Flies, broken toilets and leaky sinks: Latest Merced County health inspections
Two Merced County businesses evaluated by inspectors from the Merced County Division of Environmental Health received “unsatisfactory” grades during the latest round of inspections from Nov. 3-12.
Of the latest businesses to be evaluated, 10 received a rating of “good” and three businesses received a rating of “satisfactory.”
What the ratings mean
Businesses that accumulate zero to six violation points during an inspection receive a “good” rating. A rating of “satisfactory” is given to businesses that accumulate seven to 13 points. Businesses that accumulate 14 points or greater receive an “unsatisfactory” rating.
Violations recorded by inspectors can range in severity from minor to major. Major violations are “violations that are very likely to get people sick” and must be corrected immediately or the business, or parts of the business, must close until the issue is corrected, according to the Merced County Division of Environmental Health. If a business fails an inspection a reinspection is required at a later date.
The Merced County Division of Environmental Health said a minor violation is one “likely to get people sick but does not require the location to close.”
Details from ‘Unsatisfactory’ reports
Here is a look at the two “unsatisfactory” reports from Nov. 3-12:
El Bajio Market, 1010 W. 16th St., Merced
El Bajio Market received an “Unsatisfactory” rating (24 points) during an inspection Nov. 6, 2025. Here are the violations as observed by the health inspector:
Leaky sink: Observed the south hand-washing sink in the meat department was leaking and was shut off. Repair sink. Points cited in the food section. (Repeat violation)
Damaged sliding door: Observed the sliding door for the meat display case was damaged and repaired with tape. Replace or repair back to the original condition. (Repeat violation)
Sink not working: Observed the front kitchen hand-washing sink was not functioning. Repair. (Repeat violation)
Wiping towels: Observed wiping towels not stored in sanitizer solution. Keep wiping towels in sanitizer in between uses. (Third repeat violation)
Temperature control: Observed two pans of food (beans and meat in green sauce) measuring at 108 degrees. Keep potentially hazardous food at or above 135. Employees appear to use heat from the steam tables to reheat food. Food must be reheated using a method that is capable of heating food to 165 degrees within two hours. Steam tables are not typically designed to meet this heating requirement. (Repeat violation)
Little Caesar’s Pizza, 1060 Pacheco Blvd, Los Banos
Little Caesar’s Pizza in Los Banos received an Unsatisfactory rating (19 points) during an inspection Nov. 3, 2025. Here are the violations as observed by the health inspector:
Improper storage: Observed cheese in the prep refrigerator temped at 49 degrees. Cheese is a potentially hazardous food and shall be stored at or below 41 degrees. Observed staff left prep top open; after it was closed, the refrigerator temped below 41 degrees. Retrain staff to keep prep refrigerator closed at all times when not in use. Cheese moved to a refrigerator below 41 degrees.
Exhaust hood issues: 1) Grease accumulation on the filters and hood. Deep cleaning required. 2) Dark grease accumulation on the loose fire suppression nozzles toward the end of the conveyor belts. Deep cleaning required. Secure the fire nozzles.
Kitchen equipment debris: 1) Hand-washing station near manager’s station: Debris accumulation on the water handles. Clean. 2) Round O Matic dough rounder: Heavy grease/food debris accumulation on the operating buttons. Cleaning required to prevent cross contact with food and dirty buttons. 3/4) Walk-in refrigerator: Food debris accumulation on the floor, shelves, and carts. Some areas had mold accumulation. Deep cleaning required. Dust accumulation on the fan covers. Clean. 5) Pizza oven: Heavy food debris accumulation on and underneath the conveyor belts. Grease accumulation on the exterior of the unit. Deep cleaning required. 6) Dough-spinning device: Observed grease and debris accumulation. All equipment shall be kept clean and well maintained. Increase frequency and efficacy of cleaning. (Repeat violations)
Walk-in refrigerator temperature: Observed walk-in refrigerator thermometer temped at 50 degrees, while inside temped 40 degrees. Evaluate/repair this thermometer.
Walk-in floor sink: Observed walk-in floor sink had debris accumulation and a black organic buildup had formed inside. Increase frequency and efficacy of cleaning.
Food debris: 1/2) Pizza oven area: Food debris accumulation on the stainless steel wall. Clean. Food debris accumulation on the floor near the wall. Deep cleaning required. 3) Kitchen: Stained and discolored ceiling tiles and air vents. Deep cleaning required or replace all affected ceiling tiles.
Toilet not working: Observed toilet was not functional during inspection and staff did not have a functioning toilet. Repair.
Sign/permit: Observed facility did not have a copy of the informing notice posted for customers to view. Post in lobby for customers to view. Observed facility did not have their permit posted for customer view. Provide for customer view at all times.
Flies on prep surfaces: Facility observed to have multiple flies in back of facility landing on prep surfaces. Facility shall increase pest services. If found to have continued repeat violations facility may be required to install a fly fan at the delivery entrance. (Repeat violation)
Businesses that received ‘Good’ ratings
- Domino’s Pizza, 1109 W. Main St., Merced
- Food Maxx #4871300, W. Olive Ave., Merced
- Scoops Handcrafted Acai Bowls, 3090 M St., Suite B, Merced
- Jeff’s Cuisine, 135 Bellevue Road, Atwater
- Mercey Springs Shell, 24729 S Mercey Springs Road, Los Banos
- Lucky Stars & Moon Inc., dba: Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 1348 W Olive Ave., Merced
- La Finca Branding Iron, 640 W. 16th St., Merced
- 7 Star Liquor, 1230 E Martin Luther King Jr Way, Merced
- Five Below, 1011 W. Olive Ave., Merced
- PAQ Inc DBA Rancho San Miguel, 1930 Yosemite Parkway, Merced
Businesses that received ‘Satisfactory’ ratings
- Atwater Sushi, 1601 Bellevue Road, Atwater
- Firebaugh Travel Plaza, 15838 Paul Negra Road, Firebaugh
- Round Table Pizza, 1831 Bellevue Road, Atwater
Next steps for Merced businesses
According to the Division of Environmental Health, in some instances problems found by inspectors can be fixed at the time of the inspection. In other instances, violations an inspector deems more serious may result in the closure of the business at the time of the inspection.
The inspections represent a snapshot of the conditions that were observed by health inspectors at the time of their visit and may not indicate a pattern of either good or bad safety practices.
The Merced County Division of Environmental Health maintains a database of restaurant and food inspections, which can be found online at the Merced County Environmental Health website.
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM.
