Cockroaches, slime & spills. See latest Sacramento County restaurant inspections
Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local Taco Bell, a Chinese restaurant and a grocery store for reasons ranging from a cockroach infestation to a lack of hot water.
In addition, inspectors gave yellow placards to 10 local food-serving facilities for violations including flies, old food debris and improperly thawing 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, 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. 18, through Wednesday, Sept. 24, 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.
Chinese restaurant closed for cockroaches
Dumpling Yo!, 1032 Florin Road in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Thursday, Sept. 18.
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down the Sacramento Chinese restaurant after observing seven live German cockroaches in several areas, including inside the grease trap for the hot wok, on the floor next to the beverage cooler and below the preparation sink.
An employee was eating grapes in the food prep area.
Inspectors spotted several handwashing violations, including an employee washing their hands with gloves on, an employee washing their hands in the three-compartment sink and an employee washing their hands in the prep sink.
Egg noodles were improperly cooling in a deep container with a lid in the walk-in cooler.
Frozen raw meats were improperly thawing at room temperature.
There were eight open bulk bags of food in the dry storage area.
Five boxes of food products were stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer.
Dumpling Yo! was reinspected on Friday, Sept. 19, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee was unable to reach anyone at the Chinese restaurant for comment on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Local grocery store shut down for roaches, slime and spills
Bonfare Market, 2600 Rio Linda Blvd. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Monday, Sept. 22.
Inspectors closed the Sacramento grocery store after discovering “evidence of a vermin infestation,” the Sept. 22 report said.
Inspectors found a total of seven live German cockroaches under the two- compartment sink and along the back wall of the soda dispenser. They also discovered three dead cockroaches on old glue traps in the back of the supermarket.
Bonfare Market’s soda machine nozzles were unclean with surrounding surfaces with “old sticky syrup,” the report said.
The cream and sugar nozzles and coffee half-and-half dispenser had residue and dust accumulation.
The ice machine’s ice making components had “slime-like residue,” according to the report.
Inspectors observed food on the floor of the walk-in cooler as well as ice bags without labels. The latter was a repeat violation.
Several surfaces were “unclean” with dust and debris including in the walk-in cooler and the fan guards and floor sink in the walk-in cooler.
The ice machine’s front cover was damaged and separated from the machine.
A deteriorated wall was observed below the two-compartment sink with gaps and holes along the piping and walls.
There were multiple missing and damaged ceiling tiles in the liquor and office storage room, another repeat violation.
The market’s health permit had expired.
Bonfare Market was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to Bonfare Market for comment on Thursday, Sept. 25, but the supermarket didn’t have a manager on site.
Taco Bell closed due to lack of hot water
Taco Bell, 6031 Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights, had one violation on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Health inspectors shut down the fast food restaurant due to “no hot water” at the facility,” the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department said on its website.
Taco Bell was reinspected the same day and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the local Taco Bell restaurant on Thursday, Sept. 25, but was unable to reach anyone for comment.
Mexican restaurant had expired food handler cards
Adalberto’s Mexican Food, 7400 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael, had 12 violations on Thursday, Sept. 18.
Health inspectors gave the Carmichael Mexican restaurant a yellow placard after discovering that the dispenser at the back prep sink didn’t have hand-washing soap. There was no extra soap available nearby.
Cooked chicken, eggs, pico de gallo and flan measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
Seven food handler cards were expired at the time of inspection.
Pork was being improperly thawned on a table in the back prep room.
Various raw meats were stored over fully cooked tamales in the one-door freezer. The restaurant’s manager rearranged the food.
There was a cleaning spray bottle without a label inside the cabinet underneath the tortilla chips at the cook’s line. This was a third repeat violation.
Adalberto’s Mexican Food was reinspected on Friday, Sept. 19, and passed with a green placard.
Fulton Arco AM/PM, 1300 Fulton Ave. in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Friday, Sept. 19.
Inspectors gave the gas station a yellow placard after “potentially hazardous foods” including hot dogs and chicken taquitos on the warm rollers measured outside of proper holding temperature.
The facility lacked an employee with a food safety certification.
The soap dispenser in the back ware washing room was in “disrepair” and was unable to dispense any soap, according to the Sept. 19 report.
Inspectors observed “organic build-up substances” on one soda sprout of the soda machine, the report said.
A frozen chicken was uncovered in the one-door reach-in freezer.
Fulton Arco AM/PM was reinspected on Monday, Sept. 22, and received an additional yellow placard due to repeat violations including potentially hazardous foods outside of proper holding temperatures and a lack of food safety certification for employees.
The gas station was inspected another time on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and passed with a green placard.
California Burrito, 1300 Fulton Ave., Suite B, in Sacramento, had 18 violations on Monday, Sept. 22.
The Mexican restaurant received a yellow placard aftercooked chicken, pinto beans, rice and crema measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
The facility used “inadequate” reheating procedures of cooked rice and refried beans, the Sept. 22 report said, making the foods “unfit for human consumption.”
The restaurant’s employees lacked food safety knowledge in several areas, including holding temperatures and proper sanitizing of food contact surfaces.
A dented can of tomato sauce was on the rack near the drive-thru window.
A wall-mounted potato cutter had old food debris and organic buildup.
Raw seafood was stored over ready-to-eat food at the two-door upright cooler.
A bucket of potatoes were stored on the floor.
Salt and garlic salt containers did not have proper labels.
Inspectors found heavy dust and debris accumulation on the surround fan and on the shelving above the prep table.
California Burrito was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and passed with a green placard.
Skipolini’s Pizza and Pasta, 191 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom, had four violations on Monday, Sept. 22.
inspectors cited the Italian restaurant after chicken and eggs in the cold top refrigerator measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
Soup and meatballs on the steam table also measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
The facility had no soap available at the bar handsink.
The restaurant’s posted health permit was not current.
Skipolini’s Pizza and Pasta was reinspected on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and passed with a green placard.
Hilton Sacramento Arden West, 2200 Harvard St. in Sacramento, had 15 violations on Monday, Sept. 22.
Inspectors gave the Hilton hotel location a yellow placard after discovering that the handwashing station at the buffet line had no soap.
Sausage, liquid egg carton and par-cooked potatoes were outside of proper holding temperatures.
Two large bins of biscuit and gravy were improperly cooling.
There was no hot water available at the prep sink located at the coffee station.
Inspectors spotted dead American cockroaches on the floor of the storage room..
The facility’s toaster was “unclean with excessive food residue” within the bread slots, according to the Sept. 22 report.
Dishwashing baskets were stored directly on the “unclean floors,” the report said.
A light inside the one-door upright refrigerator was not working properly.
Hilton Sacramento Arden West had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 25.
Asia Market and Restaurant, 2737 Fulton Ave. in Sacramento, had 16 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Inspectors cited the Asian supermarket after discovering that the meat bandsaw was not properly “washed, rinsed and sanitized,” according to the Sept. 25 report.
There was evidence of “old meat/meat residue” under the cut plate and along the meat cutting chambers, the report said.
There were no paper towels available at the meat department’s handwashing sink.
Whole meat, samosa and beef were outside of proper holding temperatures.
The grocery store was missing a food manager’s certificate. This was a fifth repeat violation.
Inspectors saw three flies in the meat department, and a couple at the back prep area.
An employee at the barbeque area did not have an option to properly transport cooked chicken kabobs. This is a second repeat violation.
There were unlabeled bottles at the bakery and meat department.
Food was stored directly on the walk-in cooler floor.
Asia Market and Restaurant had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 25.
Kobe Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar, 2057 Arena Blvd., Suite 150, in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Health inspectors gave a yellow placard to the Japanese restaurant after seeing tempura shrimps stored next to oil inside the fryer machine.
There was no hand soap inside the soap dispenser by the back kitchen hand sink, and a different hand soap dispenser was not functioning.
The facility had no manager food safety certificate.
Two employees had expired California Food Handler cards.
There was no hot water available by the back kitchen prep sink.
Wrapped frozen noodles were in a reused raw salmon cardboard box, which was stored inside the two door upright freezer.
Kobe Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 25.
Kiki’s Chicken Place, 4314 Marconi Ave. in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Inspectors gave the chicken restaurant a yellow placard due to food safety violations including a lack of soap and paper towels inside the employee restroom.
A container of milk and a basket of fried chicken were outside of proper holding temperatures.
The facility lacked hot water at time of the inspection.
Inside the ice machine, a panel had “brown/black residue build-up,” according to the Sept. 23 report.
A “mold-like residue build-up” was on the fan guards inside the walk-in cooler, the report said.
Kiki’s Chicken Place had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 25.
Pizza Guys, 1301 Fulton Ave., Suite A, in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
The Sacramento pizzeria received a yellow placard after health inspectors discovered there were no paper towels in the dispenser at the handwashing sink.
Diced tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, string cheese and shredded cheddar cheese were outside of proper holding temperatures.
An employee’s open drink, screw top water bottle and food were stored on the prep tables next to food and surfaces coming in contact with food.
Two kitchen areas had debris and dust build-up: the shelf holding dry goods next to the pizza oven and the metro racks inside the walk-in cooler.
Pizza Guys was reinspected on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and passed with a green placard.
Poke Noke, 2254 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Sacramento, had eight violations on Wednesday Sept. 24.
The Hawaiian restaurant received a yellow placard after health inspectors discovered the handwashing sink in the main kitchen was obstructed by a large container.
Salmon and seared ahi tuna were outside of proper holding temperatures.
The restaurant was improperly cooling cooked chicken.
There was old food debris inside the rice cooker and warmer pots.
The facility was using expired pH test strips to measure the pH of sushi rice.
Stacked boxes of produce were on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
Several areas had “old grease debris, dust and old food debris,” including behind the deep fryer, on the fan guard and ceiling inside the walk-in cooler and inside the beer cooler, according to the Sept. 24 report.
The restaurant could not provide a thermometer when a health inspector requested one.
Poke Noke had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Sept. 25.
