Rocco’s Pizza, located at 2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd. in Walnut Creek, was temporarily closed last week due to several violations.
The inspector from the Contra Costa County Environmental Health Department said they found the following:
1. Multiple servers observed with long hair and improperly restrained.
2. Heavy dust buildup and grease buildup on shelves throughout the facility.
3. Food spills on walls throughout the facility.
4. Multiple food contact surfaces with buildup, including soda gun nozzles and shelf holding clean utensils.
5. Heavy mold-like buildup on black baffle in the kitchen’s large ice machine.
6. Inoperative hot water at the hand wash sink across from the large ice machine.
7. Heavy food debris and buildup on the floors throughout the kitchen and in all the walk-in units.
8. Buildup in multiple refrigeration units and on refrigerator gaskets throughout the facility.
9. Multiple live and dead cockroaches observed on the floor, wall, and ceiling where the kitchen dish machine is located.
The restaurant has since been reinspected and reopened.
Click on the photo shown above to view the full report.
These are serious violations. I’m never returning.
It all comes down to poor lazy employees . Manager concentrates on the wrong things and is there to party and high schoolers aren’t focused on job. sloppy cooks don’t help.
I know Rocco prides himself on this family business and it was a little alarmig to hear this.
I agree. He is more worried about hiring women for their looks and kitchen staff are busy talking instead of watching the pizzas. The pizza are 8/10 times burnt. He needs to clean house and do better hiring. Not cleaning the kitchen is a terrible and serious violation. It makes me really think about not ever returning. Melo’s is way better!
I do really like their pizza, but I know I always risk receiving a burnt pizza as it has happened twice. I’ve obviously given them a second chance, but the number of serious violations is concerning, so I don’t know about another chance. Really sad.
Situations like this boil down to three things: 1) Poor hiring practices. 2) Inadequate training and development. 3). Lax management oversight including failure to communicate expectations and measurement of expectations being met (or not).
In other words, the blame is solely on the lap of ownership/management.
WOW!!! I always saw this place as a nice place. That’s a wrap for me. Never again. More reasons to eat at home.
Wow.
I’m not surprised by some of this.
Their plates and cutlery always have dirty food spots on them and the floors are dirty, too.
Surprised about the cockroaches though. 🤢🤮
The waitresses always have their hair down and I’m not sure why that’s even allowed.
All the women should have their hair up in a ponytail or bun, especially when dealing with food.
I think Rocco needs to do some firing of the kitchen staff. Hire some good Italian men to cook those pizzas!
And they need to watch the pizzas better because they get burnt sometimes.
I think Melo’s is the superior pizza place.
This is strange rhetoric for 2024: “…good Italian men to cook?!?” Who would these men replace?
It’s strange to want Italians cooking Italian food at an Italian family run business?
Why?!
Have you ever been back east????
In NY and NJ, many Italian small businesses have Italian cooks and bakers because they’re run by Italians which is how it should be. That’s not prejudiced or crazy to want Italians cooking the pizza.
If you’re triggered by my comment, that’s on you.
If I went to a Japanese restaurant, I’d want and expect Japanese people cooking the food. That’s how you know the cuisine is authentic. People of every race can cook any cuisine, but if you’re Mexican and cooking Mexican food, chances are it’s gonna be better.
Rocco does have an adult son who works there. No clue if he works in the kitchen or not but it’d be nice if he better managed his kitchen staff and waitresses.
I’ve been going there since I was a kid.
He’s busy hiring women based on looks and guys who non stop burn pizzas in the kitchen cause they’re busy chatting and not paying attention. He hasn’t been running his business well since before covid and that’s a fact.
“If I went to a Japanese restaurant, I’d want and expect Japanese people cooking the food. That’s how you know the cuisine is authentic.”
This is the stupidest comment so far. The authenticity of food is judged on ingredients and technique, not on the skin color of the person cooking it.
My favorite local Mexican restaurant is so authentic even the dishwashers are from Mexico.
Actually the only thing strange is your reply!
Bad, non-Italian men…obviously!
Geez! Have any of you folks ever worked in a restaurant? It isn’t all that easy.
Lighten up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVsR5tpf38
Had a Zachary’s thin crust this weekend – outstanding and no extra toppings!
I don’t usually see cockroaches in my house but I found some this summer in the garage where I’ve never seen them before either. Some inexpensive sticky traps took care of them including some babies. One of those traps stuck a mouse too which have been infesting the neighborhood.
.
Seems to me these places are not hip to tricks to reduce such infestation if not driving them away. I can see a new position at restaurants which is pest control specialist.
Disappointing for sure. I guess they got lazy for a while. I’m sure this will snap them into shape.
…. I understand this wasn’t the first time – just worse this time
Everyone needs to calm down. 95% of restaurants have insect problems. Once he found out the problem, he immediately fixed it. Like a responsible owner should do. What else can we expect? I’ve been going there 20+ years and if there’s a problem, like cold food or whatever, they take care of it. Most of the staff bust their butts especially the day crew but yeah there are some bad apples. The restaurant business is extremely difficult so just give them a break.