Terra Restaurant and Bar at Eataly Silicon Valley had its health permit suspended for vermin contamination.
The upscale rooftop eatery, located on the third floor of the Italian marketplace in San Jose, was shut down Friday after a Santa Clara County inspector found live and dead cockroaches in its kitchen. An inspector with the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health discovered a live cockroach crawling on the wall above the hand-washing sink, as well as dead cockroaches in the food preparation area, according to the inspection report. The county acted after receiving a public complaint and examining the entire Eataly facility.
Terra was ordered to undertake a thorough cleaning of the facility. That included clearing encrusted food from preparation tables, beneath equipment, and from floors and walls. The wider investigation of the Eataly building found no evidence of rodents, but did uncover evidence of vermin on the third floor where Terra operates.
Restaurant management told inspectors it had completed pest control services and was cleaning and sanitizing the restaurant while discarding potentially contaminated food. The establishment can request a reinspection once all outstanding issues have been resolved, and it will be allowed to reopen if it passes the follow-up check.
One reinspection will be conducted free of charge. Any additional visits over the same issue could cost the restaurant $282 per hour during business hours or a minimum of $645 outside business hours. The fee structure is standard for Santa Clara County’s environmental health enforcement program.
The closure marks a significant disruption for one of the flagship dining destinations within the Eataly complex, which opened in Silicon Valley as part of the upscale Italian food hall’s expansion across the United States. Eataly locations typically combine retail markets with multiple restaurants and food counters under one roof.
In the viral moment that triggered the county’s intervention, a public complaint prompted inspectors to examine the entire Eataly facility. The complaint specifically highlighted a vermin infestation concern. While the broader inspection cleared other areas of the building, the third-floor location of Terra Restaurant and Bar became the focal point when inspectors documented both live and dead cockroaches in food preparation zones. The findings led to an immediate suspension of Terra’s health permit rather than a lower-level violation citation.
The incident adds to a string of high-profile restaurant closures across California and nationwide due to pest infestations. Health departments in major metropolitan areas have reported increased complaint-driven inspections as diners become more vigilant about posting concerns on social media and reporting issues directly to authorities. Santa Clara County maintains an online database of inspection results available for public review.
Terra’s management has not issued any public statement on its social media channels regarding the closure or its timeline for reopening. The restaurant’s Instagram page, which typically features dishes from its wood-fired menu and rooftop cocktails, had no mention of the health suspension as of the weekend following the closure.