Roaches, rats and slime. See worst Sacramento County restaurant inspections in May
Sacramento County inspectors shut down three local restaurants, two gas stations and a Moose lodge in May due to a variety of food safety violations.
Reasons for the closures ranged from cockroaches, live rats and rodent droppings to mold, slime and clogged drains.
In addition, dozens of local eateries received yellow placards in May for a variety of health code violations.
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, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.
Approximately 1% of inspections result in a closure, he said.
The following restaurants received red placards in May, resulting in their temporary closures, according to The Sacramento Bee’s archives.
Sacramento Mexican restaurant fails health inspections 5 times
Tacos y Mariscos El Limón, 7242 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento’s Parkway, was shut down five times due to repeat food safety violations including cockroaches, rodent droppings and improperly stored food.
Sacramento County health inspectors issued the eatery red placards on May 2, May 3, May 5, May 6 and May 7.
Inspectors initially closed the restaurant on May 2 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.
Additionally, 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 during the May 2 inspection.
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.
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 Thursday, May 8, and Wednesday, May 28, and received green placards both times, allowing it to reopen.
Southern food eatery Tori’s Place shut down for rats in May
Health inspectors shut down Tori’s Place, 1525 Grand Ave. in Sacramento, twice in May due to food safety violations including a Norway rat infection.
The restaurant, which specializes in Southern fare, was cited for 19 violations on Thursday, May 1, and six health violations on Thursday, May 22.
On May 1, health inspectors observed a total of four live rats crawling around the restaurant as well as more than 160 rat droppings throughout the facility.
When health inspectors returned to the restaurant May 22, they observed approximately 250 rodent droppings in various areas, including on the floor near the dry storage, between the register and unused ice machine and between the chest freezer and a cat litter box.
This was the restaurant’s fourth repeat violation related to vermin contamination.
That same inspection, beans and macaroni and cheese measured outside of the temperature range considered safe, and the restaurant was cited for improperly cooling food — a second repeat violation.
Inspectors also found “heavy grease accumulation” on the ceiling, floor and wall at the cook’s line, a repeat violation.
Tori’s Place had a hole in the floor underneath the broken ice machine, multiple floor tiles loose at the cook’s line, a gap in the wall behind the pots/pans storage room and a loose ceiling board in the middle of the back preparation area. These were repeat violations.
Finally, health inspectors cited the restaurant using an unapproved storage area to hold refrigerators, chest freezers and various dry storage goods and equipment.
Tori’s Place was reinspected on Thursday, May 29, and passed with a green placard.
Shell gas station didn’t have hot water ‘for days,’ inspectors say
Mack Road Shell, 6490 Mack Road in Sacramento, was shut down for 11 health violations on Thursday, May 15.
An employee told Sacramento County health inspectors that hot water at the Shell gas station had “been out for days,” according to the May 15 report.
The facility had no soap for the hand-washing sink in the restroom.
All of the items inside of the hot food case, including chicken strips and beef empanadas, were supposed to be held for a specific time, but employees were not observing a time log.
Health inspectors found a couple of flies hovering inside the main kitchen area, as well as food boxes stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer.
Mack Road Shell was reinspected on Saturday, May 17, and received a green placard.
Rancho Cordova gas station had cockroaches, slimy soda nozzles
Servo Gasoline, 2931 Mather Field Road in Rancho Cordova, was cited for 22 health violations on Tuesday, May 20.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the gas station after discovering German cockroaches in “various life stages” in food preparation areas, including ware washing areas, according to a May 20 report.
Servo Gasoline did not have sanitizer to adequately wash wares. In addition, employees of the gas station lacked knowledge of proper holding temperatures and ware washing procedures, a repeat violation..
A bean burrito in the open air cooler measured outside of the proper holding temperature range.
Soda and beverage nozzles had “slime and other accumulation,” the report said, which was another repeat violation.
There was an unlabeled spray bottle on the counter next to the hot burritos and cookies, and boxes of food items were stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler.
The gas station didn’t have labels for packages of ice or bulk food in cupboards below the self-service coffee. The restroom door lacked a self-closing device.
The facility’s food safety certificate was not available for viewing. This was also a repeat violation.
Servo Gasoline was reinspected on Wednesday, May 21, and reopened after receiving a green placard.
Local Moose lodge closed due to rodent droppings, fruit flies
South Sacramento Moose Lodge No. 255, 8156 Florin Road in Sacramento, had five food safety violations on Tuesday, May 20.
The Loyal Order of Moose lodge received a red placard after inspectors discovered approximately 50 to 70 rodent droppings in the cabinet beneath the pass-through window in the main kitchen.
An additional five droppings were found inside the cutlery storage container as well as on a storage tray.
Inspectors also found about 50 fruit flies in the bar area.
The facility had an unclean potato slicer.
Raw shrimp was stored in the stand-up cooler alongside ready-to-eat foods.
Several areas had debris and unclean surfaces, including the three-compartment sink and areas behind the ice machine and under the prep sink.
South Sacramento Moose Lodge No. 255 passed reinspection on Wednesday, May 21.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
