Eureka's Harbor Lanes Snack Bar Shut for Rodent Activity, Reopens

Harbor Lanes snack bar at 2136 Broadway in Old Town Eureka was briefly barred from operating its kitchen after Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health inspectors documented rodent activity on food-contact surfaces, then reopened the next day following verified corrections. The county’s inspection reports are dated February 23 and February 24 and show the permit was suspended Monday and reinstated Tuesday after remedial work.

The inspection was triggered by a citizen complaint, and an environmental-health inspector toured the bowling alley’s kitchen Monday afternoon. Inspectors flagged “food safety concerns including staff hygiene, cross-contamination and the potential presence of vermin,” and noted specific contamination points in the facility’s prep and service areas.

The DEH report states plainly, “Observed rodent activity on food contact surfaces in the back prep area of the kitchen as well as on shelves in the front kitchen service area.” The inspector also described the “prominence of activity observed,” a characterization officials used to justify immediate enforcement action.

County officials temporarily suspended the facility’s food-facility permit and disallowed kitchen operations Monday while requiring immediate corrective measures. The inspection report required “washing, rinsing, and sanitizing all affected areas; placing food and utensils into lidded containers; working with a licensed pest control provider to identify entry points and harborage areas; correcting an ingress hole under a kitchen sink; and implementing daily sanitation procedures until the rodent issue was resolved.”

Harbor Lanes’ operator responded by working with a licensed pest control professional to seal ingress points and address potential rodent harborage factors, and by correcting an ingress hole under a kitchen sink cited in the report. Following verification of those corrective actions, the DEH reinstated the facility’s permit on February 24, the Feb. 24 inspection report shows.

Reopening came with ongoing monitoring conditions. As part of the agreement with county health officials, the operator pledged to “increase pest control services to weekly visits, complete and maintain sanitation logs signed by staff, and submit pest service reports and sanitation logs weekly for review until no rodent activity is observed for two consecutive weeks.” The facility is operating under that reinstated permit and remains subject to weekly review by DEH until the two-week clean period is achieved.

The incident and swift response underscore the county’s enforcement pathway: a complaint prompts an inspection, documented violations can trigger an immediate suspension, and permits are reinstated only after DEH verification of prescribed corrections. Harbor Lanes’ snack bar at 2136 Broadway is open again but will be under active county oversight until inspectors confirm two consecutive weeks without rodent activity.