Oakland's Las Palmas ordered to close, then re-opened

A day after county health inspectors ordered Oakland’s Las Palmas to close, a second re-inspection Tuesday deemed the storefront and eatery clean enough to remain open.

An initial inspection on Jan. 24 turned up an infestation of cockroaches, sewage leaking from a toilet and inadequate hand-washing facilities. A follow-up inspection Feb. 4 showed that none of the issues had been rectified, according to the Allegheny County Health Department consumer alert.

Inspectors also found a new issue on their follow-up visit: Dishes and utensils not being sanitized.

The inspection Monday cited live and dead roaches on and near coolers and shelves. The report noted that the facility had been treated twice the past 11 days, but no one cleaned up the dead roaches, droppings or casing, nor did they clean any of the affected areas.

The Tuesday inspection, however, showed “the facility has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized” and “few dead cockroaches remain.”

Regarding hand-washing in the outer area of the facility, inspectors said all-purpose disinfectant wipes have been put out in lieu of a sink, which is inoperable. Wipes specifically for disinfecting hands “must be obtained until a permanent solution for the hand-washing issue is found for the outside cooking area,” inspectors said.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.