RivCo Restaurant Health Closures: McDonald's, Fatburger, Hawaiian BBQ

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A total of 19 Riverside County restaurants were temporarily closed by county health inspectors between July 20 and Aug. 16, according to the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health's most recent Food Facility Closures report. Restaurateurs were dinged for big and small health violations, including insect infestations, failed refrigeration, and broken water heaters.

The inspectors arrive unannounced at restaurants across the county following complaints and to perform regular inspections, said Kristin Lorge, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Health. Officers track potential health issues related to improper food storage temperatures, cleanliness, hand washing, and even live animals or insect infestations, she said. The inspection reports are posted on the agency's website.

"The public has the right to know what happened during the closure and how long it took to fix," Lorge said.

Inspection grades range 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 closed temporarily due to minor and major violations from the most recent 'Food Facility Closures' report issued Wednesday:

A customer at Big Juice Bar, located at 35947 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City, reported witnessing a small child in the food preparation area of the juice bar. While there, an inspector noticed the juice bar was running two soft-serve ice cream stations without a proper permit and had a "vermin infestation." The juice bar was closed until owners could resolve all issues and reopened on Aug. 1 with an "A" grade.

Lebiom Innova Cafe in Cathedral City, located at 68487 E Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #52, was temporarily shuttered July 25. Their permit was suspended, and no reopening date was available.

The Cathedral City restaurant Daniel's Table at 68327 E. Palm Canyon Drive was temporarily closed July 25 after not maintaining a valid health permit. Inspectors have not yet posted a reopening date.

Also, in Cathedral City, El Portal, located at 32235 Date Palm Drive, Suite 101, was downgraded to a "B" grade Tuesday. A routine inspection uncovered a cockroach infestation inside the restaurant and 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. No reopening date was mentioned in the report.

The Desert Hot Springs Spa, located at 10805 Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs, failed its probationary inspection July 18, according to inspector Shanna Sidwell's report. She noted multiple health violations, including "lack of ventilation, improper food storage temperatures, uncovered food, and a live lizard in the eating area." After resolving the issue, the restaurant reopened for business July 27 and was given an "A" grade.

The McDonald's, located at 14280 Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs, was closed July 20 after rodents/insects were found inside, according to an inspector's report. It took four days for the pest control issues to be resolved, and the restaurant was allowed to reopen on Jul. 24 with an "A" grade.

Desert Hot Springs's TK Donuts & Chinese Express at 13313 Palm Drive, Suites H and I experienced failed air conditioning and refrigerators leading to a temporary shutdown. Inspectors arrived at the business July 28 after complaints that there was no air conditioning inside. Also, they found the walk-in and reach-in refrigerators were set at the wrong temperature. The facility was immediately closed until the refrigeration was repaired Aug. 2, and it was allowed to reopen, according to inspectors. The restaurant's grade remained unchanged, according to reports.

In the mountain town of Idyllwild, Idyology, located at 54904 N. Circle Drive, was closed 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. The restaurant was downgraded to a "C" and will remain closed until the health department grants permission to reopen.

Jurupa Valley's Valenzuela Tacos y Bar, located at 6051 Mission Boulevard, was closed Aug. 2 after inspectors noticed a rodent, insect, bird, or animal inside the restaurant, giving them a "C" grade. Those issues were resolved Aug. 9 when inspectors reopened the restaurant for business, returning it to an "A" grade.

The restaurant at Menifee Lakes Country Club, located at 29875 Menifee Lakes Drive, was closed for one day after not supplying hot or cold running water. According to inspector reports, that was fixed within 24 hours when the restaurant reopened on Aug. 1. The restaurant's "A" grade was unchanged, according to reports.

Better Be Donuts in Moreno Valley, located at 12266 Perris Boulevard, closed up shop for a few days due to insufficient hot and cold running water. The donut shop was temporarily shut down July 26 and reopened after getting an "A" grade July 28, according to reports.

Norco's Nutrishop, located at 1411 Hamner Avenue, Suite #103, was closed for one day for operating without a valid health permit, according to inspectors. That was rectified, and the business reopened immediately, reports show. There was no change to its "A" grade.

Steamy Hallow in The Shops at Palm Desert, 72-840 Highway 111, Suite 317, was dinged Aug. 1 for operating without a valid health permit. The eatery reopened nine days after meeting health inspector criteria Aug. 10, reports show. The restaurant's grade remained unchanged, according to reports.

Perris restaurant Gus Jr.'s at 497 E. 4th Street closed for one day for insufficient refrigeration. That issue was resolved while inspectors were on site. The restaurant was not closed, and the restaurant kept its "A" grade.

Boba Loca in Riverside, located at 19009 Van Buren Boulevard, Suite #122, was closed temporarily Aug. 11 due to improper sanitizers. The facility was temporarily downgraded to a "B" after the inspection and was allowed to reopen the same day. Any changes to their grade will be updated when the next inspection report is submitted.

Happy Buffet in Riverside, located at 10971 Magnolia Avenue, was closed temporarily Aug. 1 due to cleanliness issues. Inspectors arrived due to complaints that employees were cleaning tables and then handling food without handwashing. Inspectors also found a cockroach infestation and downgraded the buffet to a "C" grade until issues were resolved. The restaurant was allowed to reopen Aug. 4, according to reports. By Aug. 16, the Happy Buffet regained its "A" grade.

Riverside's Fatburger, located at 3457 Arlington Avenue, #107, was closed temporarily due to issues with their water heater Aug. 10. During the routine inspection, inspectors noticed problems with the handwashing station and a lack of paper towels inside the dispenser among other issues. According to reports, the restaurant was downgraded to a "C" and remains temporarily closed.

Also in Riverside, Mamma Mia, located at 10971 Magnolia Avenue, was closed July 19 due to unapproved construction and remodeling, inspectors reported. "It was determined that the expansion and modifications to the cook line, the walk-in cooler, and freezer, to the wash area, were not approved and can not be used for the food operation," inspectors concluded. That restaurant has not yet reopened for business, according to inspector reports.

Finally, in Temecula, the L&L Hawaiian BBQ, located at 40573 Margarita Road, Suite G, was temporarily closed due to an insect infestation and other issues related to food contact surfaces. The restaurant was downgraded to a "B" rating for one week until the issues were resolved. It was reopened Aug. 11, and inspectors upgraded the restaurant with an "A" on Aug. 15 during a follow-up inspection.

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