Mold, grease and ‘potentially hazardous’ food: See Sacramento County restaurant inspections

Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

Sacramento County health inspectors cited two local restaurants for code violations ranging from improperly stored meat to grease, grime and “mold-like growth” in an ice machine.

A yellow placard signals two or more major violations, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide. These are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection.

A red placard signals “imminent danger to public health and safety” and suspends the health permit until violations are corrected. This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.

In contrast, a green placard means a restaurant passed the inspection.

The county conducts roughly 14,000 inspections a year, and 97% of all restaurants pass their inspections, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee. About 1% of inspections result in a closure.

Here are the Sacramento County food facility inspections for July 18 through Wednesday, as of noon Thursday:

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Sacramento Bee reporter Brianna Taylor at btaylor@sacbee.com. The Bee will publish weekly updates on health inspections across Sacramento County.

Local Sacramento restaurants cited for health violations

The following Sacramento County restaurants had violations the week of July 18 through July 24, resulting in a conditional pass.

Only the dates of violations are listed. Most restaurants fully pass reinspection within 72 hours. The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, you can search the EMD website here.

DQ Hawaiian BBQ & Chicken, 3101 Marysville Blvd., in Sacramento, had 20 violations on July 18.

Sacramento County health inspectors found “black-colored residue” inside the ice machine and “excess grease accumulation” on the floors and the fryer on July 18.

Inspectors found a dirty drain pipe under the front register coated with old debris and unchained carbon dioxide cylinders in the hallway near the walk-in freezer.

Pork and tomatoes were stored outside of proper holding temperatures at the eatery, the report said, and raw meat was improperly stored above breaded shrimp in the walk-in freezer.

Bags of sugar and corn flour were not protected from contamination at the time of the inspection.

Boxes of cups, lids and to-go containers were stored on the floor near the front counter, the report stated, and the restroom door was not up to code.

Inspectors found a cup being used as a scooper for bulk rice and a grocery bag filled with condiments at the ice cream station.

The hot water at the eatery’s front counter hand washing sink was measured roughly 18 degrees below the acceptable threshold and there was no working paper towel dispenser.

The restaurant’s sanitizing bucket was filled with “murky solution” and spray bottles without labels were found stored above the mop sink.

A broken, unused fryer was being stored outside and there were possible entry points for vermin along the unused pickup window.

A total of three food handlers’ cards were missing and the eatery did not have a copy of its health permit.

Meanwhile, the probe thermometer was missing and there was a piece of raw wood in the rear of the walk-in refrigerator at the time of inspection.

The restaurant was reinspected on July 19 and received a green placard.

Yummy Teriyaki, 9110 Kiefer Blvd., in Sacramento, had 10 violations on Tuesday.

Sacramento County health inspectors found cooked pork, beef, chicken and egg rolls that were “potentially hazardous” on Tuesday.

They discovered “mold-like growth” inside the restaurant’s ice machine and old food debris caked on utensils near the back door.

The eatery, which doubles as Teriyaki Chicken Express, had containers of cooked rice and shrimp improperly cooling inside the walk-in refrigerator.

Meanwhile, an employee’s drink container was inside the restaurant’s ice machine. There was no sign of contamination at the time of inspection, the report said.

The floor and walls were cluttered with old food debris, residue and grease accumulation.

A household freezer was being used to store items such as raw meats. That was a repeat violation, the report stated.

At the start of the inspection, the hand sink in the employee restroom was out of paper towels and an ice scoop handle was touching ice.

Finally, the restaurant did not have a proper drainage system for its walk-in refrigerator.

As of noon Thursday, the restaurant had not been reinspected.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.