16 RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: Winery, Fast Food, Resort

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County's Environmental Health Department inspected, downgraded or shut down 16 restaurants across the county due to immediate health concerns, according to its latest report.

Between Aug. 18 and Sept. 4, health inspectors identified the following restaurants as “health hazards” for restaurant patrons. Primary citations included cockroach and vermin infestations, and a lack of hot water in the bathrooms and kitchen areas, all of which could sicken patrons.

Riverside County's food facility inspectors conduct unannounced visits to restaurants, bakeries, delis, and bars throughout the county, as well as regular visits, often based on tips from customers. They drop in on area snack bars at schools and sporting arenas. Each inspector follows a specific checklist to ensure cleanliness, proper cooling and warming temperatures, and the availability of appropriate hand-washing stations and the correct temperatures, which keep diners healthy.

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 to address 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 16 Riverside County restaurants experienced either minor or major violations, according to the most recent 'Food Facility Closures Report’ issued on Sept. 4:

Anza

1. DQ, or Dairy Queen in Anza, located at 56265 Hwy 37, was shut down on Aug. 15 due to a lack of water supply. That was fixed on Aug. 20, and the restaurant was allowed to reopen with an “A” grade.

Banning

2. The Silent Valley Club RV Resort’s Chuckwagon Restaurant and Lounge, located at 46305 Poppet Flats Road, was voluntarily shut down on Aug. 28 due to a lack of water, according to environmental health inspectors. “The facility, as well as others on the property,” voluntarily closed due to no water supply. Per the staff in charge, the main line blew out, and two out of the four wells have gone dry. Residents/guests were asked to evacuate the park. Portable showers, porta-potties and bottled water were provided to employees staying at the property. The facility remains closed for food-related business, and is in the process of connecting to municipal water,” environmental health inspectors said. Also affected by the failed water supply at the RV Resort were the:

3. The Silent Valley Club/Adult Snack Bar,

4. The Silent Valley Club/Village Market

5. The Silent Valley Youth Center Snack Bar.

Beaumont

6. Pho 92 Restaurant, located at 1661 E Sixth Street, Suite B, was closed on Aug. 13, due to a cockroach infestation. A follow-up inspection showed the restaurant was closed, but had not placed the “B” grade placard in the window. A reinspection of the restaurant was slated for Thursday. No other information was immediately available.

Indio

7. Sonic Drive-In, located at 42350 Jefferson Street in Indio, was briefly closed on Aug. 21 while the business dealt with a failed water heater. That issue was resolved and the restaurant was allowed to reopen the same day.

Lake Elsinore

8. Del Rio Meat Market, located at 16770 Lakeshore Drive, Suite K-O was shut down temporarily between Aug. 20 due to a cockroach infestation. The restaurant addressed those issues and was allowed to reopen with an “A” grade on Aug. 27, according to health inspectors.

9. Taco's Elsinore, located at 16331 Lakeshore Drive, Suite H, closed for three days due to a cockroach infestation, inspectors say. The restaurant was closed to address vermin on Aug. 12, and reopened with an “A” grade on Aug. 15.

Moreno Valley

10. Pupuseria La Sierra, located at 12256 Perris Boulevard, Suite A, was shuttered for two days due to a cockroach infestation on Aug. 20. The restaurant was allowed to reopen on Aug. 22, two days later, with an “A” grade after resolving the vermin issues.

11. Share Tea, located at 27110 Eucalyptus Avenue, Suite E, was closed by environmental health inspectors on Aug. 15 due to an infestation of rodents. It took four days for the restaurant to resolve the issues and reopen with an “A” grade.

Riverside

12. Absolute Dollar, located at 6230 Van Buren Boulevard, closed temporarily due to a rodent infestation between Aug. 27 which was resolved by a reinspection on Aug. 29, when it reopened with an “A” grade.

13. Boba Fiend Tea House, 3375 Iowa Ave, Suite L, was closed on Aug. 8 for operating without a Valid Health Permit, according to inspectors. As of Aug. 22, the restaurant remained closed for business.

Temecula

14. Temecula Korean BBQ, located at 41925 Motor Car Parkway, Suite G, was shuttered temporarily on Sept. 3 due to a rodent infestation, as well as multiple issues with food and sanitization that were remedied while the inspector was on-site. The restaurant was downgraded to a “C” grade and will be reinspected on Sept. 10 to ensure the rodent activity has been halted.

15. Sushi Love Boat Kaisen, located at 33215 Temecula Parkway, Suite E, on Aug. 26, due to a rodent infestation. Inspectors returned on Aug. 28 to see a pest control service had taken place on Aug. 27, and no additional rodent activity was noted. A final recheck by Orkin found no rodents at the restaurant, which was allowed to reopen on Aug. 28 with an “A” grade.

16. Wilson Creek Winery Restaurant, located at 35960 Rancho California Road, was shut down temporarily due to a rodent infestation on Aug. 21, according to inspection reports. Rodent activity was spotted in numerous areas, including near the water heater. On Aug. 22, it was allowed to reopen, after implementing “rigorous pest control services and exclusionary measures to abate all rodent activity within the facility,” inspectors said. The restaurant was allowed to reopen with an “A” grade.