Improper hand-washing, malfunctioning dishwashers among Phoenix-area restaurant violations

Kunle Falayi and Michael Braga, Arizona Republic
·4 min read

Maricopa County health inspectors cited three restaurants for 12 health violations during the week of Nov. 10. The violations ranged from raw bacon stored above ready-to-eat vegetables in a cooler to an employee handling dirty dishes and then cooking without washing their hands.

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

During the week of Nov. 10, inspectors visited nearly 1,100 restaurants along with other food-serving facilities in hospitals, senior homes and schools. Nearly 170 restaurants received an A rating. See a sampling of the many restaurants that inspectors graded A at the end of this article.

4 violations

New China Gate, 7730 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale

  • An employee handled dirty dishes and then handled clean utensils without any hand-washing. The person in charge had the employee stop, remove the utensils and wash their hands before returning to the cook line.

  • Open packages of thawed raw pork, fish, beef, and other meats were stored above open containers of cooked chicken and other ready-to-eat foods in the reach-in freezer. The person in charge moved the raw meats to the bottom shelf and reorganized the food items to prevent contamination.

  • Handwritten notes with date markings were placed inside food storage containers inside the walk-in cooler. The paper notes were in direct contact with cooked ready-to-eat food items. The person in charge removed the paper notes and disposed of them.

  • The mechanical dishwasher was connected to a container of white vinegar instead of a chemical sanitizer. The person in charge set up the three-compartment sink for manual washing until the mechanical dishwasher could be resupplied with chemical sanitizer.

Uncovered: Expired food, dirty meat cutter among health violations in metro Phoenix restaurant inspections

4 violations

Caramba, 7318 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 101, Scottsdale

  • An employee handled dirty dishware at the dishwashing machine. The employee then handled clean dishware without washing hands. The manager instructed the employee on proper hand-washing.

  • An employee at the bar used bare hands to place ready-to-eat cut fruit on customer drinks. The employee was instructed to use tongs or gloves to place the fruit on drinks after proper hand-washing.

  • The dishwasher in the bar had no detectable chlorine sanitizer. After several attempts to prime the machine, employees were unable to repair it and a chemical company was called. Operation of the dishwashing machine was discontinued until it could be repaired.

  • Cut tomatoes, cut lettuce, sour cream, pico salsa, and shredded cheese were on a prep table on the cook line with internal temperatures of 49 F to 55 F. The foods were moved to a walk-in cooler to rapidly cool back down to the proper cold-holding temperature.

4 violations

Carniceria El Herradero, 1416 E. Broadway Road, Mesa

  • Packages of raw bacon were stored directly above ready-to-eat food, such as vegetables and cheeses, inside the fridge at the back of the kitchen. The person in charge moved bacon to the lowest shelf to prevent cross-contamination.

  • Cooked chiles rellenos, beef rib and salsa verde pork were inside the deli’s hot holding unit at an internal temperature of 120 F. The person in charge reheated and moved the meats to another hot holding unit at the time of inspection.

  • Green salsa, red salsa, avocado salsa, pico de gallo, and lettuce were at the salsa bar at an internal temperature of 49 F. The person in charge discarded the salsa at the time of inspection.

  • The chlorine sanitizer level in the three-compartment sink was below 50 parts per million. The person in charge put more bleach in the sanitizer compartment, reaching a concentration of least 50 ppm at the time of inspection.

Grade A restaurants

Phoenix

  • Manuel's Restaurant & Lounge, 2820 E. Indian School Road

  • El Mesquite Restaurant, 26 E. Baseline Road

  • Bikini Cocktail Lounge, 1502 Grand Ave.

  • Tortas El Guero, 2518 N. 16th St.

  • Dinos Gyros and The Crowned Egg, 1319 E. Chandler Blvd.

Scottsdale

  • Arrivederci, 7101 E. Thunderbird Road

  • Fiesta Burrito, 7402 E. McDowell Road

  • Tapas Papa Frita, 7114 E. Stetson Drive

  • Koibito Poke, 7135 E. Camelback Road

  • Uniq Burger, 7730 E. McDowell Road

East Valley

  • Haji Baba Food, 1513 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe

  • Mesquite Grill, 75 W. Baseline Road, Gilbert

  • El Torito Super Carniceria, 18337 E. Santan Blvd., Queen Creek

  • Tum Nak Thai, 2060 S. Power Road, Mesa

  • Flaming Kabob, 2252 E. Baseline Road, Mesa

West Valley

  • Mariscos Las Playitas, 10957 W. Buckeye Road, Avondale

  • Taste of Italy, 3810 S. Estrella Pkwy., Goodyear

  • New Asian Star, 2755 S. 99th Ave., Tolleson

  • Love Hawaiian Barbecue, 6002 N. 67th Ave., Glendale

  • Chef Panda, 15601 W. Bell Road, Surprise

Source: Maricopa County Environmental Services

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 3 Phoenix-area restaurants see health violations in latest inspections