Sacramento County health inspectors closed a local doughnut shop, a fast food restaurant and three other eateries after discovering hundreds of rodent droppings.
Health inspectors also closed a Sacramento boba shop after spotting cockroaches crawling up a wall.
In addition, local restaurants including a pizzeria and a Chipotle Mexican Grill location received yellow placards for health code violations including slime, dirty soda nozzles and “potentially hazardous foods” at unsafe temperatures.
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail 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, Nov. 6, through Wednesday, Nov. 12, as of Thursday, Nov. 13 afternoon.
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email The Sacramento Bee at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Cockroaches close Sacramento boba tea shop
Aimee Boba Café, 7238 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the Sacramento boba tea shop after finding five German cockroaches — including two live nymphs “crawling up” the wall by and on the small prep table.
Inspectors also spotted roaches below the three-compartment sink and on the ceiling by the two-door upright freezer.
The milk at the one-door upright cooler was at an improper holding temperature.
The water at the three-compartment sink didn’t get hot enough to be considered safe.
Raw eggs were stored above the produce and sauce containers inside the two-door upright cooler in the kitchen.
The facility’s chlorine test strips available on-site did not accurately measure the sanitizer level.
Aimee Boba Café was reinspected on Friday, Nov. 8, and passed with a green placard.
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the boba shop on Thursday, Nov. 13, but managers were not available for comment.
Elk Grove high school kitchen had 150 rodent droppings
Cosumnes Oaks High School Culinary Arts Academy, 8350 Lotz Parkway in Elk Grove, had three violations on Monday, Nov. 10.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the Elk Grove high school kitchen after discovering 150 rodent droppings in 17 locations including on the pizza stone, the bottom shelf in the cook’s line and the lids of the to-go boxes under the salad bar.
The kitchen’s hot water supply measured too cold to be considered safe.
There were multiple areas in need of cleaning and regular maintenance, including on the racks and fan guards in the walk-in refrigerator, the tabletop below the slicers near the salad bar and the preparation tables in the kitchen.
Cosumnes Oaks High School Culinary Arts Academy had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 13
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the school for comment on Thursday, Nov. 13, but employees did not answer the phone.
Mouse droppings, slime at fast food restaurant
Halalz Fast Food & Ice Cream, 906 Second St. in Sacramento, had six violations on Monday, Nov. 10.
Health inspectors closed the Old Sacramento restaurant after discovering approximately 100 mouse droppings in the facility, under the preparation table and inside a bag containing plastic spoons and forks.
The restaurant lacked an employee with food safety manager certification.
Health inspectors found an unlabeled container of food under the prep table in the back storage area.
There was “slime and debris accumulation” in the floor sink beneath the back of the house hand sink, a repeat violation.
There were unapproved chest freezers in the restaurant. This was a third repeat violation.
The facility had no toilet paper in the restrooms. Additionally, both restrooms were in “unsanitary condition” at the time of inspection, the report said.
Halalz Fast Food & Ice Cream was reinspected on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the restaurant for comment on Thursday, Nov. 13, but managers were not available.
Sacramento doughnut shop closed due to rodent droppings
Mad Hatter Doughnuts, 900 Second St. Suite C in Sacramento, had 11 violations on Monday, Nov. 10.
The Sacramento doughnut shop received a red placard after health inspectors found 25 rodent droppings beneath the three-compartment sink, chest freezer and shelving.
The bakery had no handwashing soap at the handwashing station.
A small, unattended bowl of hydrated waffle mix on the prep table measured outside the temperature range considered safe.
Health inspectors observed a staff member skip the required sanitization step after washing a bowl and utensil in the three-compartment sink.
The bakery’s food safety certification was not available for review.
The facility was missing a food handler card for one staff member.
Mad Hatter Doughnuts was reinspected on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and passed with a green placard.
The Bee reached out to the bakery for comment on Thursday, Nov. 13, but employees did not answer the phone.
Elk Grove country club closed for rodent droppings
Valley Hi Country Club, 9595 Franklin Blvd. in Elk Grove, had 10 violations on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Sacramento County health inspectors closed the Elk Grove country club’s kitchen after finding 136 rodent droppings “all throughout the kitchen and bar area,” including under the kitchen sink, below the ice machine and on the bar counters, shelf and drawer.
Lemon cream, shredded chicken and mashed potatoes measured outside of proper holding temperatures.
An employee’s open cup was stored below the service line.
The facility was missing a consumer advisory for food items that may be undercooked.
Health inspectors observed a slow-draining floor drain in the warewashing area and an “overflow of water/wastewater” from the dish machine, the Nov. 12 report said.
Valley Hi Country Club had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 13.
The Bee reached out to the country club for comment on Thursday, but employees did not answer the phone.
Rodent droppings, urine stains at Sacramento convenience store
Quick Shop Market, 2830 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento, had seven violations on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
The Sacramento convenience store was closed after health inspectors found 139 rodent droppings throughout the facility including behind a Raisin Bran cereal box, under the candy display and near the water heater.
Additionally, health inspectors found one “gnawed-open bag of flour” and urine stains behind the merchandiser shelves, the Nov. 12 report said.
Inspectors found broken vacuum-seal packaging for hot dogs in the walk-in cooler.
The ice machine chute had an accumulation of “brown slime,” according to the report. This was a repeat violation.
Additionally, there was white scale buildup on the interior walls of the ice machine.
There was a gap at the side of the walk-in cooler’s door opening.
The propane tanks by the ice machine were loose, a repeat violation.
The bathroom door was propped open, another repeat violation.
Health inspectors spotted holes in the walls behind the water heater.
Quick Shop Market had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 13.
The Bee reached out to the convenience store for comment on Thursday, but employees did not answer the phone.
Too-warm chicken, unlabeled food at local pizzeria
Bollywood Pizza, 6601 Folsom Blvd, Suite 100, in Sacramento, had eight violations on Friday, Nov. 7.
Health inspectors cited the Sacramento pizzeria after paneer cheese, cut tomatoes and chicken toppings measured too warm to be considered safe.
There was “old food debris” on the onion slicer, tin blade cutter and mushroom cutter machine, according to the Nov. 7 report.
Inspectors also spotted old food debris on the walk-in cooler door handle and the floor of the dough walk-in cooler.
Dust and grease had accumulated on the hood filters.
Two containers of ingredients on a dry storage shelf didn’t have labels.
No toilet paper was available during the inspection, and two toilet paper holders needed to be repaired.
The restaurant did not have a California food safety certificate or California food handler cards available for review.
Bollywood Pizza passed reinspection on Wednesday, Nov. 12, and received a green placard.
Fair Oaks restaurant had ‘numerous’ rodent droppings
Smokey Oaks Tavern, 9634 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Fair Oaks, had 15 violations on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Sacramento County health inspectors gave the Fair Oaks restaurant a yellow placard after discovering “numerous rodent droppings” inside the bar and around the water heater.
Inspectors “strongly” recommended that Smokey Oaks Tavern hire a professional pest control service, according to the Nov. 6 report.
Several “potentially hazardous foods” measured outside of proper holding temperatures, including grilled onions and cooked beef, the report said.
The restaurant was inadequately reheating foods inside the steam table, including black beans, tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.
The interior of the ice machine had “excessive slime,” inspectors said, and there were heavily stained, hard-to-clean cutting boards on the counter.
Fan guards inside the walk-in cooler were heavily covered with mold, a repeat violation.
The floor sink under the handwashing sink at the food preparation line was clogged and filled with wastewater.
Inspectors described that handwashing station as “unusable” due to a lack of soap, a non-functioning hot water faucet and other factors. This was a repeat violation.
There was no toilet paper in the employees’ restroom, another repeat violation.
The restaurant didn’t have an employee with a food safety certificate, and California food handler cards were not available for review at the time of the inspection. These were both repeat violations.
The restaurant also didn’t have a health permit available.
Smokey Oaks Tavern was reinspected on Friday, Nov. 7, and passed with a green placard.
Sacramento Chipotle Mexican Grill cited for unsafe meat
Chipotle Mexican Grill, 5040 Auburn Blvd. in Sacramento, had nine violations on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Sacramento County health inspectors cited the fast food chain after a pan of carne asada, steak and rice measured at improper holding temperatures.
Carne asada measured “in the thickest part” was also outside the temperature range considered safe, the Nov. 12 report said.
There was “black residue buildup” inside several soda nozzles at the self-service beverage dispenser, according to the report.
The hot water at the three-compartment sink was measured too cool to be considered safe.
The restaurant failed to approach a customer who was carrying a dog in her hands.
The one-door upright warmer had one broken wheel or leg and was tilted down.
The facility had installed two rice cookers and a grill without proper approval.
Chipotle Mexican Grill had yet to be reinspected as of Thursday, Nov. 13.
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