RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: Applebees, Wingstop, HS Snack Bars

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County's Environmental Health Department has shut down or downgraded seven restaurants since mid-February due to health concerns, according to its latest report.

Since Feb. 15, 2025, health inspectors across the county have noted issues that could seriously sicken restaurantgoers. This month's primary citations included insufficient hot water for hand and dishwashing stations, sewage backups in the bathrooms and kitchen areas, and vermin infestations.

Riverside County's environmental health food facility inspectors drop in on restaurants, bakeries, delis, and bars across the county in regular and unannounced visits. They even check out area snack bars at schools and sporting arenas.

While at work, each inspector follows a specific checklist to ensure cleanliness, proper cooling and warming temperatures, and proper hand-washing stations and temperatures. They also know how to look for signs of vermin, from droppings to cockroach body parts.

Their work helps ensure that the food you order at a restaurant will not make you sick.

After each inspection, each 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. Owners can close their restaurants for a few hours or a day or two while they fix flagged problems before the next inspection. Otherwise, they must place a sub-par grade on their windows. Still, some issues take longer to resolve, leading to a restaurant's “B” or “C” downgrade or a lengthy closure.

The following seven restaurants experienced either minor or major violations, according to the most recent 'Food Facility Closures' Report:

1. Sun City Family Restaurant, located at 26824 Cherry Hills Blvd in Sun City, was closed on March 5 due to a Rodent Infestation. A return inspection revealed that a few rat droppings were still present, though the restaurant was working to end the rodent problem. The restaurant was downgraded to a “B” rating and allowed to reopen. Future inspections were forthcoming, they said.
2. Little Beijing, located at 14465 Moreno Beach Drive, Ste 105, Moreno Valley, temporarily closed on March 3 due to insufficient hot water. The restaurant repaired the water heater and reopened the same day.
3. Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, located at 32400 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City, temporarily closed on March 3 due to a sewage overflow. Plumbers fixed the problem, and the restaurant reopened within 24 hours.
4. Banning High School’s Snack Bar, located at 100 W Westward Ave in Banning, also suffered a downed water heater on Feb. 24. It was closed temporarily to fix the problem, reopening one day later.
5. Wingstop #137, located at 1688 N Perris Blvd Ste D6 in Perris, was closed for one day on Feb. 24 due to Insufficient Hot Water. However, it was allowed to reopen immediately after inspectors had been shown that the problem had been resolved.
6. Banning High School's Gymnasium Snack Bar, located inside the gymnasium at 100 W Westward Avenue in Banning, was closed on Feb. 24 due to insufficient hot water. The fix took three days, until the counter service snack bar was allowed to reopen.
7. Pho Shack Yummy Crabby, located at 43430 Florida Avenue Ste B in Hemet, was closed for about a week on Feb. 19 after inspectors noted a rodent infestation. The restaurant reopened with an “A” grade on Feb. 27 after resolving the vermin problem.

Patch will continue our monthly Riverside County restaurant reports throughout the year. Let us know if you spy something amiss while you're out and about or if there's a restaurant that deserves a rave review!

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