Cockroaches, water issues: Restaurant closures, inspections in San Bernardino County, June 10-30

Here are the restaurants and other food facilities that San Bernardino County health inspectors temporarily shut down because of imminent health hazards between June 10 and June 30, 2022, and one earlier closure that wasn’t previously reported. If no reopening date is mentioned, the agency had not listed that facility as reopened as of this publication.

Panda Chinese Restaurant, 56091 Twentynine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley

• Closed: June 30
• Grade: 69/C
• Reason: Cockroach infestation, scoring below 70. The inspector found live roaches on the floor below the dishwasher drainboard, by a cooler and in the janitorial sink, and dead roaches on the front service area countertop, in a cabinet and on the floor. Among the 15 other violations, three of which were critical: Four containers of cooked chicken had been left out for hours on the dishwasher drainboard, more cooked chicken was at unsafe temperatures in a fryer basket and a beverage cooler, the person in charge washed hands without soap, unapproved pesticides were being used, and surfaces throughout the facility were dirty.

Mongolian Bar-B-Q, 1488 E. Highland Ave., San Bernardino

• Closed: June 14
• Grade: 87/B
• Reason: Cockroach infestation. The inspector saw a live roach by the dishwashing sink, as well as numerous live and dead roaches on sticky traps. There were also fly traps covered in dead flies. The inspector also addressed complaints received Dec. 18, April 21 and May 17 that the same utensils were used for different kinds of food at the buffet, that the dishwasher had been broken and every plate was dirty, and that someone found rodent droppings in a to-go box they’d received. The inspector said the dishwasher was working, plates were clean and there was no evidence of rodents.
• Reopened: June 21; pest control had visited and the inspector saw no live or dead roaches.

Eating area of Yucaipa EZ Stop, 35112 Wildwood Road, Yucaipa

• Closed: June 1
• Grade: 92/A
• Reason: Water issues. The facility had no hot water and was told to cease preparing and serving open food. When an inspector returned June 9, the hot water had been restored but the dishwashing sink didn’t have any water and had been disconnected, so the permit suspension was continued.

Non-closure inspections of note

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

Las Playas Family Restaurant, at 14451 Foothill Blvd. in Fontana, was inspected June 29 in response to a foodborne illness complaint. It received a grade of 74/C with 15 violations, three of which were critical. An employee handling food had an actively bleeding, unbandaged cut on their hand. Another employee didn’t wash hands. And multiple containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in the walk-in cooler — which the operator knew hadn’t been keeping cold — and in another refrigerator.

Del Rosa Shell Station, at 2886 N. Del Rosa Ave. in San Bernardino, was inspected June 29 in response to two complaints about rodents; one person said they’d seen two dead rodents. The inspector did not see any live or dead rodents but did find droppings throughout the facility. There were also ants in the prepackaged food area, in the walk-in cooler and in the employee area. A follow-up was planned next week.

RLT Seafood Supermarket, at 333 S. E St. in San Bernardino, was inspected June 29 and received grades of 87/B in the meat market, 90/A in the kitchen and 96/A in the prepackaged market. There were four critical violations. In the meat market, about 200 pounds of food in a grab-and-go refrigerator was at unsafe temperatures and had to be discarded, and flies were landing on raw seafood in the customer self-service area. In the kitchen, two cans of quail eggs were severely dented. And the prepackaged market was selling fresh rice noodles from an unknown source.

Mega Tom’s Burgers, at 1701 E. Main St. in Barstow, was visited June 23 in response to a complaint. The inspector verified part of it — a cook had unrestrained hair — and also saw that the restaurant’s grade card from its last inspection, which resulted in an 81/B on Dec. 2, was not on display as required.

Mexican Street Tacos, at 73768 Gorgonio Ave. in Twentynine Palms, was inspected June 23 in response to two complaints about cockroaches, and received a grade of 83/B. The inspector saw no signs of roaches but did find old rodent droppings in several areas, including under the fryer and near a food-prep table and clean utensils. Among the 10 other violations, some cheese had been left at room temperature for four hours, and raw chicken and beef weren’t being thawed safely. A follow-up was planned to make sure there wasn’t a rodent infestation.

Celebrities Sports Grill, at 127 W. 40th St. in San Bernardino, was inspected June 22 and received a grade of 70/C with 15 violations, three of which were critical. Food was at unsafe temperatures in the walk-in cooler, which was 62 degrees inside (41 or below is required). Some food was adulterated — moldy onions and a severely dented can of beans. Also, food-contact surfaces weren’t clean — dishes weren’t being sanitized and there was mold in the ice machine (not contaminating ice).

The Bucket Crabs & Crawfish, at 612 N. Euclid Ave. in Ontario, was inspected June 22 and received a grade of 86/B with one critical violation. There was pink mold in the ice machine, with water dripping over it into the ice. Among the six other violations, the inspector saw a dead roach in the beer cooler and two more floating in water in a household cooler in the kitchen. A follow-up was planned to make sure there was no infestation. This was the restaurant’s second B grade since 2020.

The Farmer Boys at 1380 S. Etiwanda Ave. in Ontario was inspected June 16 and received a grade of 85/B with two critical violations. Multiple containers of food were at unsafe temperatures, including items in a refrigerator that wasn’t keeping cold. Also, the dishwasher wasn’t dispensing sanitizer (it was fixed right away). Among the four other violations, 14 employees didn’t have valid food handler cards as required.

Cocina de Mexico, at 300 W. Big Bear Blvd. in Big Bear City, was inspected June 14 and received a grade of 83/B with one critical violation. Pork rinds had been sitting at room temperature for six hours. Among the 10 other violations, there were some rodent droppings by the water heater and cooked intestines weren’t being thawed safely. Also, there were multiple non-commercial-grade freezers, microwaves and griddles in use; two of the freezers were set up outside and the griddles weren’t under a ventilation system. A follow-up was planned to make sure there was no rodent infestation.

The Flame Broiler at 1599 Redlands Blvd. in Redlands was visited June 13 in response to a complaint that the restaurant wasn’t displaying the grade card from its last inspection, when it received an 85/B on June 13. The manager said they didn’t know what had happened to it.

Yucca Valley Nursing & Rehab, at 57333 Joshua Lane in Yucca Valley, was inspected June 10 in response to a complaint that at least a dozen people had contracted a foodborne illness over the past few days. It received a grade of 88/B with one critical violation. Several squashes in a large box were moldy. Among the six other violations, some cheese and mushrooms were at unsafe temperatures, there were flies in the kitchen and the storage racks needed cleaning. The facility’s administrator also said the dishwasher hadn’t been working a couple of days earlier because of a clogged pipe, but it was fixed now, and one employee had been sick.

Updates from past weeks

National Buffet, at 16920 Slover Ave. in Fontana, which was closed June 8 because of a cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen June 9 after pest control visited and the facility was cleaned. The inspector did see two dead roaches in a cabinet. In a follow-up June 15, an inspector found seven dead roaches but said the restaurant was taking measures to prevent an infestation and said to continue them.

Nancy May’s 50’s Cafe, at 9759 Arrow Route Suite B in Rancho Cucamonga, which was closed May 26 because of a rodent and cockroach infestation, was permitted to reopen May 31. The inspector did still see one live and five dead roaches, as well as some old rodent droppings, so another follow-up was planned.

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 one to three points for minor violations. An A grade (90 to 100 points) is considered “generally superior,” a B grade (80 to 89) is “generally acceptable” and a C grade (70 to 79) is “generally unacceptable” and requires a follow-up inspection. A facility will be temporarily closed if it scores below 70 or has a critical violation that can’t be corrected immediately.

For more information on inspections of these or any restaurants in San Bernardino County, visit www.sbcounty.gov/dph/ehsportal/FacilityList/food. To file a health complaint, go to www.sbcounty.gov/dph/ehsportal/StaticComplaint or call 800-442-2283.