Old milk, salsa bar with no sneeze guard among Phoenix-area restaurants' health violations

Kunle Falayi, Arizona Republic
Updated ·4 min read

Maricopa County health inspectors cited five restaurants for 22 health violations during the week of July 21. The violations ranged from moldy food to bare handling customers' ready-to-eat food.

A priority violation is a major violation that directly contributes to an increased risk of foodborne illness or injury. If listed in the inspection reports, remedies implemented during the inspection are noted.

During the week of July 21, inspectors visited more than 1,100 restaurants as well as other food-serving facilities in hospitals, senior homes and schools. Over 200 restaurants were given an A rating. See a sampling of the many restaurants that inspectors graded A at the end of this article.

5 violations

Murrietas Carniceria No. 2, 1911 W. Broadway Road, Mesa

  • Dishes were washed, rinsed and sanitized in a solution containing less than 10 ppm of chlorine sanitizer. | Manager emptied the solution and refilled the compartment with a solution measuring 50 ppm.

  • Container of cooling cueritos (rolled cooked pork skin) did not cool properly. | Manager voluntarily discarded the pork.

  • Cooked chicharrones and cooked rice in hot holding found to be below proper temperature. | The rice was reheated to 165 degrees while the chicharrones were discarded.

  • Salsa prep cooler had an ambient air temperature of 51 degrees. Food items including pico de gallo, sliced cabbage and salsa had internal temperatures ranging from 48-50 degrees. | Cold holding unit was adjusted to reduce temperature to 41 degrees or less.

  • A self-service salsa bar had no self-closing lid or sneeze guard to help prevent against contamination. | Restaurant directed to install individual lids or sneeze guards.

Dennys No. 6306, 825 S. 48th St., Tempe

  • Employee in the cookline area touched face multiple times and then handled food items and clean equipment without washing hands. | Employee was asked to wash hands.

  • Raw eggs were stored directly over open container of macaroni/cheese and condiments in the walk-in cooler. | Employee relocated the eggs to proper location.

  • Sausage, hollandaise sauce, ham, turkey, steak, chicken and hash browns had temperature measuring between 48-60 degrees in the walk-in cooler. | All items were discarded.

  • Two expired cartons of milk were found in the walk-in cooler. | Employee discarded the milk.

  • The floor drain/sink next to the walk-in cooler where the condensate drip line is located is not draining. | Restaurant directed to repair the plumbing.

4 violations

Cafe Morning Buzz, 2540 S. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert

  • Employee touched their phone and then touched tortilla without washing hands. | Employee was directed to wash hands.

  • Kitchen employee touched tortilla with bare hands. | Employee discarded tortilla.

  • Chorizo, ham, diced tomatoes, diced soft bacon, steak, hamburger patties and French toast mix in cold holding drawers had temperatures above proper level.

  • A hose was attached to mop sink with the end sitting in the basin. | An air gap shall be provided to prevent cross-contamination.

Richie's Philly Steak, 3111 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler

  • Employee changed gloves while handling food without washing hands. | Employee was directed to wash hands.

  • Temperature of cold-held cheese and cut lettuce had measured between 51 degrees and 53 degrees. | Items were moved to the reach-in to re-cool.

  • A can of paint and bottle of soap concentrate were stored on the food prep sink sideboard. | Items were relocated to proper storage.

  • Shut-off nozzle was connected to hose on mop sink faucet downstream of the atmospheric vacuum breaker with the water turned on. | Nozzle was disconnected to prevent back-flow. Rigid drain pipe to be replaced.

Bird Talk Chicken, 960 W. University Drive, Tempe

  • Mold was growing on an open bag of shredded cheese. | Employee discarded the cheese.

  • Eggs were stored above a box of lettuce in the walk-in. | A person in charge moved the eggs below the box of lettuce to prevent cross-contamination.

  • The mixture in a sanitization bucket with chlorine sanitizer tested above 200 ppm. | A person in charge diluted sanitization bucket and the sanitizer solution retested at 100 ppm.

  • There was no backflow prevention device on a hose with a sprayer nozzle connected to a faucet. | Employee removed the hose from the faucet of the mop sink and the sprayer nozzle connected to the faucet.

Restaurant inspection database: See how your Maricopa County favorites fare

Grade A restaurants

Phoenix

  • Kikka Sushi, 7111 E. Mayo Blvd.

  • Horse Shoe Restaurant, 2140 W. Buckeye Road.

  • El Capri, 2135 E. Van Buren St.

  • City Hall Grill, 200 W. Washington St.

  • Andy's Frozen Custard, 12925 S. 48th St.

Scottsdale

  • Parma Italian Roots, 20831 N. Scottsdale Road.

  • Virtù, 3701 N. Marshall Way.

  • Pars Persian Cuisine, 11144 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

  • Manuel's Mexican Food Restaurant, 8809 E. Mountain View Road.

  • Ramen Hood, 15807 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

Violations: Dishwashing issues among these Phoenix-area restaurants' health violations

East Valley

  • Chili's, 400 W. University Dive, Tempe

  • Bobby-Q's, 1610 S. Stapley Drive, Mesa

  • Taco 'N' More, 4622 S. Higley Road, Gilbert

  • Cadence @ Carino Commons, 100 W. Queen Creek Road, Chandler

West Valley

  • Garden Pizza, 781 S. Cotton Lane, Suite 125, Goodyear

  • Ajk Chinese Cuisine, 1535 N. Dysart Road, Suite A3, Avondale

  • Chef Panda, 15601 W. Bell Road, Suite 402, Surprise

  • Razzleberriez Yogurt, 6751 N. Sunset Blvd., Suite E-106, Glendale

Source: Maricopa County Environmental Services

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Metro Phoenix restaurants cited for moldy food, unwashed hands