RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: Tom's Jr. Burgers, Mr. You, Shogun

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Four restaurants across Riverside County were temporarily closed by county health inspectors between Aug. 17 and Sept. 1, and two restaurants were permitted to reopen after closures, according to the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health's most recent Food Facility Closures report.

Each month, inspectors follow customer complaints or arrive at food facilities such as restaurants, bakeries, delis, and bars for inspections. Following rigorous checks, restaurants are issued grades ranging from "A" to "C." Many times, restaurant owners repair the issues before inspectors leave the premises. Other times, problems take longer to fix. If you see your favorite eatery on the list, the county health department closed the restaurant until it cleaned up its act. All restaurants must prove that pest control and plumbing issues will not reoccur to remain open.

Here are the restaurants that reopened according to the most recent 'Food Facility Closures' report issued Friday:

According to the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health's Sept. 1 report, a formerly closed restaurant in Cathedral City reopened. El Portal, located at 32235 Date Palm Drive, Suite 101, was downgraded to a "B" grade in mid-August when a routine inspection uncovered a cockroach infestation inside the restaurant. Investigators also found multiple expired food handler cards, among other issues. Due to repeated failed checks within two years, the facility was closed, and a sign must remain in the window until proper pest control is established. Inspectors will need to clear the issue for it to be resolved. That facility reopened on Aug. 22.

In the mountain town of Idyllwild, Idyology, a restaurant at 54904 N. Circle Drive, was closed on Aug. 11. Inspectors arrived to find rodents and ants infesting and contaminating the food preparation areas. Many food-contact surfaces showed "caked-on food debris," inspector Julianne Hinde reported. The ice machine had black residue inside, and the inspector noticed a "large quantity of spoiled/rotten food in storage areas," creating a health hazard. According to the report, the restaurant resolved the issues and was allowed to reopen on Aug. 18.

Here are Riverside County's restaurants that were closed temporarily due to minor and major violations from Friday's 'Food Facility Closures'Report:

Norco's Tom's Jr. Burgers, located at 2775 Hamner Avenue, was closed temporarily on Aug. 23 due to insufficient refrigeration and was closed, according to the inspector's report. A handwashing sink that was removed needed to be reinstalled before the restaurant could reopen. According to the Environmental Health Department, the restaurant reopened one day later with an "A" grade after fixing the issues.

In Palm Desert, Shogun, located at 74225 Highway 111 Suite A, was closed on Wednesday after being unable to supply sufficient hot or cold running water. A complaint led investigators to the restaurant, who discovered a malfunctioning dishwasher, a lack of hot water, and problems with contaminated food. The restaurant reopened one day later on Thursday.

According to investigator reports, Riverside's Peking Chinese Restaurant, located at 11170 Magnolia Avenue, Suite C., closed Aug. 17 after an issue with a noodle maker unit during a routine inspection. The restaurant reopened one day later.

The Perris-based restaurant, Mr. You Express, located at 2560 N. Perris Boulevard, Suite F13, was closed this week after a kitchen fire on Monday. After the kitchen fire, investigators arrived to ensure all food contaminated by fumes from the fire was thrown out. Once a new hood is installed, investigators say that all reusable utensils would need to be washed, rinsed, sanitized, and air-dried before the restaurant is allowed to reopen. The investigators did not have a timeline for the repairs. Until then, investigators posted a "Facility Closed" sign at the front door.

See previous restaurant closures in Riverside County:

• May 4: RivCo Restaurant Health Inspections: Cardenas Market, Starbucks Cited
• May 11: RivCo Restaurant Inspections: Boba Fiend, Del Taco, Jack In The Box
• May 18: RivCo Restaurant Inspections: Wienerschnitzel, 7-Eleven
• May 25: RivCo Restaurant Inspections: Panda Express, Domino's Pizza, Wingstop
• June 1: RivCo Restaurant Inspections: Flies in Food; Street Vendors Shut Down
• June 29: RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: Jamba Juice, Lucky Wok, Pizza Chains
• July 20: RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: Subway, Sbarro, Spa Food
• Aug. 17: RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: McDonald's, Fatburger, Hawaiian BBQ