Sacramento County health inspectors watched a rodent scurry into the back storage area of Tori's Place while the rear door sat open during a routine inspection, then proceeded to find more than 160 rodent droppings scattered throughout the restaurant. The Grand Avenue eatery walked away with a red placard and 12 cited violations, forcing an immediate suspension of its health permit.
What Inspectors Found Inside
The inspection took place on Wednesday, Oct. 4, according to The Sacramento Bee, which reported that beyond the rodent sighting and droppings, inspectors discovered raw shell eggs stored above mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes in a cooler, along with a bowl of frozen chicken thawing in stagnant water. The restaurant also lacked paper towels and hand soap at its two-compartment sink, a basic hygiene lapse that added to the tally of 12 total violations.
As of Thursday, Oct. 5, the Bee's report notes, Tori's Place had not been reinspected, and the outlet said it was unable to reach a representative of the restaurant for comment. The supplied inspection record does not indicate whether or when the restaurant was cleared to reopen.
Why Red Means Closed
Sacramento County's color-coded placard system spells out exactly what each grade means. A red placard signals an imminent danger to public health and safety and suspends an establishment's health permit until violations are corrected, per the county's Environmental Management Department's placard program page. A yellow placard, by contrast, flags two or more major violations without rising to that level, while a green placard simply means a restaurant passed its inspection.
This is not the first time Tori's Place has drawn that kind of scrutiny. In a separate inspection reported in May 2025, the restaurant was closed after inspectors cited Norway rat activity and found approximately 188 rodent droppings alongside six additional violations, according to the same Bee report. That earlier closure suggests the Grand Avenue location has struggled with rodent issues before.
How Common Are Closures Countywide
Sacramento County performs about 14,000 food-facility inspections every year, and roughly 97% of establishments pass, according to county spokesperson Ken Casparis, as reported by the Bee. Casparis said approximately 1% of inspections end in a closure, putting Tori's Place among a small fraction of restaurants that fail badly enough to warrant one. Other recent cases include Rosa Madera, which received a yellow placard, and Super Taco, cited for seven violations including shrimp, ceviche and raw chicken found outside safe temperature ranges.
Residents curious about a specific restaurant's history can check inspection records, violations and corrective actions through the county's online portal at inspections.myhealthdepartment.com, which covers retail food, recreational health and body art facilities across Sacramento County. Consumers who want to report a problem at a restaurant can also file a complaint, since the California Department of Public Health directs such complaints to local environmental health departments for investigation.
