Blue Water Seafood and Crab, the East Coast-style crab house that's become a go-to for the tech corridor crowd on San Jose's North First Street, is closed again — shut down for the second time in less than three weeks by the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health. The June 29, 2026 closure came just 17 days after inspectors first shuttered the restaurant for a cockroach infestation so extensive it was documented across multiple zones of the kitchen, and just 17 days after the restaurant passed a follow-up inspection and was cleared to reopen.
The June 11 Inspection: A Detailed Cockroach Map
The original June 11 routine inspection, conducted by inspector Maverick Chin over a two-hour visit, produced a red placard and a score of 54 — a number that tells you everything about how the afternoon went. The official inspection report, provided directly by the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, documented three major violations worth 8 points each. The cockroach finding alone was damning in its specificity: more than 10 live German cockroaches of varying life stages were found inside the electrical conduits and wiring of an under-counter refrigeration unit directly across from the main cook-line; a live adult cockroach was found crawling underneath that same unit; a live juvenile was found near the oyster refrigerator at the back prep area; dead cockroach nymphs were found under refrigeration units at the cook-line; and droppings were found on the wall behind the upright cooler and freezer in the back. The inspector noted that the owner acknowledged a weekly Orkin pest control service — and that the Orkin report from just one week earlier, dated June 4, had itself documented active German cockroach activity and treatment.
The other two major violations were serious in their own right. A temperature holding violation found clam chowder and salsas on the right steam table running between 112°F and 121°F — well below the 135°F minimum required to prevent bacterial growth — while multiple refrigeration units held food at 44°F to 49°F, above the 41°F maximum. And an oyster shell stock tag violation found two batches of oysters stored in the refrigerator without the legally required tags, which staff believed may have been accidentally discarded. Both oyster batches were voluntarily condemned and thrown out on the spot.
Beyond the majors, inspectors documented an employee handling raw oysters without washing hands, a hand sink missing soap, zero parts per million of chlorine sanitizer in the bar dishwasher, raw shell eggs stored directly above ready-to-eat foods, unapproved cockroach bait stations (the facility's own DIY chemical applications, which are not permitted under code), and greasy hood filters and fryer casters. The facility was ordered to close immediately. The inspection report was received and signed by owner Irene Shen.
One Day Later: Cleared, Reopened — and Then Closed Again
On June 12 — just one day after the closure — inspectors returned for a follow-up and found no live or dead cockroaches anywhere in the facility. Refrigeration temperatures were back at or below 41°F. Shell stock tags were in place. The facility was issued a green placard and its permit was reinstated. That reinspection was completed in 45 minutes.
Seventeen days later, on June 29, inspector Jennifer Rios returned for a limited inspection and found one live cockroach nymph on the wall next to the ice machine. The facility was ordered closed again immediately, this time with a red placard and no score. No minor violations were noted — just the one nymph. One bug, and the doors shut. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 114409, any evidence of vermin infestation that poses an imminent health hazard is grounds for immediate permit suspension, per the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health. Current inspection status can be checked via the county's SCCDineOut portal at eservices.sccgov.org.
About Blue Water
Blue Water Seafood and Crab is the project of husband-and-wife owners Craig and Irene Guynes — notably, both named in the inspection reports as persons in charge during respective visits. According to the restaurant's own site, Craig brought the concept from his Maryland roots, built around crabs, fresh oysters, and East Coast-style seafood in a setting anchored by a custom animatronic shark. The couple opened their first location in Willow Glen in 2012, closed it during COVID, and reopened in 2020 at the current North First Street location in the @First shopping center — a larger space with a full bar, expanded patio, and a clientele that skews toward the tech workers and biotech employees who populate the surrounding corridor. The restaurant operates seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight, with bottomless brunch daily until 2 p.m. It has cultivated a loyal following and solid reviews on Yelp, where customers consistently praise the oysters and snow crab.
The Guynes' situation is a reminder that cockroach infestations at restaurants — particularly German cockroaches, which are notoriously difficult to eradicate once established in appliance wiring and wall voids — rarely resolve fully in a single treatment cycle. The June 11 report noted that even with weekly Orkin service, active infestation was documented on the Orkin visit the previous week. The June 29 reclosure after a seemingly clean June 12 reinspection fits a pattern that health officials and pest control professionals warn about: surface-level treatment can suppress visible activity temporarily, but surviving eggs and harborage in electrical conduits, wall voids, and under equipment can produce new nymphs within days. Blue Water is not alone in this struggle — as cockroaches shuttered The Counter at Santana Row for good earlier this year after repeated infestations, a reminder that the problem can outlast even well-resourced operators in Santa Clara County.
As of this writing, Blue Water remains closed. Anyone with reservations or plans to visit should check current status at SCCDineOut or contact the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health at (408) 918-3400.
