LA Chubby Cattle linked to likely Salmonella Illnesses

Over the last few weeks I have received calls from several Los Angeles who suffered Salmonella illnesses after dinning at Little Tokyo Chubby Cattle. Once you read the below, you might understand why.

Your Public Health Permit is hereby suspended, and you are directed to discontinue operation of this facility AT ONCE. You are charged with violations of the California Health and Safety Code, Section 114115, which pose an immediate danger to public health and safety.

https://www.marlerblog.com/files/2025/08/CHUBBY-CATTLE-Gross-Contamination-of-Food-Contact-Surfaces-California-Health-and-Safety-C-1.pdf

The purpose of the visit is to conduct a complain investigation regarding an alleged foodborne illness: FBI #198 resulting from consuming raw meat and raw fish on 7/8/2025 and following additional foodborne illness FBI #176, #177, #178, #181, and #184, resulting from consuming sushi, wagyu tartare, raw fish sushi, sashimi, raw beef, wagyu knuckle, wagyu short ribs, wagyu brisket, wagyu steak, pork belly, steam rice, salmon hand roll, white button mushrooms, wagyu otoro, pineapple, seaweed salad, cheese corn, salmon carpaccio, ice cream, milk tea, and coke on 7/5/25 and 7/6/25.

Findings:

• Multiple Major Critical Violations / Increased Risk to Public Health

• Gross Contamination of Food Contact Surfaces – California Health and Safety Code Section 114115

• Impoundment of unsanitary equipment or food – 114393

• Observed food tongs stored directly on top of lamb chops with handles touching the food in the under the counter refrigerator at the front line.

• Observed multiple clean knifes stored between nonfood contact surfaces of top cold holding equipment at front sushi line and in the main kitchen.

• Observed a water plastic carafe stored in the hand wash sink in food preparation area.

• Observed clean food bowls stored directly on the floor in a plastic tray under the clean utensil shelving.

• Observed 2+ live flies in the food preparation area.

• Observed multiple knives with old food debris encrusted on food contact surfaces stored at the front sushi bar and cold top refrigerator at the main kitchen.

• Observed three cutting boards stored directly on the floor in the main kitchen, the operator installed cutting boards at the food preparation line, failing to properly clean and sanitize cutting boards.

• Observed cooked beef and rice dish in the hot holding unit at internal temperature of 113F with an unknown hot holding time. Operator voluntarily disposed approximately 3 pounds of cooked rice and beef dish.

• Observed cooked sushi rice in the rice pot at the front sushi bar at internal temperature of 93.5F since last night per operator. Operator voluntarily disposed approximately 4 lbs of cooked rice.

Republished with permission from Bill Marler and Marler Clark. Copyright (c) Marler Clark LLP, PS. All rights reserved.