A San Diego County Black Bear Diner restaurant with a troubling history of health inspection violations has once again been ordered closed after inspectors discovered a major vermin violation, marking the fifth "Ordered Closed" entry for the El Cajon location in less than three years and the fourth such entry in 2026 alone. Yet, in a familiar pattern for the restaurant, county records show that a follow-up inspection conducted the very same day documented no violations, and the business is once again listed with a passing A grade.
The latest incident occurred Friday, October 9, at Black Bear Diner, located at 1025 Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. According to inspection records maintained by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality, a routine inspection resulted in an "Ordered Closed" designation after inspectors documented a major vermin violation, along with several additional food safety and sanitation deficiencies.
Beyond the major vermin finding, inspectors cited a minor holding temperature violation and multiple out-of-compliance conditions involving equipment and utensil storage, premises maintenance and pest exclusion measures, and the condition of floors, walls, and ceilings. The combination of violations resulted in the restaurant being listed as ordered closed, although the publicly available inspection summary does not specify the particular evidence underlying the major vermin finding.
Remarkably, a second inspection entry dated October 9 tells a very different story. County records show that inspectors returned for a re-inspection and documented no violations, marking the result as "Complete." The available records do not specify how much time elapsed between the two inspections or how the deficiencies were addressed, but the restaurant is now displaying a passing A grade in the county's public inspection information.
The latest closure designation adds to a series of health department interventions that have repeatedly brought scrutiny to the East County restaurant. On August 6, just over two months earlier, the same Black Bear Diner was ordered closed after inspectors documented another major vermin violation, along with minor holding temperature and hot and cold water violations and deficiencies involving cleanliness, storage, and premises maintenance.
County records indicate that inspectors conducted a separate site investigation on August 6 that found no violations, followed by an August 7 re-inspection that approved the restaurant to reopen. A routine inspection on August 7 also resulted in a score of 98 and an A grade.
The pattern extends further back into the spring. On March 23, inspectors ordered the restaurant closed after identifying major violations involving both vermin and food holding temperatures. Following additional inspection activity, the establishment was approved to reopen on March 26.
Less than two weeks later, on April 6, the restaurant was again listed as ordered closed following a site investigation that documented another major vermin violation. Inspectors approved the restaurant to reopen on April 7, with no violations documented during the re-inspection.
Before the series of 2026 closures, the restaurant had been ordered closed on November 5, 2024, because of a major sewage disposal violation. County records show it was approved to reopen that same day after inspectors documented no remaining violations.
Taken together, the county's inspection history now contains five separate "Ordered Closed" entries for the El Cajon restaurant: November 5, 2024; March 23, 2026; April 6, 2026; August 6, 2026; and October 9, 2026. Four of those five entries involved major vermin violations, with the most recent three occurring within approximately six months.
The repeated findings raise questions about whether the restaurant has successfully addressed the underlying conditions contributing to its recurring pest-related problems. Although the county's records demonstrate that inspectors have repeatedly documented satisfactory conditions during subsequent visits, the recurrence of major vermin violations suggests that corrective measures have not consistently prevented additional problems from arising.
Other inspections between the closure events have also identified pest-related concerns. On June 3, inspectors cited a minor vermin violation along with minor holding temperature and other operational deficiencies. A July 1 site investigation again documented a minor vermin violation, and an August 25 site investigation identified minor violations involving both vermin and holding temperatures.
Not every inspection has revealed problems. The county's records show that re-inspections on August 25 and October 9 found no violations, while a September 11 status verification also reported no violations. These passing results indicate that the restaurant has demonstrated compliance during certain inspections, even as subsequent visits have revealed recurring issues.
The distinction between an "Ordered Closed" entry and a restaurant's current operating status is important. County inspection records document the regulatory action taken at the time of an inspection, but a later satisfactory re-inspection can allow an establishment to resume operations. Likewise, an A grade reflects the results of a qualifying inspection and does not erase earlier violations from the restaurant's history.
The El Cajon restaurant is operated by local Black Bear Diner franchisee Karan Gogri, whose San Diego County restaurant operations have previously drawn attention for health inspection problems. In June, the Black Bear Diner in Vista, located at 605 West Vista Way, was also ordered closed after inspectors documented a major sewage disposal violation shortly after the restaurant opened. County records show the Vista location was approved to reopen the following day.
Including the Vista restaurant's June closure, county records now document six "Ordered Closed" entries across the two San Diego County Black Bear Diner locations associated with Gogri, five involving the El Cajon establishment alone.
The repeated inspection problems have also been the subject of a previous dispute between the franchise owner and SanDiegoVille. Following the August 6 inspection, Gogri challenged the publication's characterization of the closure, stating that the restaurant had remained operational and asserting that the county's publicly available records were inaccurate regarding its closure status.
SanDiegoVille's reporting has consistently relied on the inspection results published by the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality, which expressly designated the August 6 inspection as "Ordered Closed" and subsequently recorded an August 7 approval to reopen.
The earlier reporting also became the subject of an unusual copyright dispute after Instagram removed a SanDiegoVille post concerning the separate Vista restaurant inspection. A notice from Meta identified Gogri's name and email address as the party associated with the copyright complaint, but Gogri unequivocally denied submitting or authorizing it and said he did not know how his information became associated with the report. SanDiegoVille has not independently determined who submitted the complaint.
The latest inspection once again places the focus squarely on the El Cajon restaurant's documented health history rather than its current letter grade alone. While the establishment has repeatedly returned to passing status, the frequency of major vermin findings is difficult to overlook, particularly given the number of separate incidents documented during 2026.
Black Bear Diner, founded in Mount Shasta, California, in 1995, has grown into a national restaurant chain known for oversized breakfast platters, burgers, homestyle comfort food, and rustic lodge-themed dining rooms. Its restaurants operate through a combination of company-owned and franchised locations, with individual franchisees responsible for their respective operations.
For customers, the October 9 inspection history presents two important facts: county inspectors once again identified conditions serious enough to generate an "Ordered Closed" designation, and a subsequent inspection the same day found no violations. The restaurant's currently displayed A grade reflects its passing inspection status, but the repeated closure entries remain part of its publicly available regulatory record.
Whether the latest corrective actions will prove more lasting than those taken after previous inspections remains to be seen. With four closure designations recorded in 2026 alone, the central question is no longer simply whether the restaurant can pass a follow-up inspection, but whether it can consistently maintain conditions that prevent the same major health violations from recurring.
Black Bear Diner is located at 1025 Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. For more information about the restaurant, visit blackbeardiner.com.
Originally published on October 11, 2026.
