[Update: Permit Reinstated] Hunan’s Restaurant in Eureka Has Permit Suspended After Cockroaches Found in Food Service Area

Hunan’s Restaurant at 2712 E Street in Eureka is temporarily closed after the Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health suspended its operating permit Monday, March 16, following a reinspection that revealed an active cockroach infestation had worsened since an initial complaint inspection one week earlier.

The chain of events began on March 9, when a health inspector arrived at the restaurant in response to a customer complaint reporting a cockroach found in their rice. During that inspection, conducted between 2:15 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., the inspector found that the majority of the facility was being serviced regularly by Humboldt Pest and showed no active pest activity, with one significant exception. Dead cockroaches in adult life stages were observed under the cabinet and beneath the server refrigerator in the server station area, where personal items were being stored.

The March 9 inspection also documented several additional violations, including a small refrigerator in the kitchen holding internal foods at 45°F — above the required maximum of 41°F, a lack of soap and paper towels at the kitchen sink, and a broken faucet handle at the prep sink. The cockroach finding was classified as a major violation and a reinspection was ordered for on or after March 16.

When the reinspection took place on March 16, the situation had not improved. Inspectors observed multiple life stages of dead cockroaches beneath storage areas in the server station, under the server refrigerator, and inside storage containers holding to-go items. Additionally, a live cockroach was discovered on a food contact surface —  an escalation from the dead specimens found during the March 9 visit. That finding triggered an immediate suspension of the restaurant’s operating permit.

The permit, held by Steve Worasen and valid through February 28, 2027, will remain suspended until the restaurant completes a series of required corrective measures. Those include washing, rinsing, and sanitizing all surfaces in the server area including beverage containers and storage areas; containerizing all food, utensils, and food-related equipment in the server station; thoroughly cleaning all floor drains with bleach to eliminate pest attraction; deep cleaning grease residue around cooking equipment; increasing professional pest control services to biweekly visits until two consecutive inspections report no further pest activity, with those reports forwarded to the health department for monitoring; and working with a pest professional to identify and seal all entry points, specifically including a hole behind the counter and gaps between baseboards.

Under California law, the permit holder has 15 calendar days from the date of the suspension notice to request a hearing before a hearing officer to contest the suspension.

UPDATE: Hunan’s Restaurant Permit Reinstated After Passing Follow-Up Inspection

Hunan’s Restaurant Eureka has had its operating permit reinstated after passing a follow-up inspection conducted by the Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health on Tuesday, March 17.

The reinspection, which took place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:10 p.m., was conducted to verify that all mitigation and decontamination measures required following the permit suspension had been completed. According to the inspection report, the restaurant satisfied all requirements.

Inspectors found that all surfaces in affected areas had been satisfactorily cleaned and sanitized, and the server area had been thoroughly decluttered. All food-related items had been placed in containers for protection. Floor drains and grease residue under cooking equipment had been cleaned. The operator had increased pest control visits to every other week, and all noted ingress holes — including additional ones discovered during the decluttering process — had been patched.

The facility’s permit has been reinstated effective March 17. As a condition of reopening, the restaurant is required to continue forwarding all pest control reports to the Division of Environmental Health for ongoing monitoring.