3 Coachella Valley restaurants score ‘B,’ ‘C’ grades

Festivalgoers have a number of Coachella Valley restaurants to choose from before they head over to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend. Several passed their health inspections, while three scored “B” or “C” grades, according to reports conducted April 5 through 10.

El Revolucionario Mexican Food in Cathedral City earned a “C” grade, while Little Caesars Pizza in Palm Desert and Sol Agave in Palm Springs both earned “B” grades. Some of the major violations all three were cited for include improper hot and cold food holding temperatures and sanitation levels.

All of these restaurants will have an opportunity to raise their scores when they are revisited by Riverside County Department of Environmental Health inspectors.

Major violations pose an imminent risk to public health and warrant the immediate closure of a food facility or immediate correction, while minor violations do not pose an imminent public health risk, but do warrant correction.

3 major violations, 26 points deducted

El Revolucionario Mexican Food, 35-915 Date Palm Drive, Suite C1, Cathedral City

Major violation: Improper hot and cold food holding temperatures (large containers of cooked dried chilies and marinade measuring 76 degrees stored at room temperature; three containers of chicken and beef taquitos, two containers of tacos, one package of raw bacon, five containers of whole milk and two containers of almond milk measuring between 44-48 degrees inside cooler) | Potentially hazardous food shall be held at or below 41/45 degrees or at or above 135 degrees

Major violation: Issues with reheating for hot holding (observed a container of posole stored at hot holding unit with broth measuring 150 degrees and chicken measuring between 110-113 degrees) | Employee said food was reheated on stove prior to being placed at hot holding unit about 30 minutes before inspection and was instructed to properly reheat food to 165 degrees

Major violation: Improper chlorine level at three-compartment sink, and wash water measuring 90 degrees | Wash water shall be maintained at a minimum of 100 degrees

Minor violations include: Empty paper towel dispenser inside women's restroom and paper towels stored on toilet tank; employee said he cooked meat to 125 degrees on vertical broiler; issues with food separation and possible contamination (an uncovered container of sugar stored on shelving below food preparation table; uncovered containers of salsa and chiles stored below other food items inside cooler; an uncovered case of whole fish inside freezer; raw pork stored inside a grocery bag inside freezer; containers of raw shrimp stored above containers of salsa inside cooler; cans of salsa stored on the ground near and below storage shelving next to cooler); utensils and equipment in need of repair, cleaning and proper storage; missing thermometer inside cooler; unclean wiping cloth stored on food preparation table; personal items stored improperly; accumulation of food debris on floors and walls below equipment at cook line; two missing food handler cards

“C” card posted and a reinspection has been set for April 11

2 major violations, 20 points deducted

Sol Agave, 262 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 100, Palm Springs

Major violation: Improper hot and cold food holding temperatures (premade tacos, portioned pork belly and portioned calamari measuring 43-44 degrees for greater than four hours; multiple food items at the steam table measuring 78-108 degrees for approximately two hours; chipotle mayo, salsas, sour cream and lime juice in squeeze bottles in ice baths measuring 50-59 degrees for approximately two hours) | Certain items were voluntarily discarded, reheated or moved to refrigerator

Major violation: Lack of chlorine in sanitizer, test strips missing for sanitizer at the bar and food contact surfaces and utensils need cleaning | All food contact surfaces of utensils and equipment shall be properly cleaned and sanitized

Minor violations include: Food manager certificate not available on-site and multiple food handler cards expired and not issued by Riverside County; paper towels missing from the hand wash sink, soap at the bar hand wash sink non-functioning and dishes stored inside the hand wash sink; observed two dead cockroaches in the floor sink at secondary bar and in the cabinet, flies inside the kitchen and at both bars, doors to the kitchen to be propped open while the sliding front doors were open and air curtain of the rear delivery door non-functioning; issues with food separation and possible contamination (raw el pastor meat on a shelf above Cajun butter and onions; raw calamari above tacos in the drawer refrigerator; raw chicken and eggs on a shelf above raw beef in the walk-in refrigerator; bar gun line stored in contact with ice; scoop stored directly on the grates of the soda machine; handle portion of scoop in contact with food at the dry food bins; cups as scoops inside containers of rice and beans); utensils and equipment in need of proper installation and cleaning; plumbing in need of repair; personal items stored around work area; floors in need of cleaning

“B” card posted. Due to a second downgrade within a two-year period, this facility is required to attend an administrative hearing prior to a scored reinspection

0 major violations, 18 points deducted

Little Caesars Pizza, 73-910 Highway 111, Suite K, Palm Desert

Minor violations include: Food manager's certificate missing onsite; employee washed hands in wrong sink; one hand wash sink with wiping cloth and sponge inside the basin, and another hand wash sink blocked with a sanitizer spray and white plastic container; employee to washed and rinsed whisk, but did not sanitize it; back delivery door has gaps; food container unlabeled and stored on the floor; utensils and equipment in need of repair and cleaning; light bulb out in the hood system; restroom did not have any paper towels stocked inside the the dispenser; personal items stored around work area; reseal the hand wash sink adjacent to the three-compartment sink; walls in need of cleaning; food handler card missing

“B” card posted and a reinspection date has been set for April 16

Grade A restaurants

An “A” grade, or a score of 90 to 100 points, means a restaurant passed an inspection and met minimum health standards.

Cathedral City

Casa Blanca Restaurant, 34-272 Date Palm Drive

Jack in the Box, 68-020 Vista Chino La Michoacana, 27-765 Landau Blvd., Suite 106

Bart Lounge, 67-555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite F124

Edoko Sushi, 69-195 Ramon Road, Suite C5

Swiss Donut, 69-115 Ramon Road Upper Crust Pizza, 67-555 E. Palm Canyon Road

La Quinta

Plunge Bar at La Quinta Resort, 49499 Eisenhower Drive

Palm Desert

Shadow Mountain Golf Club, 73800 Ironwood St.

Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, 45-750 San Luis Rey Ave.

Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill, 72-840 Highway 111, Suite V465 (passed reinspection)

Palm Springs

Cartel Coffee Lab, 1551 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite C

Palm Springs Fan Club, 1541 N. Palm Canyon Drive

The Pool at Arrive, 1551 N. Palm Canyon Drive

Ernest Coffee, 1101 N. Palm Canyon Drive

Happy Sushi, 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite B7 (passed reinspection)

Tailor Shop, 140 W. Via Lola, Suite A

Note: No restaurant inspections were reported for the week of April 5 through 11 in Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio and Rancho Mirage.

This weekly report was compiled using restaurant grading reports from the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, accessible at restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org/Default.aspx

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.