Failing on probation, no hot water: Restaurant closures, inspections in Riverside County, Oct. 29-Nov. 4

Here are the restaurants and other food facilities that Riverside County Department of Environmental Health inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4, 2021. If no reopening date is mentioned, the department had not listed that facility as reopened as of this publication.

The Bobber, food truck based at 32040 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore

• Closed: Nov. 4
• Grade: Not graded
• Reason: No hot water

Santorini Gyro, 190 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

• Closed: Nov. 2
• Grade: 80/B, failing
• Reason: Failing an inspection while on probation. The restaurant had one critical violation, for food being at unsafe temperatures in a freezer (where some items were spoiled and in bulging packages) and a flip-top refrigerator. Both units were impounded for not working. Among the 12 lesser violations, the restaurant had an operational freezer, refrigerator and ice machine in an alley outside, along with a dirty meat shaver, an unused oven and other equipment and several boxes of disposable containers and dispensers. Also, even though the restaurant had been ordered multiple times not to cook any grease-laden food or use equipment that would require the use of a ventilation hood because it didn’t have an approved grease interceptor or hood, the inspector saw evidence that such cooking was still happening. This was the restaurant’s first inspection since being placed on probation in September; it failed three other inspections this year. To reopen, it would have to correct all violations and purchase a new permit.

Non-closure inspections of note

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

Las Islas Marias, at 5504 Etiwanda Ave. in Jurupa Valley, was inspected Nov. 4 and received a failing grade of 85/B. Among the 11 violations, none of which was marked as critical, some raw beef, raw chicken, raw shrimp and chicken nuggets were at unsafe temperatures in a refrigerator that was impounded for not keeping cold, a dishwasher was impounded for not dispensing sanitizer, metal countertops throughout the kitchen were described as very rusty and in need of repair or replacement, and the facility was in need of cleaning. This was the restaurant’s second failed inspection in less than two years, so it now faces an administrative hearing.

Yvette’s Bakery, at 6729 Indiana Ave. in Riverside, was inspected Nov. 3 and received a failing grade of 73/C with two critical violations. Some milk, eggs, tamales and tamale ingredients were at unsafe temperatures, and an employee didn’t properly wash a mixer attachment. Among the 13 other violations, there were rodent droppings in the employee restroom and on prepackaged food shelving in the customer area, a few flies were inside, food-storage equipment was being kept in the employee restroom, an employee didn’t wash hands properly, no one was keeping track of how long cheese pastries were left at room temperature, clean utensils were stored in dirty containers, there were two opened gallons of “lumpy,” month-old milk in the cooler, the person in charge said the bakery doesn’t sanitize dishes that are washed by hand, and equipment throughout the facility was dirty. The bakery was told to stop using unapproved rodent snap traps and get pest-control service within 24 hours.

Jose’s Mexican Food, at 487 Magnolia Ave. Suite 103 in Corona, was inspected Nov. 3 in response to a complaint about lack of handwashing. It received a failing grade of 80/B with two critical violations. The inspector saw only one employee correctly washing hands; numerous others were changing gloves but not washing, and one didn’t wash or change gloves after cleaning the grill. Also, there were numerous issues related to food-contact surfaces being dirty, including heavy mold growth in the ice machine and dirty utensils that were put away as if clean (a repeat violation that prompted a recommendation to retrain the dishwasher). Among the nine other violations, the customer salsa bar was impounded for not keeping salsa cold enough, some other food was at unsafe temperatures, three sinks didn’t have hot water and there were some severely dented cans in storage.

Ding Tea, at 1550 W. 6th St. Suite 102 in Corona, was inspected Nov. 1 and received a failing grade of 80/B with one critical violation. Several employees weren’t washing hands properly or at all. Among the 11 other violations — and seven additional issues that no points were deducted for — food was at unsafe temperatures in a prep cooler that was impounded (a repeat violation; the restaurant was told to fix the unit back in February); there were two dead cockroaches; there was mold in the ice machine; employees said no one checks temperatures when cooking, cooling or holding food; employees also said they don’t use sanitizer when washing dishes and didn’t know how much sanitizer to use when wiping down surfaces; and the restaurant was using an unapproved syrup dispenser that couldn’t be broken down and cleaned properly.

Updates from past weeks

The restaurant at Desert Hot Springs Spa, at 10805 Palm Dr. in Desert Hot Springs, which was closed Oct. 19 because of a rodent infestation and for failing an inspection while on probation, remains closed. An inspector visited Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 at the request of the restaurant operator, who thought all violations had been resolved, according to a health department spokesperson. While the restaurant got A grades on both visits, there is still a rodent infestation — and now there’s also a cockroach infestation, the spokesperson said. On Nov. 4, the inspector saw rodent droppings on food container lids throughout a storage area and five nymph roaches on the floor at the cook line.

Campus Liquor, at 3375 Iowa Ave. Suite A in Riverside, which failed an Oct. 27 inspection with a grade of 85/B and was told to stop selling prepared food and beverages because the hot water was out, had its permit fully restored Nov. 4. It also passed a follow-up inspection with a 98/A.

Lucky Wok Chinese Food, at 9165 Jurupa Road in Jurupa Valley, which failed an Oct. 13 inspection with a grade of 80/B and was closed because of a cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen Nov. 3. It also passed a follow-up inspection with a 100/A.

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 may have to close if the violation can’t be corrected immediately — and one or two points for minor violations. An A grade (90 to 100 points) is passing. Grades of B (80 to 89 points) and C (79 or below) are failing and typically require the proprietor to make improvements and be re-inspected.

For more information on inspections of these or any restaurants in Riverside County, visit restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org. To submit a health complaint about a restaurant, go to www.rivcoeh.org/Complaint or call 888-722-4234 during business hours or 951-782-2968 after-hours.