Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local Denny’s and two Mexican restaurants after discovering mold, a sewage spill and other food safety violations.
In addition, the kitchen of a nursing home was temporarily closed due to health issues including more than 130 rodent droppings.
In addition, inspectors cited a total of seven food-serving facilities for issues ranging from cockroaches to too-warm meat and “heavy grease accumulation.”
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. The Bee publishes weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.
There were the results of Sacramento County food facility inspections for Thursday, Oct. 16, through Wednesday, Oct. 22, as of Thursday, Oct. 23.
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Dozens of rodent droppings at Elk Grove nursing home
Windsor Elk Grove Care & Rehab, 9461 Batey Ave. in Elk Grove, had five violations on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down the skilled nursing home’s kitchen in Elk Grove after discovering approximately 137 rodent droppings throughout the facility including the floor of the storage room, below the stove in the cook’s line and inside the walk-in refrigerator.
There were approximately 80 fly pupae on the floor in the back storage room.
Shredded cheese inside the walk-in cooler measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
The speed rack, fan guard and floor inside the walk-in refrigerator had mold, dust and “old food residue,” according to the Oct. 22 report.
There was insufficient lighting in the walk-in refrigerator, and its ambient temperature measured too warm to be considered safe.
Windsor Elk Grove Care & Rehab was reinspected on Thursday, Oct. 23, and passed with a green placard.
As of Thursday, Oct. 23, nursing home representatives were not available for comment.
Denny’s shut down due to sewage spill
Denny’s Restaurant, 7900 College Town Drive in Sacramento, had one violation on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Denny’s was closed after Sacramento County health inspectors found a sewage spill from the cleanout drain and grease interceptor “flowing toward the storm drain,” the Oct. 22 report said.
Denny’s was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to Denny’s for comment on Thursday, Oct. 23, but the diner didn’t have a manager on site.
Jimboy’s Tacos lacked hot water in multiple sinks
Jimboy’s Tacos, 5442 Hazel Ave., Suite 500, in Fair Oaks, was shut down and had seven violations on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Sacramento County health inspectors shut down the Sacramento-area Jimboy’s Tacos location due to a lack of hot water in both restroom hand sinks, a food preparation sink and a three-compartment warewashing sink.
The restaurant did not have a food safety certificate or California food handler cards available at the time of inspection. These were repeat violations.
There were containers without labels throughout the restaurant.
Inspectors found unapproved scoops without handles in the bulk beans, and a cutting board stored behind the faucet of the prep sink.
There was excessive clutter and unused equipment in the back room.
Jimboy’s Tacos was reinspected on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to Jimboy’s Tacos for comment on Thursday, Oct. 23, but the restaurant didn’t have a manager on site.
Mexican restaurant shut down for lack of hot water
El Tito Kitchen, 2330 Arden Way in Sacramento, had 14 violations on Monday, Oct. 20.
Health inspectors closed the Sacramento Mexican restaurant due to a lack of hot water supply in the kitchen hand sink, food prep sink and the three-compartment ware washing sink.
Employees lacked food safety knowledge in sanitizer use, test strips usage, proper thawing methods and foods that qualify as potentially hazardous foods. This was a repeat violation.
Flour was being reused for breading raw proteins. The restaurant’s operator told inspectors that the flour was changed out every one to two days without any sifting.
The restaurant had no consumer advisory listed on the menu for undercooked food items.
Health inspectors saw raw scallops thawing at room temperature in the prep sink in stagnant water without being actively handled, another repeat violation.
The facility lacked “quat ammonia” test strips, and there were no sanitizer buckets prepared.
El Tito Kitchen passed reinspection on Monday, Oct 20, with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to El Tito Kitchen for comment on Thursday, Oct. 23, but the restaurant didn’t have a manager on site.
Lodge cited for improperly stored food
Yager Lodge, 727 Traders Lane in Folsom, had five violations on Friday, Oct. 17.
Health inspections gave the restaurant a yellow placard after failing to find soap at the hand sink in the bar area.
Employees’ beverages were on a cutting board and on a prep table.
The facility didn’t have a consumer advisory for undercooked animal products being served to diners.
Whole cuts of beef cubes were stored in the service refrigerator without a cover, adjacent to the milk container and a container of hard cooked eggs.
Yager Lodge was reinspected on Monday, Sept. 20, and passed with a green placard.
Adalberto’s Mexican Food, 3101 Marysville Blvd. in Sacramento, had six violations on Friday, Oct. 17.
The Mexican restaurant received a yellow placard after carnitas measured outside of the temperature range considered safe, a repeat violation.
The restaurant was missing a consumer advisory statement for serving undercooked food. This was a repeat violation.
Raw shrimp and fish containers were stored above ham and cheese in the prep cooler, another repeat violation.
The facility had incomplete or missing food handler cards.
Unlabeled chemical bottles were hung on the shelf by the employee restaurant. This was a repeat violation.
The salsa station had inadequate sneezeguard protection, a repeat violation.
Adalberto’s Mexican Food was reinspected on Monday, Oct. 20, and received an additional yellow placard after food measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
The restaurant was reinspected again on Monday and received a green placard.
Journey to the Dumpling, 1700 21st St. in Sacramento, had 12 violations on Monday, Oct. 20.
Health inspectors gave the restaurant a yellow placard after raw chicken and cooked beef measured outside of the temperature range considered safe.
Raw chicken was nesting on top of raw shrimp under the drain board of the prep sink, and cooked beef was improperly cooling in a deep pan inside the reach-in cooler.
The restaurant’s California food manager certificate had expired.
Health inspectors found a “mold-like growth” inside the nozzles of the soda machine, the Oct. 20 report said.
Raw protein was stored over ready-to-eat produce in the reach-in cooler.
Journey to the Dumpling was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and passed with a green placard.
Taichi Bubble Tea, 5801 Folsom Blvd., Suite 110, in Sacramento, had six violations on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Health inspectors cited the Sacramento tea shop due to a lack of paper towels available at the handwashing sink in the main prep station.
Inspectors discovered approximately 10 dead cockroaches on the floor behind the freezer and one live cockroach in the food preparation area behind the two-door stand-up freezer.
California food handler cards were not available at the time of the inspection.
Poke tuna and shrimp were outside of proper holding temperatures.
Health inspectors found an unapproved freezer in the facility.
A fabric curtain separating the front and back of the kitchen was unclean.
Additionally, there was “heavy grease accumulation” inside the microwave and “green residue” on the faucets of the three compartment sink and on the floor, according to the Oct. 21 report.
Taichi Bubble Tea had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 23.
Wabune Sushi Japanese Restaurant, 4040 Sunrise Blvd., Suite 140, in Rancho Cordova, had 15 violations on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
Sacramento County health inspectors gave the Japanese restaurant a yellow placard after discovering a lack of handwashing soap in the employee restaurant.
A sushi-handling employee lacked knowledge of handwashing requirements and glove usage. Inspectors also saw an employee enter the sushi preparation area from the dining space and attempt to handle food without washing their hands.
A water bottle with unapproved screw-top lid was stored in the upright cooler behind the cash register.
An employee entered the sushi preparation area from the dining space and attempted to handle food without washing hands.
An employee attempted to wash the single-use glove he was donning to commence food preparation.
Grill chicken in a pan with a lid measured outside of proper holding temperature.
Inspectors found “black accumulation” inside the bulk ice machine, the Oct. 21 report said.
The facility was unable to provide shellfish certification tags or labels for the previous 90-day period.
Wabune Sushi Japanese Restaurant was reinspected on Wednesday, Oct. 22, and passed with a green placard.
The Mix Up Mediterranean Table, 415 ½ C St. in Galt, had 10 violations on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
The Mediterranean restaurant received a yellow placard due to a lack of paper towels at the handwashing station.
Cooked chicken kabob and cooked eggplants measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
The restaurant had missing or expired food handler cards for multiple employees.
The Mix Up Mediterranean Table was also missing a consumer advisory for undercooked food items on the menu.
There were multiple personal food items from home on the cook’s line.
The Mix Up Mediterranean Table had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 23.
Banh Mi Mi Sandwiches & Smoothies, 2302 Arden Way in Sacramento, had 22 violations on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
The Vietnamese restaurant received a yellow placard after health inspectors found several foods at improper holding temperatures including ham, tofu and blanched pork belly.
One container of cooked beef pho and seven containers of fresh shrimp rolls lacked labels with dates.
One plastic container of cooked beef was being cooled improperly.
Health inspectors observed an employee using the prep sink to wash and rinse ware for preparation of a drink.
Several employees lacked food safety knowledge in proper sanitization, holding temperatures and time as a public health control. This was a repeat violation by the restaurant.
The restaurant had an expired food handler card.
Several employees had drinks around the facility on the prep areas and next to the meat slicer.
There was “organic mold-like buildup” in the ice machine, the Oct. 22 report said.
A box of raw beef was sitting on the left drain board of the three-compartment sink while sitting directly on dirty dishes.
Health inspectors found two bags of carrots on the floor in the back of the facility.
Banh Mi Mi Sandwiches & Smoothies had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Oct. 23.
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