Cockroaches, wastewater: Restaurant closures, inspections in San Bernardino County, Dec. 3-9

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Here are the restaurants and other food facilities that San Bernardino County health inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between Dec. 3 and 9, 2021. If no reopening date is mentioned, the agency had not listed that facility as reopened as of this publication.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, 12951 Hesperia Road Building 1, Victorville

  • Closed: Dec. 8
  • Grade: Not graded (most recent was 91/A in January)
  • Reason: Cockroach infestation. An inspector visited after someone complained they found a roach in a takeout box. The inspector saw one roach crawling up the wall above the table where chicken is prepped, two in a floor sink and several on the floor under shelving. There were also numerous live and dead roaches on sticky traps in several locations. The inspector noted “excessive” grease and food residue on the floors.

Meat department of Vallarta Supermarket, 12351 Mariposa Road, Victorville

  • Closed: Dec. 7
  • Grade: The six departments (market, meat department, bakery, etc.) all received A grades with scores between 91 and 99
  • Reason: Overflowing wastewater. Three floor sinks were not draining.
  • Reopened: Later that day

Non-closure inspections of note

Here are selected inspections at facilities that weren’t closed but had other significant issues.

The Mega Tom’s Burgers at 20781 Bear Valley Road in Apple Valley was inspected Dec. 8 in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a grade of 76/C with two critical violations. Some food was at unsafe temperatures, including raw carne asada (the item involved in the complaint) and cheese in a refrigerated drawer that wasn’t keeping cold and 15 pounds of menudo that wasn’t being cooled down properly. Also, a cook didn’t wash hands. This was the restaurant’s third B or C grade since 2018.

The Yum Yum Donuts at 908 W. Mill St. in San Bernardino was inspected Dec. 8 and received a grade of 80/B with one critical violation. Food was at unsafe temperatures in the sandwich prep cooler, which wasn’t keeping cold. Among the 12 other violations, there was a black mold-like substance in the ice machine, a storage room and the area under the refrigerators were excessively dirty, and the B grade card from the shop’s last inspection had been relocated to the front counter where it was obstructed from view. This was the restaurant’s sixth consecutive B or C grade, and eighth overall in the past five years, records show.

Mandarin Garden, at 26868 Highway 189 in Blue Jay, was inspected Dec. 8 and received a grade of 82/B with one critical violation. Containers of chicken and cooked noodles were at unsafe temperatures. Among the 12 other violations, containers of food were stored uncovered throughout the kitchen, and the inspector noted a heavy buildup of grease, food and other debris on floors, walls, ceilings and equipment throughout the facility. This was the restaurant’s third consecutive B or C grade on a routine inspection, and it was temporarily shut down in 2018 for scoring below 70 and having a rodent infestation.

Five food vendors at Petro Stopping Centers, at 4325 E. Guasti Road in Ontario, were inspected Dec. 8 in response to a complaint about rodent droppings. The inspector found dry droppings at all five: Iron Skillet, Burger King, Popeyes, a deli and a general store. There was also a dead mouse on a trap in the electrical panel room of Iron Skillet, and the general store manager said pest control had recently caught three other mice. The inspector planned to return in a week to make sure there was not still an active infestation.

Brick Shack Pizza, at 1201 N. Grove Ave. in Ontario, was inspected Dec. 7 and received a grade of 86/B with one critical violation. The operator said dishes are washed but not sanitized as required by health code. Among the nine other violations, some pizza toppings were at unsafe temperatures in a reach-in cooler that the inspector noted had been an issue during previous inspections, raw chicken wasn’t being thawed safely and equipment needed cleaning. A follow-up was planned to check on the reach-in cooler.

Golden Pizza, at 1200 E. Highland Ave. Suite G in San Bernardino, was inspected Dec. 6 in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a grade of 84/B with one critical violation. The walk-in refrigerator wasn’t keeping cold; 10 gallons of pizza sauce, 270 pounds of cheese, 10 pounds of bacon and 1 pound of ham had to be discarded. Among the seven other violations, the employee restroom soap dispenser wasn’t functional. This was the restaurant’s third B grade since 2019. The inspector returned the next day and confirmed the fridge was working.

Tasty Donut, at 110 W. G St. in Ontario, was inspected Dec. 6 and received a grade of 85/B with two critical violations. Tamales and boba had been left out at room temperatures. And there were two issues with dirty dishes: A pan with food debris had been put away as if clean, and a mop handle was touching a clean utensil. Among the six other violations, there were three dead roaches near the water heater and back door, and several areas needed cleaning. A follow-up was planned to make sure there wasn’t a roach infestation. This was the restaurant’s third consecutive B grade.

Updates from past weeks

The Arco at 15333 Rancherias Road in Apple Valley, which was closed Dec. 2 because of a cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen Dec. 8.

The Juice It Up at 16155 Sierra Lakes Parkway Unit 130 in Fontana, which was closed Nov. 30 because of a cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen Dec. 2.

The eating area of Trinity Children & Family, at 10776 N. Fremont Ave. in Yucaipa, which was closed Nov. 9 because of a rodent infestation, was permitted to reopen Dec. 2. Because of the services that the facility is required to provide, it had been given temporary authorization while closed to conduct minimal food service, such as microwaving frozen food, slicing sandwiches and serving them with disposable plates and utensils.

Little Beijing, at 967 Kendall Drive Suite E in San Bernardino, which had been closed since Aug. 18 because of a fire, was cleared Dec. 7 by the health department to reopen.

About this list

This list is published online on Fridays. Any updates as restaurants are reopened will be included in next week’s list.

All food facilities in the county are routinely inspected to ensure they meet health codes. A facility loses four points for each critical violation and one to three points for minor violations. An A grade (90 to 100 points) is considered “generally superior,” a B grade (80 to 89) is “generally acceptable” and a C grade (70 to 79) is “generally unacceptable” and requires a follow-up inspection. A facility will be temporarily closed if it scores below 70 or has a critical violation that can’t be corrected immediately.

For more information on inspections of these or any restaurants in San Bernardino County, visit www.sbcounty.gov/dph/ehsportal/FacilityList/food. To file a health complaint, go to www.sbcounty.gov/dph/ehsportal/StaticComplaint or call 800-442-2283.

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