LA PENITA RESTAURANT

Inspection summary

LA PENITA RESTAURANT has been inspected 2 times by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division since April 15, 2024. The most recent inspection, on April 23, 2025, recorded 4 infractions.

None of the 2 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Chemicals and toxic substances and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

• Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

  This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

  Recorded once on April 15, 2024. For example: CONSUMER ADVISORY PROVIDED FOR RAW OR UNDERCOOKED FOODS

• Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk

  Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.

  Recorded once on April 15, 2024. For example: TOXIC SUBSTANCES PROPERLY IDENTIFIED, STORED, USED

• Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

  Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

  Recorded once on April 15, 2024. For example: HANDS CLEAN AND PROPERLY WASHED; GLOVES USED PROPERLY

• Building, plumbing and upkeepLower risk

  Floors, walls and ceilings must be smooth and clean, with working lighting, ventilation, plumbing, hot and cold water, and washrooms. These are rarely an immediate food-safety risk on their own, but persistent problems can lead to pest or sanitation issues.

  Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 23, 2025. For example: FLOORS, WALLS AND CEILINGS: PROPERLY BUILT, MAINTAINED IN GOOD REPAIR AND CLEAN

• Equipment and utensilsLower risk

  Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.

  Recorded 2 times on April 23, 2025. For example: EQUIPMENT/UTENSILS - APPROVED; INSTALLED; CLEAN; GOOD REPAIR, CAPACITY

About this data

These results come from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

• View the official Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division disclosure site
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• How to read an inspection report