Cockroaches shut down 2 Sacramento restaurants. What caused other closures?
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local sushi restaurant, a pizzeria and a convenience store for cockroaches. Meanwhile, an Elk Grove doughnut shop and a Sacramento brewery were shut down due to rodent droppings.
In addition to closing a total of seven restaurants in the Sacramento area, inspectors cited 15 food-serving facilities for food safety violations ranging from moldy ham and tomatoes to fruit flies, dirty floors and cleaning supplies stored next to food.
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. There were the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, Sept. 4, through Wednesday, Sept. 10, 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.
Brewery, doughnut shop shut down due to rodent droppings
Kacie’s Donut Lounge, 2745 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 200, in Elk Grove, had four major food safety violations on Friday, Sept. 5.
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down the Elk Grove doughnut shop after discovering 142 rodent droppings in more than five locations, including on top of a sugar bucket, in a storage area and inside the bottom case of the front doughnut case.
“No active contamination of food” was observed, inspectors said in the Sept. 5 report, noting that there were several glue boards on the floor in different sections of the kitchen.
Milk and half-and-half measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
The following areas were “in need of cleaning” and more frequent maintenance: the floor before the storage rack, on the bottom shelf of the preparation tables and on the corner floors near the baseboards throughout the kitchen.
The doughnut shop did not have a current health permit posted.
Kacie’s Donut was reinspected on Saturday, Sept. 6, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to Kacie’s Donut for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to the restaurant’s management.
Frends Brewhouse, 6608 Folsom Auburn Road, Suite 9, in Folsom, had 16 violations on Monday, Sept. 8.
Health inspectors shut down the Folsom brewery after finding a clogged floor drain underneath the hand sink that was “backing up at the food prep area.”
There were 161 rodent droppings in several areas, including under the storage rack in the dry storage room, on top of catering to-go boxes and under the soda syrup rack.
Noodles, sliced tomatoes and house ranch measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
“Residue” had accumulated inside the restaurant’s ice machine.
Buckets of ranch were stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler, with several to-go food containers were stored on the floor nearby.
There was grease accumulation on the ventilation hood filters, and slime on the floor under the ice machine.
There were unlabeled food containers on the shelf around the food prep area. This was a repeat violation.
Tongs were improperly stored over the oven handle.
Frends Brewhouse was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to Frends Brewhouse for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to the restaurant’s management.
Dubplate Kitchen & Jamaican Cuisine, 3419 El Camino Ave. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Monday, Sept. 8.
The Jamaican restaurant in Sacramento was closed by health inspectors due to a lack of hot water at the hand sinks and three-compartment sink.
Chopped chicken in the steam table measured outside of proper holding temperatures, and macaroni and cheese on a prep counter was being improperly cooled.
The restaurant was missing a copy of the food manager’s certificate and food handler cards for all employees, both repeat violations.
Several nonfood contact surface areas were in need of cleaning, including a dusty fan guard, floors under the racks at the cook’s line and the fans in the kitchen.
The restroom door was unable to self-close fully. This was a fifth repeat violation by the restaurant.
A mop was stored directly in the mop sink.
Dubplate Kitchen and Jamaican Cuisine was reinspected on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and passed with a green placard. The Bee reached out to the restaurant for comment Thursday but was unable to speak to management.
Sacramento pizza restaurant closed for lack of hot water
Jojo’s Pizza, 2440 Fulton Ave., Suite 2, in Sacramento, was closed on Monday, Sept. 8.
Health inspectors closed the Sacramento pizzeria due to “insufficient hot water,” the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department said on its website.
The restaurant reopened the same day.
The Bee reached out to Jojo’s Pizza for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to the restaurant’s management.
Cockroaches close Sacramento sushi restaurant, pizzeria
Bento Box, 1600 K St. in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Inspectors shut down the Sacramento sushi restaurant after discovering “cockroach activity” — including a total of seven German cockroaches under the three-compartment sink and at the electrical outlet for the prep cooler and microwave. There were also “fecal focal points” at two electrical outlets and in a corner area, the report said.
There were five fruit flies in the mop sink area.
Multiple packages of ramen noodles measured outside of the temperature range considered safe, as did fish, imitation crab meat and spicy tuna.
Utensils at the cook’s line were incorrectly stored in 50-degree water.
There were unclean liners on the dish shelf.
An employee’s sweater hanging from the clean dish rack was in contact with clean dishes. All 33 food handler cards had expired.
Bento Box was reinspected on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to Bento Box for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to the restaurant’s management.
Delish Pizza, 8391 Folsom Blvd., Suite 4, in Sacramento, had nine violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Inspectors closed the Sacramento pizza restaurant after discovering more than 30 dead and live cockroaches in various areas, including by the water heater, on the mop sink rim and on the water pipe next to the water heater.
One employee’s food handler card was expired at time of inspection.
To-go sauce containers had the food contact side facing up.
Old food accumulation was on the floor beneath the four door cooler and upright freezer.
The back handwash sink was slightly disattached from the wall, leaving a 1-inch gap.
There was a broken door gasket on the two-door upright refrigerator, a repeat violation.
The pizzeria lacked a probe thermometer, another repeat violation.
Dumpster lids were left open, and the back door was propped open. These were repeat violations.
The manager told inspectors that they kept the door “open for the pizza driver.”
Delish Pizza had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
The Bee reached out to Delish Pizza for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to restaurant management.
Local convenience store closed due to roaches
Fresh Choice, 8531 Thys Court in Sacramento, was closed on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Inspectors shut down the convencience store due to a “rodent infestation,” Sacramento County said on its website.
Fresh Choice had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
The Bee reached out to Fresh Choice for comment on Thursday afternoon, but was unable to speak to management.
Local sushi, Thai restaurants had ‘potentially hazardous foods’
Shogun Sushi, 7330 Fair Oaks Blvd. No. 10, Carmichael, had 12 violations on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Health inspectors gave the Carmichael sushi restaurant a yellow placard after fried shrimp, tofu, whipped cream and other foods measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Cut lemons at the soda station and server’s beverage station were missing a lid.
Raw shelled eggs were stored over raw produce in the three-door glass refrigerator, while bottles of butane and Ajax cleaner were stored over sweet potatoes and bulk rice in the dry storage room.
There were “black spots” inside the ice machine, the report said.
The sushi bar had a Black+Decker countertop toaster oven intended for household use.
The handwashing station at the server’s beverage station was missing soap and paper towels. There were no extras nearby.
A drain pipe under the front counter handwashing sink was missing an air gap, and water was dripping onto the floor from a pipe underneath the single-compartment prep sink in the kitchen.
All restrooms were missing handwashing signs, and the doors were unable to self-close fully.
The shared outdoor dumpsters were left open.
One food handler’s card had expired.
Shogun Sushi was reinspected on Friday, Sept. 5, and received a green placard.
Sai Varee Thai Cuisine, 7485 Rush River Drive, Suite 770, in Sacramento, had 17 violations on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Health inspectors gave the Sacramento Thai restaurant a yellow placard after spotting five flies in the food preparation area. The back door was open when inspectors arrived.
“Potentially hazardous foods” including whole eggs, fried rice and raw shrimp measured at unsafe temperatures.
Flat rice noodles were stored on a crate in front of and in the splash zone of a handwashing sink, resulting in water on the noodles. Inspectors told an employee to discard the noodles.
Raw chicken in a bag was mixed with bags of beef in a stand-up freezer, and bags of ground meat were stored on top of bagged whole meats in a stand-up refrigerator.
A bus tub of raw chicken was stored on the floor of a walk-in cooler, while soda syrup boxes were on the floor behind the front counter
The table top can opener had “food accumulation,” inspectors said.So did handles and shelving in the wall-in cooler.
The restaurant was reusing cardboard as containers, dividers and liners on shelves and the stand-up refrigerator.
Egg crates were also used as liners, and an aluminum can was used to hold up plastic bags.
Inspectors observed two employees washing their hands with single-use gloves on.
There was no soap at the handwashing station on the cook’s line.
Employees’ beverages without lids or straws were stored on top of the prep table and food.
The food safety manager’s certificate had expired and food handler cards were not available for review at the time of inspection. Both were repeat violations.
The posted health permit was not current.
Sai Varee Thai Cuisine passed reinspection on Friday, Sept. 5.
Moldy hams, unsafe egg rolls at Chinese restaurant
Yue Huang Restaurant, 3860 Truxel Road in Sacramento, had 18 violations on Friday, Sept. 5.
The Chinese restaurant received a yellow placard after inspectors spotted “several moldy dry-aged hams” inside the walk-in refrigerator, according to the Sept. 5 report.
The manager told inspectors that “the mold is typically trimmed off prior to preparation and cooking.”
One tray of eggrolls stored below a prep counter measured outside the temperature range considered safe and were voluntarily discarded.
About seven whole chickens and three whole chickens had been improperly cooled. Employees threw them in the trash can.
Multiple uncovered food items were stored on a prep counter, inside a walk-in refrigerator and inside a walk-in freezer.
There was an unlabeled spray bottle next to the dumpling oven, and multiple unlabeled food trays stored on a prep counter.
Inspectors observed “black residue” inside an ice machine.
The restaurant had several unclean surfaces, including floors underneath cooking equipment, below walk-in refrigerator shelves and below the prep counter.
The cold-top refrigerator measured too warm.
Multi-use utensils were in warm, stagnant water in a bucket next to a rice cooker, and knives were stored below the prep counter.
There was ice buildup on condensation pipes in both walk-in freezers.
The restaurant had 14 expired California food handler cards.
There was a gap in back door, and deteriorating grout throughout the kitchen floor.
Yue Huang Restaurant underwent reinspection on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and passed with a green placard.
Cafe 33, 1840 Fulton Ave. in Sacramento, had 18 violations on Monday, Sept. 8.
Inspectors closed the cafe after finding multiple food items stored on the floors of the walk-in cooler and freezer, including cooked bacon, glass cans of sauce and pre-packaged drinks. This was a repeat violation.
The cafe’s handwash sink was blocked by a bin of ice at the drink preparation area.
Raw eggs in a plastic bin were outside of proper holding temperatures.
The facility lacked food handler cards during the time of inspection.
A personal twist-top water bottle and five other drinks were stored on the ice machine.
The hand wash sink’s water in the restroom measured outside of proper temperatures, a repeat violation.
Raw shelled eggs were stored over produce and other ready-to-eat food items in the walk-in cooler. This was a repeat violation.
A sanitizer spray was missing a label, and a flour bin was unlabeled.
Inspectors found “organic mold-like growth and old food residues” on the metro shelves.
Cafe’ 33 was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and passed with a green placard.
Mexican restaurants had chicken, chorizo at unsafe temperatures
Florez Bar & Grill, 5900 South Land Park Drive in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Monday, Sept. 8.
Inspectors gave the Sacramento Mexican restaurant a yellow placard after several “potentially hazardous foods” measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
These included whole eggs, shredded cheese, chorizo, cooked potatoes and chicken tenders.
A large stock pot of beans cooked the previous day also measured outside the temperature range considered safe.
Pepto Bismol was stored next to pepper flakes.
There was an employee beverage without lid or straw stored next to the three-compartment sink.
The back prep cook’s line was missing a hood filter, and there was “excessive grease” under the hood going to the motor.
A sanitizer wiping towel was stored on the counter with zero sanitizer.
The back door next to the walk-in cooler had a gap greater than a quarter-inch, a repeat violation.
The restaurant didn’t have a food safety certificate or food handler cards. These were also repeat violations.
Florez Bar & Grill was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and passed with a green placard.
Taqueria Garibaldi, 1841 Howe Ave., Suite A, in Arden Arcade, had 12 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Inspectors cited the taqueria for trays of chicken and chorizo that measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Containers of pork carnitas, enchilada sauce and beans were not properly reheated when removed from refrigeration.
There was dust under a shelf storing uncovered bins of chips, and food debris under a hot holding case and under a freezer.
An employee’s drink and phone were sitting on a food preparation cart. Taqueria Garibaldi had not been re-inspected as of Thursday afternoon.
Burger joint had malfunctioning dishwasher, cooler
Burgers and Brew, 1409 R St., Suite 105, in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The burger restaurant received a yellow placard for violations including food outside of proper temperature ranges and malfunctioning cleaning equipment.
An automatic dishwasher wasn’t dispensing sanitizer during a wash cycle, and was put out of commission.
A cooler had broken gaskets, and the interior ambient temperature measuring too warm to be considered safe. Various foods inside the cooler, including “potentially hazardous foods,” measured outside of proper temperature ranges, the report said.
Grease had accumulated on the kitchen ceiling.
“Numerous” unlabeled bottles around the facility reportedly held toxic chemicals.
According to the inspection report, the restaurant did not have an employee with a valid food manager’s certificate and a previous inspection report was not available onsite.
Burgers and Brew had not been re-inspected as of Thursday.
Roosters on the River, 1379 Garden Highway in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The fusion restaurant was cited by health inspectors after carnitas, fried potatoes, chorizo and ham measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
The warewashing machine didn’t have detergent and the sanitizer measured at zero after multiple cycles.
At time of inspection, the food safety manager certificate was not available.
Food handler cards were not available for review at the time of inspection.
Five gallon-size plastic buckets of cooked whole beans, chicken and sauces were improperly cooling under the back prep table without additional cooling interventions.
There was slight residue on the ice machine’s interior panel edge.
Three rodent droppings were on the floor below the soda syrup cases, a repeat violation.
Additionally, several fruit flies were hovering around the upstairs bar.
Several beverage bottles were improperly placed on top of the ice in the bar ice bin.
Roosters on the River was reinspected on Wednesday, Sept. 10, and passed with a green placard.
Las Carretas Mexican & Salvadorian, 7739 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael, had 11 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Inspectors gave the Mexican restaurant a yellow placard due to a lack of paper towels at the handwash station. The handwash sink at the warewash area was blocked by a pot with hot charcoal.
A container with shredded cheese was outside of proper holding temperatures.
The facility did not have a food manager certificate at time of the inspection, a repeat violation.
Raw shelled eggs were stored above cooked beans inside the reach-in cooler.
An unlabeled spray bottle with chemicals was stored in the kitchen.
Las Carretas Mexican & Salvadorian Food was reinspected on Wednesday, Sept. 10 and passed with a green placard.
Citations for brunch restaurant, gas station and taqueria
Mimosa House, 1002 Riley St., Suite 13, in Folsom, had eight violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Inspectors gave the brunch restaurant a yellow placard due to a lack of towels in the men’s restaurant and other health code violations.
Raw shell eggs and cut melon had temperatures measuring in the “danger zone,” according to the report.
Health inspectors measured waffle batter outside of proper holding temperature.
At time of inspection, there were packages of frozen pork thawing in the hotel pan in the back room.
The restaurant’s pressurized gas cylinders were not in a secure location.
The light in the walk-in freezer was not working at time of inspection.
The restaurant’s health permit had expired.
In the janitorial sink, the cove base and base of a wallboard were missing.
Mimosa House was reinspected on Thursday, Sept. 11, and passed with a green placard.
Lara Cafeteria, 1120 N St. in Sacramento, was cited for 16 health food violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The restaurant received a yellow placard after chorizo, eggs and raw shell eggs measured outside of proper holding temperatures. Pork was cooling improperly.
Health inspectors saw an employee touch their glasses and then touch ready-to-eat food without washing their hands.
A cook wasn’t wearing gloves or using utensils when handling ready-to-eat foods.
Raw hamburger meat was stored over ready-to-eat food at the cook line prep cooler drawer.
There was a spray bottle under the coffee station that was lacking a label.
There were broken cabinet doors at the end of the counter.
Lara’s Cafeteria had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
Valero - M & K Royal Spirits, 3211 Riverside Blvd. in Sacramento, had six violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The gas station received a yellow placard after discovering that the restroom hand sink didn’t have soap. The toilet paper dispenser didn’t have toilet paper.
There was no hot water supply at the time of inspection.
Health inspectors observed white buildup on fan guards in the walk-in cooler.
Sanitizer was not available at the three-compartment sink.
There was a bag under the refrigerant line of the evaporator in the walk-in cooler. According to the report, an employee told inspectors that condensation occasionally leaked from the line.
Valero - M & K Royal Spirits had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
Los Immortals Taqueria, 3131 Fruitridge Road in Sacramento, had 12 violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Inspectors gave the Mexican restaurant a yellow placard after several foods measured outside of proper holding temperatures, including octopus, thawed chicken, beans and eggs.
There was a condensate leak onto an open container of tamales in the walk-in cooler.
A hand sink near the cook’s line was partially blocked by boxes of beverages. This was a repeat violation.
Beans were cooling without any intervention in a large plastic container.
There was “black organic buildup” on the ice machine deflector plate, the report said.
Los Immortals Taqueria had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sep. 11.
Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant, 10717 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, had eight violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The Mexican restaurant received a yellow placard at inspectors found approximately 39 old rodent droppings in several areas. Those included in the corner of the dry storage room, below the three chemical containers for the dishwasher and on the back of the self storing area for to-go containers.
There was evidence of wastewater with food debris being improperly discharged into the drain where the tallow bin is stored.
Health inspectors observed old grease and old food debris below and behind all the cooking equipment under the ventilation hood.
Chlorine test strips were not available at the automatic dishwasher or at the two-compartment sink.
There was a partially torn and peeling factory sticker on the metal shelf storing area near the cook’s line.
Two ceiling light bulbs in the back unit of the walk-in refrigerator lacked shatter guards.
The handwashing sink in the kitchen was clogged and was not draining at the start of the inspection.
Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
Greek Donair & Gyro, 3510 Auburn Blvd., Suite 6, in Sacramento, had 18 violations on Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Inspectors gave the Greek restaurant a yellow placard after seeing an employee fail to wash their hands with soap at the designated handwash sink.
The kitchen hand sink was completely blocked at the time of inspection, a second repeat violation.
The restroom handwash station lacked paper towels.
Boiled eggs that were cooked the previous day measured outside of proper holding temperature.
The restaurant lacked chlorine, and the three-compartment sink was set up with zero chlorine. This was a repeat violation.
An employee did not demonstrate acceptable food safety knowledge on proper handwashing, proper warewashing, glove use and proper cold holding temperature. This was another repeat violation.
A food safety manager certificate was not available for health inspectors to review.
The restaurant did not have food handler cards for all employees. According to the report, this is a “chronic repeat violation.”
Several whole tomatoes had moldy spots at the cold top cooler.
Greek Donair & Gyro had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 11.
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Cockroaches shut down 2 Sacramento restaurants. What caused other closures?."
