Restaurant inspections: Flies, cockroaches, no hot water close 3 Coachella Valley spots

Three Coachella Valley eateries were closed by Riverside County health inspectors this past week due to flies, cockroach infestations and lack of hot water, according to reports conducted June 24-27.

Eastern Buffet and Chihuahua Market in Coachella and Santorini Gyro Palm Springs in Palm Springs racked up a number of major and minor violations, which led to their closures. Each spot will have an opportunity to correct their mistakes and reopen when they are revisited by health inspectors.

Additionally, GiGi's Palm Springs in Palm Springs was also downgraded to a "B" during its recent inspection due to improper handwashing and cleaning procedures, hot and cold food holding temperatures, flies and more. The restaurant will also be revisited by inspectors.

This article does not include a roundup of restaurants that received "A" grades when they were visited by inspectors on June 24-27. The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health is in the process of transferring previous restaurant inspection reports from its old database to a new one. As a result, new reports have not been uploaded to the website since June 11.

The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health will be sending weekly inspection reports to The Desert Sun until the restaurant grading site is working properly. These reports will pertain to restaurants that were downgraded or closed by health inspectors.

Residents can still look up past restaurant grading reports at restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org/Default.aspx by searching for specific facilities or cities.

Major violations pose an imminent risk to public health and warrant the immediate closure of a food facility or immediate correction, while minor violations do not pose an imminent public health risk, but do warrant correction.

Facility closure

Eastern Buffet, 49-211 Grapefruit Blvd., Suite 7, Coachella

• Major violation: Several flies at the front self-service food area and around the back door area; several live and dead cockroaches observed around the kitchen area, including on floors, inside the flour food product bin, on the lid of the peppercorn container, at the soda machine area, on the food storage container rack, on clean dish and utensil rack; potential maggot on stainless steel cabinet under soda machine
• Minor violations include: Improper hot and cold food holding temperatures (two containers of imitation crab measuring 47-51 degrees; buffalo wings at the buffet station measuring 107 degrees); improper sanitation concentration in dishwashing machine; foods need to be covered with a secure, tight-fitting lid and cooking powder, whole mushrooms and broccoli were sitting out on the food prep table; observed food handling staff to be using Ammonia grill and oven cleaner to kill vermin in the food prep area and to clean the floors, food prep tables and food product storage racks; Lawry's containers used as food storage containers and multiple large food product bins unlabeled; utensils and equipment in need of repairs and cleaning; observed a foul odor in the employee restroom; and others
• Due to the repeated failed inspections within a two-year period, an administrative hearing will be held. Facility closed and a reinspection date of July 3 has been set

Chihuahua Market, 52-279 Cesar Chavez St., Coachella

• Major violation: Hot water was nonfunctional at a handwashing sink
• Minor violations: Missing food manager and food handler certificates; three moldy zucchinis inside refrigerated display case; lack of food separation and possible contamination (uncovered food container inside walk-in cooler; moldy pink/wax parchment paper inside refrigerated display case; uncovered sliced lemons at front counter); one food container on the floor inside walk-in cooler; unlabeled food items; utensils and equipment in need of repairs and cleaning; and others
• Meat department is closed and a reinspection date of July 1 has been set

Santorini Gyro Palm Springs, 190 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

• Major violation: Observed one live adult cockroach with an attached ootheca below the three-compartment sink area
• Minor violations: Improper hot and cold food holding temperatures (a large container of tzatziki sauce and a bag of shredded cheese measuring between 43-57 degrees); several molded cucumbers in the dry storage area; observed operator improperly wash, rinse and sanitize a probe thermometer; lack of food separation and possible contamination (a container of raw shell eggs stored above containers of cooked meat); utensils and equipment in need of repairs; observed an unclean wiping cloth stored by food preparation table; and others
• Due to ongoing non-compliance and failed inspections, the facility has been closed and a reinspection date of July 4 has been set

B grades

GiGi's Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs

• Major violation: Observed employee wash their hands with hand sanitizer; observed an employee place a soiled towel in a hamper basket, remove gloves, then attempt to don new gloves without washing their hands; soap and paper towels missing from handwashing sinks; utensils stored in the basin of a handwashing skin
• Major violation: Observed a knife stored with the food contact portion in between prep tables. Employee was instructed to take the knife to be properly washed. The dish washing employee rinsed the knife then returned it to the employee. The knife was not observed to be washed, rinsed and sanitized; improper sanitizer concentration in dishwashing machine | The knife was ran in the dish machine to be properly washed, rinsed and sanitized, and a repair person was called and the dish machine was adjusted to proper concentration
• Minor violations: Improper hot and cold food holding temperatures (raw beef, cheeses, sliced tomatoes, vegetables and sauces held at 45-54 degrees for approximately three hours; green salsa measuring 113 degrees for approximately three hours); multiple flies throughout the facility and one dead cockroach on the floor underneath the freezers; lack of food separation and possible contamination (residue build up along the top interior panel of the ice machine; raw beef and frozen raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat foods; multiple knives stored between tables and refrigerators and scoops stored with handle portion in contact with food in the dry food bins); utensils and equipment in need of repairs; and others
• "B" card posted and a reinspection date of July 5 has been set

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.