The post, shared Friday morning on the Reddit community r/FoodSanDiego, includes photographs showing what appears to be a small cockroach placed on a napkin next to a partially eaten breakfast plate. The user who shared the images said the incident occurred around 9:40 am on March 13, 2026 while dining at Cocina 35’s restaurant at the Coronado Ferry Landing.
“I noticed a cockroach in the food that had been served to me,” the poster wrote. “Finding something like that in a dish at a restaurant is extremely concerning and completely unacceptable from a hygiene and food safety standpoint.”
According to the post, the diner alerted restaurant management but was dissatisfied with the response. The user claimed the explanation “felt more like excuses,” adding that the experience raised concerns about kitchen cleanliness and pest control practices.
The poster also said the incident was reported to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality, which oversees restaurant inspections and food safety compliance throughout the region.
SanDiegoVille has reached out to Cocina 35 for comment regarding the allegation and whether the restaurant has been contacted by county health inspectors.
The Coronado location of Cocina 35 opened in late 2024 inside a large bayside restaurant space at 1201 First Street near the Coronado Ferry Landing. The restaurant occupies approximately 4,500 square feet and features indoor and outdoor seating with views of downtown San Diego across the bay.
Founded in 2012 by Paulina Chaidez in Otay Mesa, Cocina 35 built a following for its chilaquiles-focused Mexican brunch menu before expanding across San Diego County with additional locations in Cortez Hill, Barrio Logan and Liberty Station. The Coronado restaurant marked the company’s fifth location and one of its largest concepts to date.
While the Reddit post has attracted hundreds of reactions online, food safety experts note that isolated sightings of pests do not necessarily indicate a systemic infestation. Restaurants in coastal environments and dense urban areas often maintain ongoing pest-control programs to manage insects that can enter buildings through deliveries, drains or exterior doors.
At the same time, public health officials encourage diners to report incidents involving potential food contamination so they can be investigated.
San Diego County’s Environmental Health division conducts routine inspections of restaurants throughout the region and has the authority to issue citations, require corrective action or temporarily close establishments if serious health code violations are discovered.
As of publication, it is not yet known whether county inspectors have visited the Coronado location in response to the complaint.
Cocina 35’s Coronado restaurant is located at 1201 First Street, Unit 115, near the Coronado Ferry Landing. Updates will be provided if the restaurant or county health officials respond to requests for comment.
Originally published on March 14, 2026.
