A restaurant closure on Maui has exposed a troubling gap in Hawaii’s food safety system. The shutdown of Ramen Bones in Kahului due to a cockroach infestation highlights a more significant issue: the public’s growing inability to access critical health inspection data.
How Ramen Bones went red.
During a follow-up inspection on March 17, 2025, the Department of Health (DOH) issued a red placard after finding an untreated cockroach infestation and evidence of active breeding inside walk-in refrigerator seals. The restaurant previously received a yellow placard on March 13, requiring professional pest control, which had not been conducted. The immediate shutdown followed.
To reopen, the restaurant must complete a pest treatment plan, clean kitchen surfaces, and implement ongoing pest control procedures. While the health violation is serious, the broader concern is the public’s inability to know where other similar issues may be occurring.
Inspection access is now more challenging than ever.
Hawaii once had an easily searchable inspection site where residents and visitors could see which restaurants had recently been cited or closed. That is no longer possible. The DOH’s updated website only allows searches by exact restaurant names. There is no apparent way to browse recent infractions, review closures by location, or monitor repeat offenders.
This shift to a less accessible system raises questions about whether the state prioritizes convenience for businesses over public health. It’s harder for residents and visitors to make informed dining decisions without the ability to browse violations. A reader recently shared how she spotted a roach crawling across the table while dining in Kapolei, only to discover that checking the restaurant’s inspection history had become nearly impossible.
The situation is even more opaque for visitors unfamiliar with Hawaii’s inspection system. As another reader put it, diners are left to “flip a coin” when deciding where to eat.
The placard system isn’t enough.
Hawaii restaurants must display green, yellow, or red placards, but many travelers are unaware of their meaning or that they exist. Green indicates a pass. Yellow means serious violations remain. Red signals closure due to health risks, as in the Ramen Bones case.
The placards were designed to inform the public at a glance. But without better outreach and online support, they serve limited value. With no public database of violations, diners must spot the card or know to search in advance—two things rarely happen on vacation.
Why this matters more in Hawaii.
Hawaii’s warm, humid climate makes pest control more difficult among other restaurant concerns. With high restaurant turnover and constant tourist volume, issues can emerge quickly. Dining choices are also more limited in remote or rural areas of Hawaii, increasing risk when safety records are hidden.
For visitors with limited dining opportunities, unknowingly eating at a recently cited restaurant is unsettling. Even one unsafe meal could derail a vacation. And for residents, the loss of transparency leaves them wondering how many other violations go unnoticed.
Some commenters have voiced concern that the DOH’s changes reflect a broader trend in state government: making public data harder to access and holding fewer entities accountable. Others speculated whether the state is simply trying to reduce scrutiny. Regardless of the reason, the result is the same—less information and more uncertainty.
What you can do when eating out.
While the system is now more challenging to navigate, there are still steps diners can take.
- Check placards. Look for green, yellow, or red cards posted near restaurant entrances. Yellow means violations were found, and red means the restaurant was closed.
- Search online. You can look up inspection results for specific restaurants at inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/soh, though the interface is not intuitive and requires knowing the restaurant’s name. Even then, it can be challenging.
- Trust your instincts. A restaurant that appears unclean or poorly maintained may reflect issues behind the scenes. Visible dirt, disorganization, or odors can be warning signs.
While these steps can help, they don’t address the root issue: the need for a more transparent and user-friendly inspection system. Residents and visitors should advocate for better access by contacting the DOH or supporting efforts to restore public oversight.
What this tells us about Hawaii’s food safety system.
The closure of Ramen Bones reminds us that serious violations still happen, but the public has lost key tools to identify them. The state’s revamped inspection platform may look more modern, but its usefulness has eroded. The old ability to view trends, closures, and island-wide reports is gone.
Hawaii’s food safety system must do better. Until transparency improves, how can diners trust that their meals are safe?
We welcome your comments.
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Bet you could ask one those AI Chat Bots to look for you and it could come up with a list…
Might be worth a try.
I need to say this in a gingerly fashion. I am always watching restaurants, and its employees when I am visiting them. Especially in tropical climates. And now that there are many individuals that are seeking employment with lesser quality control backgrounds and challenged vaccination beliefs, my dining out days are becoming less. Cooking in my condo is the new norm. I can’ take the chance as a senior traveler. It’s sad, because I love helping the locals in any way I can. BTW, I do the same at home now too. Rarely eat out.
Aloha BOH , I have tried to use the DOH web site, entering the establishment name and zip code. The range of inspection dates is the point at which I could go no further. It only allowed the last three months.
It would not allow a different time period. Why not a year long range or longer to encapsulate the big picture.
We have been going to the Islands for over 50 years and have seen plenty of nasty kitchens and dining areas, we do avoid them. Yet even what would appear as a clean establishment can have underlying issues.
Mahalo
Food Safety is critical!
The public has a right to know!
I am sick of the SOH deferring to
anyone but the public’s interest!
This happens when one group or
party is in control for multiple generations!
Until Hawaiians demand better and
provide consequences, this will continue
to be the case.
Hawaii needs a deep dive audit to show
where our tax money is going!
Harbor Pub, Waikiki is a famous established restaurant for many who live here and guests.
Smart to only sit at the bar or f tables with chairs, as cockroaches commonly appear from the cushions in the “booths”.
To my knowledge, do not know if restaurant has ever been inspected.
Been to the Harbor Many times, one of the few places open during the Pandemic (Walked over after a 9 hour flight to get a pizza) you’re spot on, but still, a very cool establishment. Try the Bratwurst Breakfast. If the cook shows up…. 😀
Best Regards
Thank you for the placard tip and website. I will put the website in my phone for quick access on my next Hawaii vacation.
Not only the roach is the problem it’s the diseases left behind from their excrements. I think roaches can multiply quickly in just a few days so good luck. Bad for people with respitory problems and health issues. IMO this is a stab in the face to the uneducated tourist and see not all Hawaiian’s pass the so called Aloha Spirit. Gross, Just Gross. Please save the roaches for those who feel they are the Hawaiian Entitled. IMO so disrespectful to any tourist that partrons your restaurant. If you want to show tourist’s not welcome this is one way to do it.
I didn’t know there was a yellow placard. Thought it was just pass(green) or fail(red) which I think is pretty meaningless. In Seattle (King county Washington) we at least have a grading scale of Excellent/Good/Okay/Needs to improve(closed within last 90 days or needed multiple inspections) posted on their doors to use as a guide prior to stepping into the restaurant.
I wish reporting sanitation issues was more transparent. Shockingly, I was ordering from the deli counter last year at an always busy Safeway in Kaanapali. I saw a young roach on the metal counter.
I had no idea what to do. These bugs move fast so saying anything may have caused a disagreement. But I felt like I needed to do something so I left a message on the health department website. I never heard back from them. 🤷♀️
We go to Maui every year and love it. We know roaches are a part of the environment. But they are disgusting creatures. 🫣
I agree and although, many locals will state roaches are here to stay, I know for a fact, They Do Not Have To Be In Your Home, Condo, Or Hotel, Or Eateries. It Is Disgusting and Dangerous.
No thanks, I’ve lost my ‘appetite’ for traveling to ‘paradise’ !
The State’s Inspection (non-inspection) website is a sad joke–like most of the govt. feeble attempts to do it’s job when it comes to health and safety. Guess they’re spending more time how to figure out how to boast salaries and pad agencies with relatives than protect locals and visitors. Hey, let’s all take the afternoon off and just go fishing.
This is no surprise. I was a health inspector for over 20 years on the mainland and lived in Hawaii for 11 years. It is pretty standard in many parts of the US, at least in California, to inspect restaurant kitchens 3 times a year. But Hawaii has no such requirements. Many restaurants are lucky if they see an inspector once a year. Usually it is more like once every 2 or 3 years. You always hope the owners are on top of their business and cleanliness but not always. And there is the issue of the climate which attracts bugs. But until the state hires more inspectors and can up the frequency of inspections the problems will continue.
We always place bug bombs in our car and condo. One time we had a rental car we didn’t. A huge cockroach ran across our son’s lap.
Even if our condo has been sprayed, we open cabinets and bomb again. They are good had hiding.
Even very clean places have challenges.
With restaurants, we visited a downstairs restaurant that had a sick one walk by. We found out the upstairs restaurant had sprayed, so the healthy and sick cockroaches relocated. They are part of Hawaii life.
Over the years I’ve made a practice to bug bomb the rental cars and rooms depending on where they are…. generally Maui, Big Island and Oahu….
One would think that management would do more to get control of this massive situation
Ever read the labels on the sides of those bug bombs? The health risks of you and your family being exposed to those toxins far, far outweigh the theoretical health risks of the occasional roach walking around minding its own business. Sorry to break it to you.
Still no excuse for roaches in an eating or rental environment..Period