Sacramento-area pizza restaurant closed for moldy food, slime and clogged drains
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down a local pizza restaurant after discovering mold, slime and a backed-up floor drain.
Meanwhile, a total of 12 eateries in and around Sacramento were cited for food safety violations ranging from cockroaches and rodent droppings to dirty knives and improperly stored meat.
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 24, through Wednesday, April 30, 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 County pizza restaurant closed due to mold, clogged drains
The Alley, 3443 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove, had 15 violations on Wednesday, April 30.
Sacramento County health inspectors issued the pizza restaurant a red placard due food safety issues including clogged drains and moldy food.
A floor drain near the pizza open area was “completely backed up, posing significant sanitation and safety concerns,” the April 30 repor said.
The floor drain in the kitchen’s ware washing station was “draining extremely slow,” the report said, and a trash bag was diverting overflow from a floor sink into a nearby slow-draining floor drain.
Inspectors found mold growth on one orange and slimy lettuce in a walk-in cooler. The food was discarded immediately.
There was a “significant amount of slime accumulation” on the inside ceiling and walls of the bar’s ice machine, and soda gun nozzles had accumulated grime.
In general, the restaurant was “in need of a thorough deep cleaning,” the report said, due to pooling liquid inside multiple coolers, visible mold on storage racks and “excessive debris and grime accumulation” in floor sinks and on floors.
The pizzeria didn’t have an employee with food safety certification.
The Alley had not been re-inspected as of Thursday, May 1.
As of Thursday evening, restaurant representatives were not available for comment.
Local restaurants, grocery stores cited for cockroaches and unsafe food
Leo A. Palmiter High School, 2040 Ethan Way in Sacramento, had four violations on Thursday, April 24.
The high school was cited for having “potentially hazardous foods” such as chicken sandwiches inside a non-working hot-holding unit.
The facility’s water heater was out and no hot water was available for use.
The kitchen’s food safety certification was not available at the time of inspection.
Leo A. Palmiter High School was reinspected on Friday, April 25, and received a green placard.
Pho Saigon, 5304 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Thursday, April 24.
Inspectors found evidence of a cockroach infestation at the Vietnamese restaurant and issued it a yellow placard.
There was a live adult German cockroach on a shelf above the preparation area, as well as three live nymphs around a nearby outlet.
In addition, inspectors discovered approximately 11 dying German cockroaches on a glue trap on a shelf above the prep area, plus two dead roaches on a glue trap in dry storage.
There was old food debris on a meat slicer, and heavy oil accumulation on floors under cooking equipment, fryers and stove tops.
Pho Saigon was reinspected on Friday, April 25, and received a yellow placard for more cockroach-related violations.
On Monday, April 28, Pho Saigon passed an additional inspection and was given a green placard.
Naan Twist Taco Twist, 7893 Walerga Road Suite 102 in Antelope, had 18 violations on Thursday, April 24.
The Indian restaurant was cited by health inspectors for safety violations including a dead cockroach on the floor of the hallway leading to the restroom.
There was black residue floating on broth inside an uncovered can stored on dry storage shelves.
Several food contact surfaces were unclean, inspectors said, noting that a bread roller, produce slicers on the shelf below the prep counter and multiple knives throughout the kitchen were all dirty.
Raw eggs in shells were stored above ready-to-eat food items and sauce inside a walk-in refrigerator, the Aug. 24 report said, and raw lamb, raw chicken and pepperoni were “nesting on each other” inside a walk-in freezer.
The front hand sink didn’t have hot water or hand soap, and there was no hot water at both restroom sinks.
Naan Twist Taco Twist was reinspected on Friday, April 25, and received a green placard.
Valencia’s Carniceria and Taqueria, 8040 Greenback Lane, Suite B and C, in Citrus Heights, had 15 violations on Thursday, April 24.
The Mexican restaurant received a yellow placard after inspectors found several health code violations.
According to inspectors, an employee didn’t wash their hands after handing raw meat before handling read-to-eat food items on multiple occasions in the cooking area.
Uncooked shrimp, shredded cheddar cheese, white cheese and cut tomatoes were at unsafe temperatures, and lettuce was stored next to uncooked meats on a cold-top.
Beef that had been cooked the previous day was improperly cooling in a deep container in a too-warm walk-in refrigerator. It was discarded voluntarily.
Inspectors found employee drinks in unapproved containers in the kitchen, a repeat violation.
Valencia’s Carniceria and Taqueria was reinspected on Friday, April 25 and was given a green placard.
Duc Huong, 6825 Stockton Blvd. Ste 200 in Sacramento, had eight violations on Friday, April 25.
The Vietnamese restaurant got a yellow placard after health inspectors found multiple mice droppings behind the ice machine.
A live Turkestan cockroach was seen at the dry storage unit behind a hand washing station.
A hand wash station was completely obstructed by a cart with heavy food equipment, making it inaccessible for employees.
Inspectors observed debris on the blade of the tin cutter and meat slicer.
Duc Huong was reinspected on Monday, April 28, and was given a green placard.
Centerplate in Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St. in Sacramento, had four violations on Monday, April 28.
The business was cited for volations including missing paper towels at a hand-washing station and food at unsafe temperatures.
Health inspectors said hot dogs in an open-air hot holding unit measured more than 20 degrees lower than required.
Additionally, employees had personal food stored next to prepackaged beverages.
There was an unlabeled chemical spray bottle in the facility, a second repeat violation.
Centerplate had not been reinspected as of Thursday, May 1.
Citrus Plaza Market, 6240 San Juan Ave., Suite A-B, had 14 violations on Monday, April 28.
Inspectors gave the European grocery store a yellow placard for food safety violations including improperly stored food and the use unapproved equipment.
Pirotskis on a countertop in a preparation room measured at unsafe temperatures and were discarded voluntarily during the inspection.
In the customer self-service area, inspectors found unpackaged food items and packaged food items including bread, cakes and jams without labels. They also discovered fish thawing on a cart in the customer area.
“Different species” of uncooked meats and fish were stored together in a reach-in freezer, while multiple items were on the floor of the walk-in refrigerator, which was not clean.
The area and shelving units across from the walk-in fridge were “unclean and cluttered,” the April 28 report said, and there was an unused bread slicer nearby.
Employees had left drinks and food in a preparation area in “open cups and in other unapproved containers,” the report said.
The market was using a room in a facility next door to prepare food items without getting county approval. The room didn’t have a hand-washing sink.
There were multiple unapproved chest freezers in use, and an unapproved refrigerator was used to store food.
There was no hand-washing sink in the deli area, and no soap was available at the ware-washing sink for handwashing.
Citrus Plaza Market was reinspected on April 30 and received a green placard.
Crepeville, 1730 L St., Suite 103, in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Monday, April 28.
The breakfast restaurant was cited for violations including blue cheese and whipped butter at too-warm temperatures. The cheese was voluntarily discarded.
Two kinds of Hollandaise sauce were missing time stamps.
The restaurant didn’t have a consumer advisory for under-cooked animal proteins.
Inspectors saw multiple employees touching a hand sink faucet after completing hand-washing, instead of using a paper towel to shut it off.
There were four twist-off personal water bottles in food prep areas.
Crepeville was reinspected on Wednesday, April 30, and received a green placard.
Goldstar Supermarket, 5815 Stockton Blvd. in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Monday, April 28.
Inspectors gave the Asian grocery store a yellow placard after finding several old rodent droppings on a counter adjacent to the employee restroom.
Roasted duck and pork in a display case was past the proper four-hour time limit but hadn’t been pulled from the sale display case.
Chopped pork had been improperly thawed in a plastic bag in a container of water in a kitchen prep sink..
There were unclean knives with visual meat residue.
The business did not have a valid food safety certificate available at the time of the inspection.
Goldstar Supermarket was reinspected on Wednesday, April 30, and was cited for violations that included roasted duck and pork in a display case past the four-hour limit. The store received another yellow placard and had not been reinspected as of Thursday, May 1.
Jimboy’s Tacos, 4010 Sunrise Blvd., Suite 100, in Rancho Cordova, had seven violations on Monday, April 28.
Inspectors gave the Mexican-American fast food chain restaurant a yellow placard after finding rodent droppings and dust.
“Potentially hazardous foods” including carnitas, steak, fried chicken tenders and fish measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Inspectors discovered approximately three old rodent droppings on the shelf below the cashiering area.
“No food or food related-equipment (showed) evidence of active contamination or infestation,” the April 28 report said.
Employees were told to close up a 4-inch hole on the wall next to to soda station to prevent vermin from getting in.
Fan guards inside the walk-in cooler had “dust, debris or mold-like growth,” the report said, and there was no toilet tissue roll inside the men’s restroom.
The posted health permit was not current.
Jimboy’s Tacos passed a reinspection on Tuesday, April 29.
Teriyaki Madness, 6121 Sunrise Blvd. in Citrus Heights, had 10 violations on Wednesday, April 30.
The Japanese chain restaurant was cited by county officials for keeping food at unsafe temperatures and not properly cleaning kitchen ware.
Inspectors said stir fry noodles in a cold top unit measured 13 degrees warmer than is allowed.
An employee reportedly “rinsed unclean pans that were sitting in unclean water.
”The floor underneath the facility’s equipment and the wall behind the kitchen grill were unclean,” the April 30 report said.
Wiping towels on a preparation table did not have any measurable sanitizer.
An employee’s drink was stored in an open container on a prep table.
The facility’s food safety certificate and employee food handler cards were not available for inspectors to review at the time of the inspection.
Teriyaki Madness was reinspected on Thursday, May 1 and received a green placard.
Rock Hard Burgers and Brew, 7032 Sylvan Road in Citrus Heights, had eight violations on Tuesday, April 29.
The American restaurant was cited for multiple food safety violations.
There was no soap available at a handwashing sink in the kitchen, and it was blocked. There were no paper towels at a hand-washing sink at the bar.
Cut tomatoes on a prep table in the cooking area measured outside of the temperature range considered safe, and beef and spilt pea soup at a steam table were being reheated improperly. Both were repeat violations.
The prep table was not washed correctly after being used for preparing raw beef.
Employees’ food handler cards were not available for review, and the facility’s food safety certificate had expired more than a year ago.
Rock Hard Burgers and Brew was reinspected on Wednesday, April 30, and received a green placard from health inspectors.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
