Hunan's Restaurant in Eureka Closes Briefly After Cockroach Infestation Found

A cockroach found in a customer's rice triggered a chain of inspections at Hunan's Restaurant in Eureka that ended with a one-day permit suspension and a scramble to clean up before county health officials returned the following morning.

The Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health suspended the operating permit for Hunan's at 2712 E Street in Henderson Center on Monday, March 16, after a reinspection found an active cockroach infestation that had worsened since an initial complaint visit one week earlier. The permit was reinstated Tuesday, March 17, after inspectors returned between 11:30 a.m. and 1:10 p.m. and confirmed that mitigation and decontamination measures had been completed. According to the inspection report, "the restaurant satisfied all requirements."

The trouble began March 9, when inspectors visited following a report of a cockroach in a customer's rice. That inspection found dead cockroaches beneath storage areas in the server station, under the server refrigerator, and inside storage containers holding to-go items. Inspectors noted that "the majority of the food facility was without any pest activity except under (the) counter of the server station where personal items are stored," and that "only dead vermin (adult stage cockroaches) were observed." The restaurant was not closed at that time, but the findings were classified as a major violation requiring a follow-up reinspection. The March 9 report also noted that Hunan's is "seen regularly by Humboldt Pest" and directed the restaurant to "clean drains throughout the facility to prevent the attraction of vermin and seal up any potential ingress holes."

When inspectors returned March 16, the situation had not improved. They again observed multiple life stages of dead cockroaches in the same server station storage areas and under the server refrigerator, but this time also found a live cockroach on a food contact surface, an escalation that triggered an immediate suspension. The inspection report stated: "Due to the presence of a live roach on a food contact surface, this (facility's) permit has been suspended until (mitigation measures are taken)."

To regain its permit, Hunan's was required to wash and sanitize all surfaces in the server area, put food and utensils in sealed containers, clean floor drains, and remove grease residue from cooking equipment. The restaurant also had to contract with a professional pest control service, identify and close cockroach entry points, and increase professional pest services to biweekly visits "until such time that two consecutive visits report no further pest activity." Under California law, permit holder Steve Worasen had 15 calendar days from the suspension notice to request a hearing to contest the action.

Hunan's completed the required steps within a day. The March 17 reinspection confirmed the work was done, and the restaurant was cleared to reopen. The biweekly pest control requirement remains in effect until two consecutive clean inspections are on record.