The Riverside Press-Enterprise
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS
Here are the food facilities that inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards from Aug. 5 to Thursday in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. If no reopening date is mentioned, the facility had not been listed as reopened as of Friday.
Restaurant: Arby’s, 670 S. E St., San Bernardino Closed: Wednesday
Grade: Not graded
Reason: Sewage overflow. The inspector visited in response to a complaint that sewage water was backing up in the kitchen and dining room. The manager said the backup had started in the restroom and a plumber had already repaired it. The restaurant was still operating, so the inspector shut it down until the affected areas could be cleaned and sanitized.
Reopened: Later that day
Restaurant: Organic Fusion Teahouse, 20162 Highway 18 Unit I, Apple Valley Closed: Aug. 9
Grade: 82/B
Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector saw about eight live roaches in several areas, including on a shelf above a dishwashing sink. There were two other critical violations: Food was at unsafe temperatures in a cooler that needed repair, and blenders weren’t being sanitized sufficiently. This was the restaurant’s third B grade since 2021.
Reopened: Wednesday. The inspector first came and found that the restaurant had reopened without permission, and shut it down again. It was permitted to reopen several hours later after a reinspection that found no evidence of roaches.
Restaurant: Cotija’s Taco Shop, 281 N. Sanderson Ave., Hemet
Closed: Tuesday Grade: 80/B, failing
Reason: No hot water. The owner said told the inspector he’d been having issues with the water heater for a day or two but stayed open while they tried to fix it. Among the eight other violations, two of which were critical, some food wasn’t being kept hot or cold enough, some utensils had been put away dirty, food wasn’t being protected from contamination and there was a long list of items that needed cleaning or repair.
Reopened: Wednesday
Restaurant: Riverside County health inspectors also conducted an operation in San Jacinto on Aug. 5 and shut down four unpermitted vendors, according to a department spokesperson. In addition to not having permits, none had facilities or equipment to wash hands, wash utensils, keep food hot or cold enough or protect food from contamination. All had food at unsafe temperatures, and inspectors saw numerous flies on the food at one location. The vendors were:
• A taco stand at Ramona Expressway and State Street
• A taco stand at South Sanderson and Cottonwood avenues
• A taco stand at Gilman Springs Road and North Sanderson Avenue
• A taco stand at State Street and Cottonwood Avenue
Nonclosure inspections of note
Here are selected inspections at facilities that weren’t closed but had other significant issues. Three food areas at Diamond Stadium, at 500 Diamond Dr. in Lake Elsinore, were inspected Thursday. The main concession stand received a failing grade of 84/B, the third-base concession stand passed with a 91/A and a pantry passed with a 98/A. The two concession stands didn’t have hot water and had to discontinue operations for 10-15 minutes until hot water was restored, but the health department didn’t count it as a closure. That was a critical violation, and there were three others at the main concession stand. The operator took out the trash and then put on gloves to prepare food without washing hands. A container of cheese and baked potatoes wasn’t being kept hot enough. And some beef hadn’t been reheated sufficiently. Among other violations, the inspector saw numerous rodent droppings inside the fryers, but said a thorough investigation showed no other evidence of rodent activity.
Harry’s Cafe, at 748W. Ramona Expressway in Perris, was inspected Wednesday and received a failing grade of 67/C, with four critical violations. Numerous containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in four refrigerators, one of which was impounded, and on prep tables. Multiple containers of food cooked the day before and put in the walk-in cooler hadn’t cooled down to a safe temperature yet. A dishwasher was impounded for not dispensing enough sanitizer. And an employee didn’t wash hands. Among the 19 other violations, employees didn’t know proper holding temperatures or warewashing methods, food was stored uncovered, a drill was being used as a food utensil, surfaces throughout the facility needed cleaning and the dumpsters weren’t covered. More than 120 pounds of food had to be discarded. This was the cafe’s third failed inspection since July 2021 (and fifth since 2019) so it now faces a permit suspension/ revocation hearing. Hotties Nashville Hot Chicken, at 13865 City Center Drive Unit 3080 in Chino Hills, was inspected Wednesday and received a grade of 81/B, with two critical violations. Multiple packages and cartons of buttermilk, cheese, eggs and fries were at unsafe temperatures and had to be discarded, and the inspector said two refrigerators were not keeping cold. Also, employees were putting on gloves without washing their hands first. Among the eight other violations, there was black buildup in the ice machine, there was brown buildup and a hair on the lemonade rack, and all cooking equipment, refrigerators, the floors and the ceiling needed cleaning. Monark Asian Bistro, at 5225 Canyon Crest Drive, Suite 64, in Riverside, was inspected Wednesday and received a failing grade of 84/B, with two critical violations. Food was at unsafe temperatures in two refrigerators that were not keeping cold. Also, the dishwasher was impounded for not dispensing sanitizer. Among the five other violations, employees weren’t washing hands, vegetables were being prepared on the same table as raw chicken and the inspector said the entire facility needed cleaning.
The Juice It Up at 25970 Iris Ave. Suite 6B in Moreno Valley was inspected Tuesday in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a failing grade of 84/B, with one critical violation. Dishes weren’t being washed properly — the water wasn’t hot and the sanitizer concentration was much too high. Among the nine other violations, there was one live roach in the floor sink below the juice dispensers, ants were crawling on the outside of a soy protein container (but none was inside) and in a few other areas, there were half a dozen fruit flies in the restaurant, food containers were being stored on the floor and many items needed cleaning or repair. This was the restaurant’s second failed inspection in two months so it now faces an administrative hearing.
Mariscos del Pacifico, at 17500 E. Foothill Blvd. Suite A6A in Fontana, received a follow-up visit Tuesday to check whether two refrigerators that weren’t keeping cold during an inspection Aug. 3 (resulting in a grade of 76/C) had been fixed. The manager said they’d been repaired but still weren’t working because of missing parts. Nonetheless, the inspector found food stored in both. One of the units was not keeping cold, and while relocating the food inside, the inspector found two more refrigerators that weren’t working properly.
The Flame Broiler at 1599 Redlands Blvd. in Redlands was not displaying its B grade card as required when an inspector visited Tuesday. This was the second time since the restaurant received an 85/B on June 13 that its grade card was found to have gone missing. The inspector was visiting to verify that the restaurant had eliminated the dead cockroaches seen during the June 13 inspection and a June 8 investigation into a complaint that someone found a dead roach in their food bowl.
This time, the inspector again found several dead roaches, but no adulterated food, and planned another follow-up in a few days. Sumo Sushi, at 1520 N. Mountain Ave. Building D in Ontario, was inspected Monday in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a grade of 78/C, with two critical violations. Seafood was at unsafe temperatures in two refrigerators, and an employee washed hands without soap or paper towels. Among the nine other violations, the restaurant wasn’t keeping track of how long sushi rice had been at room temperature, there was black debris buildup in the ice machine, fryers and prep food shelves were excessively dirty and the walls and floors also needed cleaning. The Cotija’s Taco Shop at 1089 E. Washington St. in Colton was inspected Aug. 4 in response to a complaint about the fish tacos. The inspector didn’t find any problems with the fish, but the restaurant received a grade of 80/B with three critical violations. Employees didn’t wash hands when they should have on three occasions. A few food items were at unsafe temperatures in two refrigerators, including a beverage cooler that was known to be in need of repair. And there was pink slime in the ice machine, contaminating ice. Among the seven other violations, carne asada had been left at room temperature for two hours. This was the restaurant’s fourth B grade since 2019 and it was temporarily shut down in 2021 because of a cockroach infestation. On Wednesday, another inspector visited the restaurant because of a foodborne illness complaint from someone who said they ate items with carne asada and chicken, but the inspector found no food safety violations.
El Paraiso Salvadoreno, at 974 W. Kendall Ave. Suite 7-8 in San Bernardino, was inspected Aug. 4 and received a grade of 80/B, with two critical violations. Multiple containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in the walk-in refrigerator, as were some items that had been left out at room temperature. Also, some cheese in the walk-in fridge was moldy. Among the seven other violations, cooked chicken wasn’t being cooled down fast enough and there was pink mold in the ice machine (not touching ice). An inspector returned Wednesday and found that the walk-in refrigerator was keeping cold. The initial inspection was the restaurant’s third B grade since 2020, and it was temporarily shut down in 2020 and 2019 because of cockroach infestations.
Mimi 5 Bobee, at 9799 Base Line Suite A in Rancho Cucamonga, was inspected Aug. 4 and received a grade of 80/B, with three critical violations. Several containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in the walk-in refrigerator, which wasn’t keeping cold enough, while other items had been left at room temperature on the counter. There were two issues with food contact surfaces not being clean — the dishwasher wasn’t dispensing enough sanitizer and there was black and brown mold in the ice machine. And an employee didn’t wash hands. Among the six other violations, there was a black moldlike substance on the walls and a heavy accumulation of food debris on the shelves in the walk-in fridge.
Updates from past weeks
The food area of Marito Fitness Studio, at 8351 Arlington Ave. in Riverside, which failed an Aug. 4 inspection with a score of 83/B and was closed because of a wastewater backup, was permitted to reopen Monday. It also passed a follow-up inspection with a 97/A.
The 7-Eleven at 41440 Big Bear Blvd. Suite A in Big Bear Lake, which had to stop selling prepared food Aug. 3 because it didn’t have hot water, had its health permit fully reinstated Wednesday after the water heater was replaced.
La Estrella Bakery, at 1734 E. Highland Ave. in San Bernardino, which was closed Aug. 2 because of a sewage backup, was permitted to reopen Tuesday. The Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 12620 Day St. Suite E in Moreno Valley, which was closed Aug. 2 for having an inadequate exhaust system and no valid health permit after a change of ownership, was permitted to reopen Aug. 3.
Reid Park Snack Bar No. 1, at 701 N. Orange St. in Riverside, which was shut down June 16 because of a rodent infestation and failed an inspection with an 85/B, was permitted to reopen Aug. 5, but only to serve prepackaged items, because the inspector said roll-up windows are too large to be approved for open foods. It also passed a follow-up inspection with a 94/A. The inspector found rodent droppings and urine but said a thorough inspection turned up no further evidence.