‘Vermin infestation’ closes popular Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse location in Marina Del Rey’

A “vermin infestation” has forced a well-known steakhouse in Marina Del Rey to shut its doors.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse — a spot that charges diners more than $70 dollars for a filet and $20 bucks for cocktail was shut down on Feb. 17, according to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. 

During the inspection of the upscale establishment, the health inspectors found several violations. Two of the five violations were categorized as “Major.” The two major violations were for “no insects, rodents, birds or animals present” and “food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized.”

The other violations included equipment storage and structure upkeep … but they were not major issues.

When The California Post called the location Thursday, a person who answered the phone said it was open for business.

“The results of our latest health inspection do not reflect our commitment to running a clean and safe restaurant. We complied with the health department’s decision to close the restaurant following pest activity confined to a small area of the restaurant and have actively worked with our pest control provider to address the issue. We will reopen tonight at 6 p.m. for dinner service,” a rep for the restaurant told The Post.

“The health and safety of our Guests and Team Members is very important to us. We pride ourselves on having the cleanest and safest restaurants in the business, and we’re committed to preventing something like this from happening again,” they continued.

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On the Reddit thread r/FoodLosAngeles, one poster said they weren’t surprised.

“From my experience at this particular Ruth, I’m not surprised. Last time I was there we sat at the bar and it was absolutely filthy,” the commenter alleged.  “Full bus tubs everywhere, nothing wiped down. We ended up just getting a drink and bouncing without getting food, and we even had a gift card.”

Others noted their shock to learn the problem at the expensive eatery.

“Man all those sky-high-prices don’t cover rodent infestation!,” the person commented.

Dozens of restaurants in Los Angeles County have been shut down for “vermin infestations” in just the last few weeks, according to the county health department’s lengthy list. Most of the closures lasted between 2-5 days.

Santa Monica hotspot Elephante, where a ribeye steak goes for $120 and fancy cocktails go for $20, was forced to close on Jan. 20 due to the presence of pests, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Health.

It reopened two days later after the issues had been remedied, according to the health department.The entire list of offenders can be found on the Los Angeles County Public Health Department’s website.