Metro Phoenix restaurants cited for moldy food, unwashed hands and other health violations
Maricopa County health inspectors cited seven restaurants for 33 health violations during the week of Sept. 29. The violations ranged from employees handling customers' meals without washing their hands to moldy 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 Sept. 29, inspectors visited over 1,200 restaurants along with other food-serving facilities in hospitals, senior homes and schools. More than 150 restaurants received an A rating. See a sampling of the many restaurants that inspectors graded A at the end of this article.
6 violations
Sunbar, 24 W. 5th St, Tempe
Bartender processed a customer credit card and then scooped ice without washing hands at the bar. Bartender was directed to wash hands at the time of inspection.
Mold growth was observed on pickles, cut raw scallions, cut romaine lettuce, and sliced raw carrots in water on cookline. All items were discarded.
Low-temperature chemical dishwasher had 0 ppm of chlorine. Machine was ran and primed several times and observed at 0 ppm. Person in charge will call for service on machine.
Pan of thick, white gravy approximately 4 inches deep was cooling in walk-in at 92-95F. Cook had logs showing gravy was put in walk-in approximately 2.5 hours prior. Person in charge discarded gravy.
Container of coleslaw dressing, vegan cheese, hollandaise sauce in clear front fridge were days past discard date. All items were discarded.
Several unlabeled spray bottles containing clear, yellow/green, and blue liquids were in the kitchen and at outdoor bar. Person in charge was able to identify some of the bottles and labeled accordingly as “disinfectant.”
5 violations
Pho Mai, 393 W. Warner Road, Chandler
Employee touched dirty dishes then prepared food without washing hands. Employee directed to wash hands after switching tasks.
Cooked noodles cooling in covered container were at 46-51F. The noodles were discarded.
Vegetable soup on a stove top was at 98F, with the stove top turned off. Soup in hot holding must stay at 135F or above at all times. The soup was discarded.
Cut cabbage was at 72F. Inspectors discussed that cut cabbage must be held in refrigeration or on time control. Cabbage was placed in walk-in to cool.
Concentration of chlorine in sanitizer buckets was measured at above 100 ppm. The chlorine bucket was remade at 50 ppm.
Roma Cucina, 4434 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix
Raw chicken wings and raw eggs were placed above packages of mozzarella cheese. Staff moved eggs and chicken wings to bottom shelf, and placed cheese on rack above raw wings to prevent cross-contamination.
Chlorine sanitizer in sanitizer sink measured 10 ppm. Staff emptied out sanitizer sink and made a new sanitizer solution.
Cooked meatballs and homemade tomato sauce had a probing thermometer temperature of 91-94F. Staff reheated meatballs and sauce to 165F for 15 seconds before placing them back on warming table.
Staff used laundry bleach in compartment sink for sanitizer. Staff was advised that the bleach was not for use as food equipment sanitizer. Staff found the correct bleach, then rewashed, rinsed and sanitized dishes with correct chlorine sanitizer.
Medications were placed on on the ledge leading into the kitchen and also above to-go food container/utensil area/spices shelving. Staff removed all medications and were advised not to store medications in kitchen/food areas to avoid any possible cross-contamination.
Chutney's Indian Cuisine, 1801 E. Baseline Road, Tempe
Employee washed his hands then blew into the gloves to put them on to handle food. Employee re-washed hands and put on clean gloves.
No detectable chlorine in automatic low temperature dishwasher. Manager had sanitizing done manually in the three-compartment sink.
Deep containers of cooked sauces containing onion, garlic, fresh ginger and chilis made the previous day and cooled over night had temperatures measuring between 42F, 57F and 61F. Items were discarded.
Can of paint stored on wire shelf in dry storage room over rice and spices. Employee moved paint to chemical storage.
Shut-off nozzle connected to hose on mop sink faucet was downstream of the atmospheric vacuum breaker. Manager had hose disconnected.
4 violations
Giuseppes Italian Kitchen, 2824 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
Employees washed hands for less than 5 seconds. Proper handwashing procedure is to rinse hands with warm water, scrub with soap for 10-15 seconds, rinse with warm water, dry with new single-use paper towel and turn off handles with paper towel to prevent re-contamination of hands. Entire process should take approximately 20 seconds for full and proper handwashing to prevent spread of pathogens. Employees washed hands for full 20 seconds at time of inspection.
Employee came from outside back door of kitchen through two doors with bare hands. Employee then put on gloves and started to work on customer order at cookline. Hands must be washed when coming from outside the establishment, through doors, and whenever contamination could occur to prevent spread of pathogens. Employee washed hands prior to continuing food prep at time of inspection.
Employee was actively washing dishes at three-compartment sink at time of inspection. Employee stated that chlorine was used as sanitizer. Chlorine concentration was less than 25 ppm, water temperature was at 99F. Employee added more chlorine to bring the level to 50 ppm. Chlorine concentration must be between 50-100 ppm for proper and full sanitation.
Container of bleach and container of dishwashing detergent were sitting on prep table next to oven, open tray of bread, and toaster. A fire extinguisher was stored on a shelf above same prep table. Employee moved chemicals to storage below three-compartment sink. Toxic and potentially hazardous materials must be stored in a way to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces.
Yatai Ramen, 1101 W. University Drive, Tempe
Employee washed hands at three-compartment sink for less than 10 seconds and dried hands using a multi-use towel. Employee was directed to rewash hands at hand washing sink for 20 seconds using soap and to dry hands using single-use paper towel.
Employee grabbed cut green onions from container with bare hands. Cook cut a hard boiled egg and plated the egg with bare hands and then plated cooked pork with bare hands. Green onions were embargoed at time of inspection.
Chemical dishwasher in kitchen had a chlorine concentration of 0 ppm chlorine. Employee primed dishwasher, and ran the machine additional times; no chlorine was observed from any of the runs. Establishment agreed to use three-compartment sink in meantime.
Cooked pork had a temperature of 65F sitting at ambient temperature in cook area. Butter, tofu, noodles, raw shelled eggs, and cooked rice on prep table by the stovetop had temperatures between 48-52F. Tofu, cooked rice, and butter were embargoed at time of inspection.
Maricopa County inspection database: See how your favorites fare
Rusty Taco, 205 E. 7th St, Tempe
Employee left bar area, went into kitchen to grab salsa packets, picked a salsa packet off the ground, then put on gloves and portioned out sauce into a container without washing hands. Employee was directed to wash hands.
Employee grabbed a lime with bare hands and placed the lime onto the rim of a drink for a customer. Employee was directed to use tongs or gloves when handling ready-to-eat cut fruit at the bar.
Raw chicken was stored above raw ground beef in the shelf in the back of the walk-in and raw chicken was stored above raw fish at the prep table. Employee rearranged items to prevent cross-contamination.
Temperature of portioned salsas (red containing tomatoes, green with cooked peppers, and orange with cooked tomatillos) measured between 49-50F in a cold holding bin. Salsas were moved to walk-in to rapid cool.
Look'em up: Check your favorite dining spots in The Republic's new restaurant inspection database
Grade A restaurants
Phoenix
Tortas Paquime, 4344 W. Indian School Road
My Mother's Restaurant Inc, 4130 N. 19th Ave.
Pita Jungle, 20910 N. Tatum Blvd.
Mad Greens, 1515 N. 7th Ave.
Ahipoki Bowl, 1515 N. 7th Ave.
Scottsdale
Blanco, 6166 N. Scottsdale Road
Nekter Juice Bar Mercado, 9301 E Shea Blvd.
Osha Thai Cafe, 10953 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.
Dos Familias Local Mexican, 10885 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.
Chispa's, 8046 E. Thomas Road
East Valley
La Casa Serrano, 141 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler
Crave Pizza, 7641 E. Guadalupe Road, Mesa
Grill n Chop, 2401 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert
Snakes & Lattes, 20 W. 6th St, Tempe
West Valley
Bowlero Glendale ,17210 N. 59th Ave., Glendale
Thai Orchid Garden, 12725 W. Indian School Road, Avondale
Teriyaki Madness, 3010 S. 99th Ave., Tolleson
Manuels Mexican Restaurant, 13319 W. Mcdowell Blvd., Goodyear
Source: Maricopa County Environmental Services
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County health inspections find problems at 7 restaurants
