This week's Dirty Dining is full of repeat offenders and roaches.
13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears brings us four restaurants, three cockroach infestations and one new member of the Dirty Dining 50-plus club.
Cockroaches caused closures at Pho Vegas, Fatburger and La Pupusa Loka.
The only restaurant without roaches is the one with the most demerits: China One on Durango Drive and Twain Avenue is now a three-peat offender. It was shut down with 53 demerits on June 3.
Three of China One's 7 valley locations have been on Dirty Dining. The latest closure resulted from serious sanitation concerns like cooked noodles being prepared in a very soiled bus bin and cooked chicken in a dirty tub, too. Plus black mold on all soda nozzles, food debris on many utensils, old meat chunks on the deli slicer and excessively dirty and greasy conditions throughout the kitchen.
Darcy Spears asked the manager about the health inspection.
Darcy: Did you read the health report so you know what was in there?Manager: Nope. The boss has it, though.Darcy: Do you want to see if the boss will talk to me?Manager: The boss... He's never here.Darcy: Maybe that's part of the problem that the boss is never here.
In fact, the Health District documented "Lack of managerial control" as a contributing factor in China One's "Uncontrolled risk factors and frequent downgrades."
Inspectors also found something floating in a pitcher of water for guests, utensils in dirty, standing water and a homemade tool used for tenderizing chicken made from PVC pipe, twine, a sharp metal piece, a towel and a rubber band.
We ask the manager to call the boss and he does, but says the boss has no comment. China One reopened June 6 with a 10-demerit "A" grade. One more demerit and they'd have failed re-inspection.
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The roach parade begins at Pho Vegas on Sahara Avenue and Arville Street. It was shut down June 6 for a multi-generational cockroach infestation.
Bugs were just about everywhere inspectors looked in the kitchen and so was excessive food debris and built-up gunk.
The restaurant owner did not want to do an interview. He simply said that everything had been cleaned up.
In addition to the roaches, inspectors found lots of meat and some tofu in the temperature danger zone. Some of the red meat was already turning brown.
Also, the floor was filthy and the ceiling looked like it was about to cave in.
Pho Vegas reopened two days later with a 3-demerit "A" grade.
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Cockroaches were also found at Fatburger on Fort Apache and Flamingo Road.
Inspectors went there to follow up on a customer complaint about a live cockroach on the floor.
When the inspector arrived, the person in charge told her they were aware of the complaint but couldn't find the roach that the customer saw.
During the investigation, the inspector had no problem finding roaches. And not just one.
She also found food debris on the floor in the dining area, meaning it wasn't being cleaned enough to avoid attracting pests.
But Fatburger wasn't closed for cockroaches. Hot water--or the lack thereof--is the imminent health hazard that got Fatburger shut down on June 4.
There were also onion and tomato slicers stored as clean that clearly were not. And excessive grease and food debris had built up in fryer cabinets.
Fatburger reopened with a 3-demerit "A" grade the day after it was closed. Our call for comment was not returned.
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Repeat offender La Pupusa Loka has now been on Dirty Dining twice -- both times for roach infestations.
The restaurant on Charleston Boulevard near Eastern Avenue was shut down June 4 for a multi-generational roach infestation. Excessive old food debris and build-up have kept the bugs coming back for more.
La Pupusa Loka reopened June 8 with 3-demerit "A" grade. Our call for comment was not returned.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
China One report
Pho Vegas report
Fatburger report
La Pusa Loka report
Editor's Note: An earlier version of the headline incorrectly names a Las Vegas restaurant that should not have been listed. We apologize for the error.
