RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS
Here are the food facilities that inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between July 22and 28in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. If no reopening date is mentioned, the facility had not been listed as reopened as of Friday, July 29.
Restaurant: Highgrove Village Meat Market, 1091 Center St., Riverside
Closed: July 28
Grade: 66/C, failing
Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector found live roaches throughout the market, including near the food-prep table and sink, at the cook line, near where dishes are washed and stored, in containers of cleaned equipment, above packaged foods and on a box of plastic wrap. There were also dead and dying roaches as well as cockroach feces throughout the facility. That was one of 17 violations, five of which were critical and many of which were repeated from past inspections. Among the other issues: A wooden divider in the walk-in cooler that the market had been ordered multiple times to remove because it was restricting airflow was still there, and parts of the unit were not keeping food cold. Cooked food wasn’t being cooled down fast enough. Dishes were being washed with unapproved sanitizer. Food was stored uncovered. There was mold in the ice machine. Food-storage racks were rusty and heavily soiled. And multiple areas needed cleaning and repair. Well over 100 pounds of food had to be discarded. This was the market’s third failed inspection in two years, and second consecutive routine inspection score in the 60s, so it now faces a permit suspension/revocation hearing.
Restaurant: Deli/kitchen area of Cardenas Markets, 15555 E. Main St. Suite D4, Hesperia
Closed: July 28
Grade: 90/A
Reason: Cockroach infestation. The supermarket requested a rescore after the kitchen/deli area received an 84/B on July 15. (Five areas of the market each have their own health permit.) While the area improved its grade to an A, the inspector also discovered live cockroaches, adult and nymph, in the walls and on the floors near the tortilla makers, dough mixers and other kitchen equipment.
Restaurant; Food areas of AMC Theatres Ontario Mills 30, 4549 Mills Circle, Ontario
Closed: July 27
Grade: 91/A in the kitchen/ bar area, 97/A in concessions, on July 25
Reason: Rodent infestation. The theater’s food areas were inspected July 25 after someone complained to the health department that the kitchen and theaters were infested and that a rat had jumped on them. The inspector found about 15 rodent droppings in a closet that wasn’t storing food, and a few others in food storage areas. The theater had gotten pest-control service that morning, and the invoices said there was no rodent activity but some areas that could harbor vermin needed attention. When an inspector returned two days later, after the theater had closed for a day for another pest-control treatment, there were fresh droppings in both food areas, so they were shut down.
Restaurant: Mr. Dumpling, 9319 Foothill Blvd. Unit B, Rancho Cucamonga
Closed: July 27
Grade: 80/B
Reason: Cockroach infestation. An inspector visited in response to a complaint that someone thought fungus was growing on the edges of the dining tables. The inspector found about six live cockroaches by sinks and under a table of takeout sauces, and more than 100 dead roaches throughout the facility. Among other violations, a pan wasn’t washed correctly and staff didn’t know proper warewashing procedures, some items were at unsafe temperatures in a refrigerator that wasn’t keeping cold, and the handwashing sink didn’t have hot water.
Restaurant: Restaurant at Desert Hot Springs Spa, 10805 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs
Closed: July 27
Grade: 81/B, failing
Reason: Failing an inspection while on probation. Among the 14 violations, food was at unsafe temperatures in a refrigerator that was impounded, there were flies inside, snap traps had been placed in areas where food contamination could occur, there were some gaps in the walls and ceiling, an insect light was hung over a food-prep table, and a chef wiped a knife with a dirty cloth. This was the restaurant’s fifth failed inspection and fourth closure since 2019, and its second closure since being placed on probation in July 2021. The previous closures were because of rodent infestations.
Restaurant: Little Caesars, 23031 Sunnymead Blvd. Suite A, Moreno Valley
Closed: July 27
Grade: Not graded
Reason: No hot water. The inspector came for a routine inspection but stopped it upon discovering the hot water was out. However, he noted the restaurant was in “poor sanitary condition overall” and recommended a deep cleaning.
Reopened: July 28
New grade: 98/A, passing
Restaurant: La Michoacana Original, 22500 Town Circle Suite 2093, Moreno Valley Closed: July 26
Grade: 89/B, failing
Reason: Operating without a valid health permit, inability to wash hands. According to the inspection report, the permit expired Dec. 31. The facility also didn’t have any paper towels, leaving workers unable to safely dry their hands after washing. Among other violations, dirty food utensils were in the mop sink, which the inspector called “unacceptable.”
Restaurant: Daniel’s Table, 68327 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City
Closed: July 26
Grade: Not graded
Reason: Operating without a valid health permit. The report from the restaurant’s
last inspection in June said the permit had expired May 31.
Morefire Thai Cuisine, 2955 Van Buren Blvd. Suite F2, Riverside
Closed: July 25
Grade: 82/B, failing
Reason: Insufficient refrigeration. Numerous containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in the walk-in cooler, which was not keeping cold. There were two other critical violations. An employee didn’t wash hands after using a cellphone. Also, the dishwashing machine was out of sanitizer, and employees didn’t know the correct procedure for manually washing. This was the restaurant’s second failed inspection and closure in three years; last time was for a cockroach infestation in January 2020.
Reopened: July 26
Restaurant: Jojo’s Donuts, 4812 Tyler St., Riverside
Closed: July 25
Grade: 83/B, failing
Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector saw numerous live and dead cockroaches in locations including the doughnut topping cabinet, near the dishwashing sink and on the floor under all equipment.
Restaurant: KFC, 32120 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City
Closed: July 25
Grade: 87/B, failing
Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector saw multiple live roaches at a sink and a dead roach on the floor.
Reopened: July 27 New grade: 97/A, passing
Non-closure inspections of note
Here are selected inspections at facilities that weren’t closed but had other significant issues.
Patty’s Rotisserie Chicken, at 1380 E. Florida Ave. in Hemet, was inspected July 27and received a failing grade of 80/B with four critical violations. Numerous containers of food were at unsafe temperatures and had to be discarded. Cooked beans weren’t being cooled down safely. Jarred salsa that someone had made at home was being sold at the front counter. And an employee washed hands twice without hot water. Among the two other violations for which points were deducted, and 10 for which points were not, neither of the facility’s handwashing sinks had hot water (this was fixed before the inspection ended), a prep cooler was impounded for not keeping cold, raw chicken was being prepared in a sink meant only for washing dishes, and the facility needed cleaning. Village Ranch Market, at 15091 Merrill Ave. in Fontana, received follow-up inspections July 22and 26after its main market, meat department and restaurant areas received grades of 80/B, 80/B and 78/C on July 19. On July 22, the market area was found to still be using a refrigerator it was told not to until it could be repaired. More than 20pounds of food was condemned. Four days later, an inspector returned to check that rodent droppings and dead cockroaches had been removed and a toilet had been repaired.
The toilet was fixed but the inspector found one dead cockroach on the floor in the produce department and several old rodent droppings in a back storage area. Another follow-up was planned next week.
Frice, at 1299University
Ave. Suite 104E in Riverside, was inspected July 26 and received a failing grade of 77/C with two critical violations. Employees were not washing their hands when they should have, and in-shell and liquid eggs were at room temperature. Among the 11other violations, an employee was washing pasta in a sink full of dirty water and dishes, beef was being thawed improperly, the facility was “in need of MAJOR cleaning” and the inspector said all employees needed to be retrained in handwashing, dishwashing, temperature control and other food-safety practices. This was the restaurant’s second consecutive failed routine inspection, and it was temporarily shut down for a rodent infestation in March 2021.
Ono Hawaiian BBQ, at
12751 Moreno Beach Drive Suite 102in Moreno Valley, was inspected July 26 in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a failing grade of 84/B with two critical violations. Multiple containers of food were not being kept hot or cold enough, including about 75pounds of food in the walk-in cooler that had to be discarded. Also, undercooked chicken was put in a to-go container for a customer. Among the five other violations, raw chicken wasn’t being thawed safely, and it was in the same water as ready-to-eat imitation crab. Murrieta Chevron, at 39440 Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta, was inspected July 22and received a failing grade of 80/B with two critical violations. Almost 30boxes of food such as hot dogs and taquitos were at unsafe temperatures in a freezer that was 53degrees inside and was impounded. Also, some hot dogs on a roller weren’t hot enough. Among the nine other violations, there were some rodent droppings in a back area that the inspector said was too cluttered to search through thoroughly for other signs of an infestation. The facility was told to contact pest control and clean the area.
Just Bargain, at 1250E. Washington St. in Colton, was inspected July 21in response to complaints that the market was selling expired food and had moths. The market does sell food that’s past its best-by date, but that is permissible (except for infant formula) as long as the product is in good condition. The market received a grade of 90/A with one critical violation. About 400cans for sale had “severe dents or extreme bulging,” a sign that the contents have spoiled. There were also several boxes of food that had been opened and resealed with tape. All of those items were discarded. Among the four other violations, the inspector found several moths in a back area. The market has been the subject of more than twodozen complaints during the past five years. This was its first A grade since 2018.
Updates from past weeks
The Denny’s Restaurant at 28915 Rancho California Road in Temecula, which was closed July 21when a vehicle accident cut off its potable water supply, was permitted to reopen later that day.