Major Health Code Violations at 6 Capitola Restaurants

CAPITOLA, CA - Vermin infestation, unsanitary conditions, food not stored at proper temperatures. The list of reasons why restaurants are closed or issued major violations by the Santa Cruz County Health Department is stomach churning.

STORY UPDATE --> Click here to read our follow-up report, Major Health Code Violations: Capitola Area Restaurants and Businesses Respond

Since the start of the year, inspectors have issued critical violations at 19 restaurants, including at 6 in Santa Cruz. This results in the immediate closure of the restaurants until violations are fixed, OR an order to correct the problems immediately. (See editor's note below)

Major violations fall into the following categories:

• FT Improper Food Holding/Processing Temperatures
• FP Improper Food Preparation/Handling Procedures
• FS Unapproved Food Source, Contaminated/Adulterated Food
• VI Vermin Infestation (rodent or insect)
• WS Inadequate Utensil/Equipment Washing or Sanitizing
• EH Employee Hygiene & Training
• HW Inadequate Hand Washing Procedure

Below is a list of Santa Cruz County restaurants with major violations in 2016:

Aptos

• FLATS BISTRO, 113 ESPLANADE, APTOS - FT (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• GOLDEN BUDDHA, 9071 SOQUEL DR, APTOS - WS
• HONG KONG GARDEN RESTAURANT, 14 SEASCAPE VILLAGE, APTOS - WS
• SEVERINO’S RESTAURANT, 7500 OLD DOMINION CT, APTOS - WS (SEE THE GM’S RESPONSE)

Capitola

• ASIAN EXPRESS, 1955 41ST AVE A2, CAPITOLA - WS
• CAPITOLA DINER, 1900 41ST AVE, CAPITOLA - FT
• CAPITOLA SORABOL, 1855 41ST AVE R1, CAPITOLA - HW
• FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT, 1255 41ST AVE, CAPITOLA - WS (SEE THE GM’S RESPONSE)
• GYROS & GRILL EXPRESS, 1855 41ST AVE R6, CAPITOLA - FT
• MIYAKO, 1820 41ST AVE #G, CAPITOLA -WS

Santa Cruz

• EL ROSAL BAKERY, 2-1513 E CLIFF DR A, SANTA CRUZ - FT (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• JEFFERY’S RESTAURANT, 2050 SOQUEL AVE, SANTA CRUZ - FT
• MEI GARDEN RESTAURANT II, 533 OCEAN ST, SANTA CRUZ - VI
• POINT MARKET AND CAFE, 2-3040 E CLIFF DR, SANTA CRUZ - FT (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• REAL THAI KITCHEN , 1632 SEABRIGHT AVE, SANTA CRUZ - WS (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• TAMPICO KITCHEN AND LOUNGE, 822 PACIFIC AVE, SANTA CRUZ - HW (SEE THE OFFICE MANAGER’S RESPONSE)

Watsonville

• CADILLAC CAFE, 2906 FREEDOM BLVD, WATSONVILLE - FT, WS (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• DEL VALLE RESTAURANT, 710 E LAKE AVE, WATSONVILLE - FT (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)
• EL VALLE PRODUCE, 530 WALKER ST, WATSONVILLE - HW (SEE THE OWNER’S RESPONSE)

How To Check Santa Cruz County Restaurant Inspections:

Thinking about your next lunch or dinner out and want to make sure it doesn’t include rodents or insects? The county posts all restaurant inspections online. The Restaurant Inspection Report search page allows you to search by restaurant name or scroll through the list.

--Patch is contacting the restaurants included in this report and will publish their responses.

--Editor's note: The word "or" has now been capitalized and bolded to draw attention to the two remedies available to the Santa Cruz County Health Department. Some of the restaurants listed above have reported to Patch that customers believe they were closed when their ordered remedy was to correct the problem immediately. Please click on (See the Response) where available. All three Watsonville business owners responded and were very cooperative with this report.