Inspector finds dead cockroaches inside Coachella meat market

Several Coachella Valley eateries did not pass their Riverside County health inspections this past week, according to reports. A Coachella meat market was downgraded for dead cockroaches, a La Quinta restaurant was downgraded for failing to properly sanitize knives and a Cathedral City taco shop was

'B' grade

Garibaldi Meat Market, 49-975 Harrison St., Suite A, Coachella

Inspection conducted Oct. 21
Major violations: Observed one dead adult cockroach in hand sink; two clean ladles stored hanging from fly light above three-compartment sink
Minor violations: Observed four food items obtained from an unapproved source; several dead adult cockroaches in floor sink, under three-compartment sink; on cove base tile and on floor in walk-in cooler; three insect-control devices located over food or a food-related area; prep sink used improperly for thawing and dishwashing; 30 packs of filets and five packs of tuna steak completely thawed while still in reduced oxygen packaging; about 50 red and green salsas and guacamole in containers offered for sale to be missing labels (repeat violation); grime accumulation on ice machine deflector, black door tracks in beverage reach in refrigerators and rust accumulation on bottom shelf of prep table; FRP detaching from wall in two locations, gaps between cove base tiles and walls throughout meat department, deteriorated grout between floor tiles, and chipped cove base tile by walk-in cooler door; one food handler card missing
"B" grade posted and must remain posted until removed by an employee of this Department. Reinspection set for Oct. 28.

Flomea, 47-511 Aloe Way, La Quinta

The purpose of the Oct. 19 inspection report, it says, is to notify the operator that the CFO-A, Flomea LLC, will be placed out of business due to failure to obtain a current permit and pay all associated fees.
Flomea's permit expired June 30, and the operator has not contacted the department to renew it.
The facility will be placed out of business and is no longer approved to operate.

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant, 50-855 Washington St., Suite 2I, La Quinta

Inspection conducted Oct. 20
Major violations: Observed employee washing knives at three-compartment sink using only soap and no sanitizer then storing knives on wall mounted magnetic holder above food preparation table (employee unable to provide adequate warewashing steps)
Minor violations: Observed no valid food manager's certificate available at the time of inspection; potentially hazardous food not held at or below 41°F / 45°F or at or above 135°F; rodent droppings found on the floor below equipment, shelving and sinks throughout food prep area; back delivery door unable to self-latch and properly turn off air curtain; uncovered food items in two areas; food inside buckets and boxes stored directly on the floor inside walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer; nonfunctional dishwasher; missing paper towel dispenser; no approved test strips for quaternary ammonium sanitizer solution; soiled knives on magnetic wall mounted holder; ice accumulation inside reach-in freezer; unchained CO2 tank stored on the floor; wiping cloths not stored in an approved concentration of sanitizer solution; staining on the walls and ceiling panels throughout food prep area; holes in dishwasher area; rodent droppings on the floor in food prep area; no valid Environmental Health permit
"B" grade posted, and the card must remain posted until removed by a member of the department. Failure to comply may result in citations or further legal action. A reinspection date has been set for Oct. 27.

Tacos Del Valle, 68-467 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City

A joint probationary inspection was conducted Oct. 20 as per the Notice of Decision provided on Dec. 24, 2025. Cash payment of $199/hour was made at this probationary inspection.
As indicated in the Notice of Decision in December, the food facility commonly described as Tacos Del Valle located at 68-467 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234, is hereby closed, the permit to operate a food facility has been revoked, and no additional permits will be issued by this department due to the pattern of repeated violations and inability of the permit holder to safely operate the food facility as discussed at the hearing on Dec. 24.
Minor violations: Observed cooked pork, cooked beef tongue, vegetables stored uncovered and measuring 45-50F; uncovered plastic container of raw frozen beef stored directly on top of container of uncovered raw frozen chicken (and directly below an open package of frozen hash browns), along with other improperly stored foods; employee prepping food at cookline without washing hands properly after leaving area for another task; restroom paper towel dispenser empty; domestic freezers and refrigerators in the prep area, front cookline, and back storage area in disrepair; active leaks from prep sink faucet and three-compartment sink faucets; cutting boards had excessive grooving and scoring; food debris and residue found in four areas including counter tops and refrigeration units; hardwater scale and residue on interior and exterior of three sinks; ice buildup on the interior of the chest freezer; light bulb out in ventilation hood; multiple personal items (cups, phones, speakers) stored at cookline; two expired Food Handlers Certificates.
"B" grade posted, facility closed and another inspection has been set for "approximately December 2026."

'A' grades

An “A” grade,

or a score of 90 to 100 points, means a restaurant passed an inspection and met minimum health standards.

Cathedral City

Chelo's Burgers, 27-900 Date Palm Drive
IHOP, 34-031 Date Palm Drive

Coachella

Burger King, 48-079 Grapefruit Blvd.
Castaneda's Mexican Food, 51-840 Harrison St.
China Express, 49-975 Cesar Chavez St., Suite F
Diana's Bakery, 52-565 Cesar Chavez St., Suite 108
Patty's Raspados, 52-669 Harrison St.
Starbucks, 48-151 Grapefruit Blvd.
Taqueria Allende 2, 83-103 Avenue 48, Suite 1A
Victory Liquor and Sporting Goods, 49-968 Cesar Chavez St.
Y&M Market, 1507 Second St.
Yes With Jess Wellness, 51-335 Cesar Chavez St., Suite 106
Eladio's Pizzeria, 48-492 Calle Tecomaria (this marks initial approval for the temporary food facility, which will be part of a swap meet and is just pending photos of storage and shared facility form from commissary)

Desert Hot Springs

Editor's note: A new category 2 breakfast service at Tuscan Springs Hotel & Spa at 68-187 Club Circle Drive, Desert Hot Springs, was inspected Oct. 20, and is approved to operate as a category 2 once Environmental Health has received a completed application and permit fees of $598. No other Desert Hot Springs eateries were inspected this week.

Indio

Dutch Bros Coffee, 81-776 Highway 111
F10 Catering Kitchen, 81-800 51st Ave.
G&M, 82-003 Highway 111
Graceland Fil-Asian Market, 82-590 Highway 111, Suite 203
In-N-Out, 82-043 Highway 111, Indio
McDonalds, 81-544 Highway 111, Indio
Paleteria Y Neveria La Vecindad, 44-320 Jackson St., Suite E
Panda Express, 82-451 Highway 111, Suite B
Soul of Mexico, 44-100 Jefferson St., Suite E502
Tack Room Tavern, 81-800 51st Ave.
Taqueria Guerrero 1, 81-576 Highway 111
Walgreens, 82-955 Avenue 48
Cardenas Market, 82-266 Highway 111 (deli, bakery and other food prep areas all received an A except the juice bar, which first received a B and was briefly closed due to hot water issues, but has since reopened (walk-in cooling unit was also leaking during the time of the inspection and open foods were being prepared in the vicinity of the leak, so inspectors will return Oct. 27 to ensure the leak has been fixed)

La Quinta

Aspen Mills Bread Co., 46-520 Washington St., Suite 1
Circle K, 78-364 Highway 111
Note: The Grill on Main was also inspected but there was an error with their report and it was unviewable, though noted as inspected in the county's system this week

Palm Desert

Legends & Icons, 78-152 Varner Road (passed reinspection)
The Fix, 73-580 El Paseo, Suite A (passed reinspection)

Palm Springs

Act 2 Catering, 1253 N. Valdivia Way
Alana Bar & Tapas, 370 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Chipotle, 2465 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 1110
Cold Stone Creamery, 2465 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 1105
Copley's, 621 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Festival Theaters, 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Hair of the Dog, 555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A111
Hot Cookie, 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite B-2
Hotel Zoso, 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive (includes lobby bar, Pretty Faces nightclub and pool bar)
Il Giardino Ristorante Italiano, 333 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Suite K
Jersey Mike's Subs, 2465 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 1010
Las Casuelas, 368 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Lowe's, 5201 E. Ramon Road
Luchador Brewing, 250 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Ralphs, 1733 E. Palm Canyon Drive (includes AFC Sushi, deli, bakery and food market)
Rooftop 262 Bar & Grill, 262 S. Palm Canyon Drive, #200
Tailor Shop, 140 W. Via Lola, Suite A
The Avalon Hotel, 415 S. Belardo Road (includes on-site restaurant and bar)
Wrap Houz, 555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A109

Editor's note: Saffron at 1107 N. Palm Canyon Drive could not be inspected because it's closed and in the process of moving to another Palm Springs location. Also, the Staples location at 5001 Ramon Road, Building 3 was not closed, but it was told to cease selling all packaged foods from shelves after inspectors observed rodent droppings on multiple shelves within the candy aisle. Additionally, gnawed packages of pistachios was found on the floor and shelves. The facility was told to eliminate the activity of rodents by using only approved methods, and was told to thoroughly clean and sanitize all affected surfaces.

Rancho Mirage

Golden Palace Buffet Inc., 69-600 Highway 111
Sunnylands Center & Gardens, 69-600 Highway 111

Editor's note: The county also listed that Sunnylands Center & Gardens, The Crafted Cupcake and The Springs, all in Rancho Mirage, had been inspected this week, but there was an error with the county's website that caused the Golden Palace Buffet's inspection report to be attached to these three restaurants. We are awaiting the correct reports.

Note: No restaurant inspections were reported for businesses in the cities of Indian Wells Oct. 16-22.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Inspector finds dead cockroaches inside Coachella meat market