Sacramento taco shop closed for cockroaches after failing 4 health inspections
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local Mexican restaurant after discovering cockroaches, rodent droppings and “grey slime.”
Inspectors also shut down a Sacramento restaurant serving Southern comfort food due to live rats and other evidence of a rodent infestation.
Meanwhile, a total of eight local eateries were cited for food safety violations ranging from improperly stored meat to mold and flies.
Inspectors even spotted a pet rabbit inside the dining room of one Sacramento restaurant.
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 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, May 1, through Wednesday, May 7, 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 Mexican restaurant closed due to cockroaches
Tacos y Mariscos El Limón, 7242 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento’s Parkway, had 19 violations on Friday, May 2.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local Mexican restaurant after discovering cockroaches throughout the facility.
Inspectors saw more than 50 live cockroaches crawling on the wall behind the two-door reach-in cooler next to the steam table, the May 2 report said, and more “live cockroaches hiding on crevices” nearby.
There were nearly 100 dead or dying roaches in areas across the taco shop, including more than 50 inside a glue trap on the floor beneath the two door reach-in cooler.
Inspectors found approximately 20 rodent droppings on the back wood table next to the warewash area, as well as “grey slime accumulation” inside the ice machine.
Raw and cooked shrimp were stored inside the same container inside the reach-in cooler, leading to cross contamination.
Heavy dust had accumulated on the ceiling vent above the ice machine, and there was old food and grease accumulation on several areas including the cold top areas of the reach-in coolers, on the floor, inside the walk-in cooler and on the floor beneath the main cook line.
The restaurant leaders were unable to provide an up-to-date health permit at time of the inspection.
Two employees were grilling chicken on a charcoal grill outside of the restaurant.
The restaurant’s owner told an inspector that she asked the employees to grill the chicken for her. However, an employee inside the kitchen said someone was selling the grilled chicken outside the facility.
Tacos y Mariscos El Limón was reinspected on Saturday, May 3; Tuesday, May 6, and Wednesday, May 7, and received additional red placards due to cockroaches.
On Thursday, May 8, Tacos Y Mariscos El Limon was reinspected and received a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the restaurant for comment on Thursday, but was unable to reach representatives.
Tori’s Place, 1525 Grand Ave. in North Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood, had 17 violations on Thursday, May 1.
Health inspectors shut down the restaurant, which specializes in Southern comfort food, due to live rats and other evidence of a rodent infestation.
Inspectors saw one rat crawling from the top equipment shelf in an unapproved back dry storage area onto the roof, and another rat on an electrical line behind a two-door household freezer/refrigerator in the same dry storage area.
Two live rats were spotted crawling on beams overhead.
There were more than 160 rat droppings throughout the facility, the May 1 report said, including on the floor behind a broken ice machine, in the front register area, on a dry storage shelf that held clean pots and pans in the kitchen and behind the “cat’s food and litter box.”
Bulk flour in the dry storage area was left uncovered.
The restroom door was unable to self-close.
A cooking pot was stored inside the mop sink, and inspectors observed a sticky fly trap on the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen.
The facility was missing a food manager’s certificate at time of the inspection
Tori’s Place was reinspected on Friday, May 2, and passed with a green placard.
A Sacramento Bee reporter reached out to Toni’s Place on Thursday but the owner was not available for comment.
Local restaurants cited for mold, flies and rodent droppings
Pipo Ramen and Rice, 6511 Savings Place, Suite 140-145, in unincorporated south Sacramento, had five violations on Thursday, May 1.
Health inspectors cited the ramen restaurant due to a variety of food safety violations.
Raw chicken and tofu were outside of proper holding temperatures.
Cooked rice that had been prepared the previous day measured too cold to be considered safe after being removed from a walk-in cooler and placed in the rice cooker to warm.
Clean cutlery was stored in an unclean container.
Inspectors found light debris on the fan guard and on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
A bag of raw pork was being thawed in hot water inside the preparation sink basin, which is not an approved thawing method.
Pipo Ramen and Rice passed a reinspectionon Friday, May 2.
New SF Sandwich, 4562 Mach Road, Suite A, in Sacramento’s Valley Hi/North Laguna, had 17 violations on Thursday, May 1.
The American restaurant received a yellow placard for food safety violations including “white slime accumulation” inside an ice machine and “potentially hazardous foods” at unsafe temperatures.
The handwashing sink was completely blocked by metal pans, and a large hanging meat trolley stored in front of the sink.
Inspectors found four pans of expired prepackaged rice noodles with different meat fillings stored in a grab-and-go area for customers.
Employees stored their drinks on top of the microwave by the beverage station.
Lquid egg inside the display cooler by the front stove measured too warm to be considered safe.
A couple of flies were hovering inside the main kitchen area and in front of the prep line, and inspectors found a dead adult American cockroach on the floor next to the cooking equipment.
A spray bottle with unidentified liquid content was found on top of the warewashing machine.
Bulk containers in the kitchen lacked labels.
New SF Sandwich was reinspected on Friday, May 2, and passed.
Tower Cafe, 1518 Broadway in Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood, had eight violations on Thursday, May 1.
The international cafe was cited for having shredded cheese, french toast, pooled eggs and sliced tomatoes outside of proper holding temperatures.
A knife was stored in a sanitation bucket.
Inspectors found “black spotted growth” on the interior plate of a large ice machine.
A shellshock tag was missing from mussels in the cold drawer.
Dishes, equipment and food contact surfaces were washed in an automatic dish machine without any sanitizer.
Inspectors found raw beef stored over raw fish in cold drawers as well as raw liquid eggs stored over butter in the back upright cooler.
The monitoring thermometers for the reach-in coolers were missing.
Tower Cafe was reinspected on Friday, May 2, and received a green placard.
Pho Bac Hoa Viet, 6645 Stockton Blvd., Suite 300, in unincorporated south Sacramento, had 11 violations on Thursday, May 1.
The Vietnamese restaurant received a yellow placard for violations including chow mein noodles and cooked pork outside of proper holding temperatures.
At the time of the inspection, none of the faucets in the facility could provide hot water.
A container of noodles had inconsistent and improper date labeling.
Inspectors found debris buildup and a black mold-like substance inside the ice machine.
Raw eggs were overstocked in the prep top cooler, with some eggs falling into an adjacent insert containing scent leaves. This posed a risk of cross-contamination.
Pho Bac Hoa Viet was reinspected on Friday, May 2, and received an additional yellow placard for similar violations. The restaurant was passed another inspectionon Tuesday, May 6.
Roostarz, 10750 Olson Drive in Rancho Cordova, had four violations on Friday, May 2.
Inspectors cited the American restaurant for food safety violations including a lack of hand soap at the cook’s line hand wash station.
Inspectors said cheese sauce was not at the correct holding temperature.
Buckets of sauces, pickles and a box of fries were stored directly on the floor of the walk-in freezer.
Inspectors found ice build-up on the bottom door, racks and ceiling panel inside the freezer.
Roostarz was reinspected on Tuesday, May 6, and passed with a green placard.
AB Indian Cuisine, 7400 Elsie Ave. in unincorporated south Sacramento, had 13 violations on Monday, May 5.
The Indian restaurant was cited after inspectors found approximately 100 rodent droppings under the shelves in the dry storage unit. There were no additional signs of infestations and the restaurant’s owner said pest control had addressed the issue.
Inspectors found an empty paper towel dispenser at the handwashing station.
The facility was missing a food manager’s certificate, and California food handler cards were not available for all food-handling employees on site at the time of inspection.
Inspectors observed staff members washing their hands while they were still wearing gloves.
Cooked rice was left on the prep table outside of the proper holding temperature.
Inspectors found used gloves and paper towels placed on clean plates on the prep table, posing a risk of cross-contamination.
AB Indian Cuisine has yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, May 8.
Oscar’s Very Mexican Food, 3061 Freeport Blvd. in Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood, had 12 violations on Tuesday, May 6.
Inspectors cited the Mexican restaurant for food safety violations including noticeable debris accumulation on the shelf under the salsa bar.
Sour cream and sliced tomatoes were outside of proper holding temperatures, and cooked beans and cooked pork were improperly cooling in a melted ice bath on a speed rack in the kitchen.
During the inspection, the facility did not have an employee with a food safety manager certificate. Six employees had expired California food handler cards.
Raw shelled eggs were stored over vegetables in the walk-in cooler.
A pet rabbit was sitting inside the dining area.
As of Thursday, May 8, Oscar’s Very Mexican Food had yet to be reinspected.
Quan Nem Ninh Hoa, 6450 Stockton Blvd. in unincorporated south Sacramento, had 10 violations on Tuesday, May 6.
The Vietnamese restaurant was cited for food safety violations including shrimp and sliced pork outside of proper holding temperatures.
Some of the restaurant’s employees did not have adequate knowledge of proper cooling and holding temperatures.
The food manager certificate on site had expired, and not all of the employees’ food handler cards were available for inspectors to view.
Inspectors observed an employee touch her eyes with her blue glove hands before walking inside the kitchen for food preparation.
One dying German cockroach with an egg sac was at the rear of the facility behind the upright freezer.
Quan Nem Ninh Hoa had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, May 8.
Huong Sen Tofu, 6830 Stockton Blvd., Suite 105, in unincorporated south Sacramento, had six violations on Tuesday, May 6.
Inspectors gave the Vietnamese restaurant a yellow placard for having cooked tofu on a storage rack without a temperature measure, as well as other health code violations.
The restaurant was using improper procedures when using time as a public health control. There were prepackaged food items of corn and boa that had exceeded the four-hour discard time period.
The restaurant did not have a food manager certificate at the time of the inspection.
Inspectors also cited the restaurant for a “lack of chlorine sanitizer test strips.”
Huong Sen Tofu had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, May 8.
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
