15 Riverside County's restaurant owners closed temporarily to resolve potentially health-threatening problems, including cockroaches.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA—Riverside County's Health Department investigated restaurants, shutting down a handful since mid-September due to health concerns, according to its latest report.
Over the past 30 days, health inspectors across the county noted 15 restaurants with issues that could make restaurant goers ill. Among the main citations were insufficient hot water for hand and dishwashing, failed return inspections and eight separate cockroach infestations.
Riverside County's food facility inspectors drop in on restaurants, bakeries, delis, and bars across the county in regular and unannounced visits. They follow a checklist to identify cleanliness, proper cooling and warming temperatures, proper hand washing stations, signs of vermin, and more, all to ensure the food you order will not make you sick.
Each inspected restaurant is issued a grade ranging from "A" to "C." For anything under an "A" grade, restaurant owners can attempt to repair the issues before inspectors leave the premises. Restaurants can close for a day or two before the next inspection. Still, some problems take longer, leading to a downgrade and lengthy closure.
The following restaurants experienced either minor or major violations, according to the Oct. 17 'Food Facility Closures' Report:
The restaurants below were temporarily closed or downgraded to "B" or "C" grades and closed between Sept. 10 and Oct. 17 due to issues related to running safe and sanitary kitchens.
Lasselle Sports Park in Moreno Valley, located at 17155 Lasselle Street, was temporarily closed on Oct. 15 due to insufficient sanitizer or dishwashing supplies. Health inspectors downgraded the eatery to a “B” until the next inspection.
Temecula's Panda Express #511, located at 40820 Winchester Road, #Fc5, was briefly closed on Oct. 15 following insufficient hot water. The restaurant briefly closed to resolve the plumbing issue and reopened the same day, inspectors say.
Pho Ha, of Moreno Valley, located at 248553 Allesandro Boulevard, Suite 3, was closed for just under a week after experiencing a cockroach infestation on Oct. 9, according to the health report. The restaurant reopened on Oct. 15 and experienced no further issues.
Industrial Catering in Jurupa Valley, located at 3815 Wabash Drive, suffered a plumbing problem that lasted about five days, according to health inspectors. Insufficient hot water led to the facility's closure on Oct. 3, and it reopened on Oct. 8, they say.
Mirchi Restaurant of Riverside, located at 1385 W. Blaine Street, #4, was closed due to a cockroach infestation. The closure was implemented on Oct. 5, and the restaurant remains closed as of the latest health inspection report.
Donahoo's Golden Chicken of Jurupa Valley, located at 5749 Mission Boulevard, was temporarily closed for three days due to cockroaches. According to health inspectors, the infestation was noted on Sept. 23 and resolved by restaurant owners on Sept. 26, when the restaurant reopened.
Santorini Greek Cafe in Cathedral City, located at 67782 E. Palm Canyon Drive, #8100, failed its probationary inspection on Sept. 19 after a previous closure. Inspectors say the restaurant reopened on October 8 after passing inspections.
Perris Buffet, in Perris, located at 1675 N. Perris Boulevard, Suite A6 #8, was closed for about a week after a cockroach infestation. The health inspectors said the closure lasted from Sept. 19 through Sept. 27, when it passed inspection.
Catering by Westwood, Inc. of Cathedral City, located at 67783 E. Palm Canyon Drive, #8100, was closed for a day due to insufficient hot water. The owners resolved that issue, and the business reopened on Sept. 19.
Popeyes in Norco, located at 1325 Hamner Avenue, was closed for one day from Sept. 12 to 13 after inspectors noted a cockroach infestation. That issue was resolved, and the business reopened with no further issues as of the latest inspection report.
Desert Hot Springs Spa, at 10805 Palm Drive, was shut down for about ten days on Sept. 12, according to the health inspectors. A cockroach infestation was battled, and the property owners reopened the facility on Sept. 26, the report states.
Hometown Bakery in Corona, located at 611 E. Grand Boulevard, Suite A, was closed for nearly two weeks following a cockroach infestation. The restaurant shuttered from Sept. 10 to 23 while dealing with the issue. No further problems have been noted in the inspector reports.
Tiffany's Sweet Spot, Inc. of La Quinta, located at 78520 Highway 111, Was temporarily shut down for one day on Sept. 9th due to insufficient hot water. The restaurant reopened with no additional issues.
Denny's of Riverside, located at 2925 Van Buren Blvd, was closed for four days on Sept. 6 due to unapproved construction and remodeling. The inspectors say the restaurant reopened on Sept. 10 with no further citations.
Sam’s Family Spa of Desert Hot Springs, Located at 70875 Dillon Rd, was temporarily closed on Sept. 5 by health inspectors due to a rodent infestation. According to health inspectors, the rodent infestation was resolved by Sept. 18, and the restaurant was allowed to reopen.
Punjab Palace of Norco, located at 2085 River Rd, Suite A, was closed for a few weeks between Aug. 28 and Sept.18 due to a cockroach infestation. After resolving the issue, that restaurant reopened for business, and no further incidents were reported as of this health inspection food facility closure report.
See previous restaurant closures in Riverside County: