Los Langostinos, a taqueria in Sacramento's Northgate neighborhood, was hit with a temporary shutdown this week after county health inspectors say they uncovered a full-blown cockroach problem in the kitchen, including insects floating in a water warmer.
What Inspectors Found
According to The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento County inspectors issued a red placard to Los Langostinos on Monday after logging 14 violations during the visit. The inspection report cited 19 German cockroaches in different parts of the kitchen, plus two dead nymphs discovered in the water warmer, along with numerous droppings. As of Thursday, The Bee reported the taqueria had not yet been reinspected.
How County Placards Work
Under Sacramento County’s Retail Food Protection Program, a red placard is the health department’s most serious warning. It signals an "imminent danger to public health and safety" and immediately suspends a facility’s health permit until problems are fixed. Restaurants are required to post that placard where customers can see it and to keep the latest inspection report available for anyone who asks.
Where This Round of Inspections Fits
The Sacramento Bee reports that Sacramento County carries out around 14,000 inspections a year. County spokesman Ken Casparis told the paper that roughly 97% of establishments pass, while about 1% of inspections end in a closure. This week’s batch of visits included a few other problem spots, including a Denny’s that was later reinspected and cleared, and a Carmichael restaurant that also passed its follow-up checks.
What Restaurants Can Do
Guidance from the county's Environmental Management Department points operators toward integrated pest-management training and food-safety workshops. Recommended steps include sealing cracks and other entry points, getting rid of standing water or other moisture sources, keeping food properly covered, maintaining routine pest-control service and ensuring handwashing stations work correctly. Those are the kinds of fixes inspectors typically want to see before lifting a suspension and restoring a permit.
How To Check Before You Dine
Curious how your favorite spot is doing with the health department? Diners can look for the color of the placard posted near the entrance and can also pull up full reports online through the county’s inspection database. To read a facility’s latest inspection or file a complaint, visit the county inspection search.
