Pittsburgh Mexican restaurant shut down by health department

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood was shut down by the Allegheny County Health Department after inspectors found dead cockroaches and more than a dozen other violations.

The health department ordered El Paisano on Beechview Avenue to close after an inspection on Thursday.

According to the report, the inspector saw one live German roach under a sink and dead roaches “too numerous to count” underneath the microwave and beneath a cooler. The inspector noted the facility is treated quarterly for pests, but it should be treated biweekly instead. 

The inspector also reportedly found multiple items held at temperatures that were too high, including cooked ground beef and fish filets. 

Both the cockroaches and cold holding temperature violations are considered high-risk violations, which means they may lead directly to food-borne illness or injury. 

The report lists several other medium- and low-risk violations, including a 9-foot-deep pit over the building’s sewer line with suspected sewage visible at the bottom. The only hand sink in the kitchen wasn’t working and there wasn’t any hot water in the kitchen’s three-compartment sink, the inspector said. 

The facility’s health permit also expired in November of 2023.

When the closure order is removed, the health department’s website will be updated.