Health Department Closes Restaurants With Rat Infestations Plus One Used Acid Reflux Medication in Dough

The Southern Nevada Health District shut down Delhi Indian Cuisine at 4022 S. Maryland Parkway with 47 demerits on December 12. The restaurant used an acid reflux medication in its raw dough to help it rise, according to KTNV. The medication, made in India by Southern Drugs & Pharmaceuticals for GlaxoSmithKline, expired in 2015. Inspectors also found an open box of nicotine supplements stored with containers of food, dough molds lined with stained cloth towels that were dirty with old food, a dirty dough roller, a used bandage wrapper in the dough machine, a used bandage, stained cutting boards, “a cut onion on a dirty shelf leaning against a screwdriver,” and a pan of green beans held in storage that expired in November. Other violations included dirty shelving, doors, handles, covers, and panels as well as a filthy food processor, blender, can opener, and knives stored as clean. Cooked chicken and yogurt made in house were held at unsafe temperatures while uncovered food in the refrigerator was potentially exposed to contamination. The restaurant earned a zero-demerit A grade on December 13. The health department previously shut down the restaurant with 45 demerits in 2014.

The health department closed three restaurants inside the Eastern Indoor Swap Meet at 1560 N. Eastern Ave. after finding rodent droppings and a dead rat on December 20. Sonia’s Mexican & Japanese Cuisine, Una Flor en Michoacan, and Mariscocos Arreola were all closed when inspectors found a dead rat in a bucket at Uni Flor and a rodent nest at Mariscocos Arreola. Sonia’s and Mariscocos Arreola remain closed, according to the Southern Nevada Health District website, while Una Flor en Michoacan reopened with an eight-demerit A grade on December 30.

Mr. Soon Tofu at 4355 Spring Mountain Road earned a 30-demerit C grade on December 9, but the health department closed the restaurant on December 20 when it failed to pass a reinspection and had no hot water. The restaurant reopened on December 20 with a zero-demerit A grade. The health department previously closed the restaurant in 2016 with a 53-demerit C grade.

The health department closed Taqueria El Buen Pastor at 525 E. Bonanza Road on December 12 after finding the restaurant had no hot water, an imminent health hazard. Inspectors found a pigeon sitting next to the grill and cooked beef left out at room temperature. KTNV says that “back-to-back inspection failures which means the facility must enter the health district’s administrative process.” Health inspectors returned on December 13 to find the staff preparing food, even though the restaurant was shut down. The restaurant earned a zero-demerit A grade on December 16 to reopen. The health department closed the restaurant in September 2019 as well.

The health district conducts unannounced inspections at least once a year. Inspections are posted online about five days after the inspection. The Southern Nevada Health District routinely shuts down restaurants that receive more than 40 demerits. Restaurants have the option of requesting a re-inspection before the next scheduled inspection.

• Drug in dough lands Delhi Indian Cuisine on Dirty Dining [KTNV]

• All DOH Chronicles [ELV]