County health inspectors ordered Del Mar Pizza closed after finding vermin at the 15th Street restaurant on Monday, Sept. 21.
Three days later, inspectors shut down the banquet facility at La Valle Coastal Club in Rancho Santa Fe for vermin and unsafe food temperatures.
The closures, first reported by SanDiegoVille, are based on inspection records from the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ). Both establishments must pass a county re-inspection before they can reopen, according to DEHQ's public guidelines.
Del Mar Pizza
Inspectors cited Del Mar Pizza, at 211 15th St., for a major vermin violation along with six additional findings: handwashing (minor), nonfood contact surfaces, equipment and utensils, equipment and linens storage, premises and vermin-proofing, and floors, walls and ceilings. All were out of compliance.
The restaurant has been family-operated since its founding in 1989 by a Sicilian known as "Tony," according to its website. It specializes in Neapolitan thin-crust pizza.
No public statement from Del Mar Pizza's ownership regarding the closure or any remediation steps has appeared as of Saturday, Sept. 26.
La Valle Coastal Club Banquet
Inspectors ordered the banquet facility at La Valle Coastal Club, 5690 Cancha De Golf, closed on Thursday, Sept. 24. The inspection found two major violations: holding temperatures and vermin. Three additional areas were out of compliance: equipment and utensil storage, ventilation and lighting, and premises and cleaning-item exclusion measures.
The closure applies to the banquet operation specifically. La Valle's other dining venues, Gather Coastal Kitchen and Oasis Café, were not named in the inspection report, though it is unclear whether they remained open.
Meriwether Companies acquired the Rancho Santa Fe club from Invited, Inc. in July 2023 with a planned investment of more than $24 million to upgrade golf, dining, racquet sports and hotel offerings, according to the club's website.
No public statement from La Valle management has appeared regarding the closure.
Vermin closures countywide
Both closures fit a broader pattern across San Diego County. Vermin-related restaurant closures doubled from 211 in 2022 to 442 in 2025, according to public records reported by Times of San Diego. By April 9, 150 county eateries had already been forced to close in 2026, with 121 of those tied to vermin.
"If a facility is found to be operating with an imminent health hazard present, our staff will take the necessary steps to protect the public until such time that the issues have been properly resolved," Ryan Johnson, chief of operations for the county's food, water and housing division, said in August 2025 when The Coronado News investigated the countywide trend.
Residents can check the current inspection status of any San Diego County food facility at sdfoodinfo.org.
