Upper Crust Pizza Closed for Cockroach Issues

Upper Crust Pizza on Palm Canyon Drive temporarily closed

CATHEDRAL CITY — Upper Crust Pizza, 67555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, was closed temporarily Tuesday due to a cockroach infestation, according to the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health.

The popular pizzeria, which specializes in California-style, thick-crust pies, pasta and salads, received failing grade.

The inspector found one live roach on a cooler near a prepared pizza, two more on the floor by a food-prep area and multiple dead roaches on the floor and behind equipment, according to the health report. Among other violations, multiple containers of food were at unsafe temperatures in a cooler that wasn’t keeping cold, and equipment, walls and floors needed cleaning.

The restaurant now faces an administrative hearing because of repeated problems; this was its third failed inspection and fourth closure since 2020. Previous closures were because of a cockroach infestation in November 2021, a broken walk-in cooler discovered during a foodborne illness investigation in May 2021 and a rodent and cockroach infestation in July 2020.

Uken Report called the restaurant at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and received the following recording.

“Thank you for calling Upper Crust Pizza. Unfortunately, we are closed today. I am sorry for the inconvenience. We will see you soon.”

Since 1963 the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health has been issuing grades to any food facility that handles open food. Food facilities such as restaurants, bakeries, delis and bars receive unannounced inspections throughout the year and are issued a grade after each one of those inspections. The grade that a facility receives must be posted in a publicly viewable area, usually near the front door or front register.

A permanent food establishment that handles open foods receive a grade at the end of an inspection.  The score of the inspection represents the grade.  There are only three possible grades that a facility can receive during an inspection.  Unlike the grades you received in school, an “A” grade is the only passing grade that a facility can get.   Grades of “B” and “C”, also known as “Downgrades,” means the facility did not meet minimum health standards and is required to correct the violations and be re-inspected to an “A” grade.

Upper Crust Pizza’s Grade: 84/B, failing.