Health officials temporarily closed Maria’s Kusina in Buena Park on September 2 after a routine inspection revealed multiple violations.
Please note that the report mentioned here is from an inspection conducted on September 2, and may not represent the future health inspection status of the food establishment.
Highlights
- A routine inspection was conducted at Maria’s Kusina, leading to its closure.
- The restaurant was closed down due to a cockroach infestation.
- The officials ordered that no food or drinks can be prepared or sold until written approval is given.
Maria’s Kusina
- Where: 6901 La Palma Ave Buena Park CA 90620-2430
- When: September 2, 2025
Maria’s Kusina is a casual Filipino restaurant in Buena Park serving traditional Filipino comfort food for dine-in and takeout. The restaurant menu included locals’ favorite savory chicken, pancit, siopao, halo-halo, and crispy pata.
According to the Orange County Health Care Agency’s Environmental Health Division, Maria’s Kusina was cited for multiple health code violations. On September 2, the restaurant was ordered closed after inspectors discovered a cockroach infestation. The closure notice states that no food or beverages may be prepared or sold at the facility until the agency grants written approval.
Inspectors observed live cockroaches in multiple areas of Maria’s Kusina, including utensils and food storage bins, the floor, stove, and walls along the cook’s line, as well as the food equipment storage rack and prep table across from the dish machine.
Additional sightings were noted inside a three-door upright freezer, near the water heater, in an employee’s locker, on a dry food storage rack by the back door, on a prep table across from the register, and around the electrical panel by the cook’s line. During the inspection, officials also noticed gaps and openings in several places.
The officials also discovered uncovered food containers inside the walk-in cooler, heavy grease, food accumulation, and liquid spills on equipment throughout the kitchen. The report also cited employees for failing to follow sanitation procedures while preparing food.
Inspectors found several potential hazardous food temperature issues: raw shell eggs were left at 85°F for an hour on a prep table, beef gravy was held at 124°F for two hours in a hot unit set too low, and cooked chicken was at 112°F for an hour in a steamer that had been turned off. The required safe temperatures are 41°F or below for cold items and 135°F or above for hot items.
The restaurant was instructed to correct the violations, including eliminating pests and sanitizing the premises. All the food build-up, residue, grease, and spills need to be cleaned and removed from the kitchen area, floors, and ceilings. The report also advised the restaurant operators to follow safety and sanitation guidelines while preparing food and working in the cooking area. For more information, the detailed inspection report is available here.
Follow-up Inspection
The inspection led to the immediate closure and permit suspension of the restaurant. Maria’s Kusina is temporarily shut down. All food handling will be stopped until the issues are corrected and Environmental Health reinstates the permit. The restaurant also has the right to request a hearing within 15 days of this notice.
Maria’s Kusina is required to comply with all safety codes mentioned in the inspection report and correct every violation before the facility can be reinspected. Only after meeting these health and safety standards will the restaurant be considered for permit reinstatement.
