food contact surface.
Precooked fries were stored on top of an onion container and measured at an unsafe temperature.
Inspectors found black residue behind the ice chute of an ice machine.
Various ready-to-eat foods were stored alongside raw meat and raw eggs without dividers. Trays of taco shells and tortilla chips were found uncovered under a griddle.
Taquitos sitting outside of temperature control were not labeled with the proper discard time.
Adalberto’s Mexican Food had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Kitchen 15, 1630 K St. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The brunch spot was issued a yellow placard for holding food at the wrong temperatures and storing dirty dishes next to clean dishes.
Various food items measured outside of safe temperature ranges, including fried chicken, heavy whipping cream, cut tomatoes and cooked potatoes.
Inspectors witnessed an employee handle raw beef with gloves on, then remove the gloves and continue preparing other food without washing their hands.
A hand-washing sink in the kitchen was inaccessible because a bucket of greens was defrosting in the basin.
A dishwasher did not dispense sufficient sanitizer even after being primed five times.
Used mixing bowls and a container of chicken base paste were stored on top of clean plates used to serve customers. Other clean plates were stored next to a hand-washing sink.
Kitchen 15 had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Shalimar Grill, 75 Quinta Court, Suite A, in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The Indian-Pakistani restaurant was cited by health inspectors for black mold accumulation and cooking equipment being stored on the floor.
Inspectors observed black mold and slime accumulation on multiple surfaces, including inside an ice machine, on shelves in a fridge, and on the wall above a prep sink. The mold above the prep sink was a second repeat violation.
A box of raw chicken and a tray of cooked samosas found thawing on and under a prep table measured at unsafe temperatures.
Various cooking equipment, including pots and pans, a mixer and a mixer bowl, were being stored on the kitchen floor.
A cutting board was stored on top of a prep sink faucet. This was a second repeat violation.
Shalimar Grill had not been reinspected as of Thursday afternoon.
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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