Priority violations at 39 Livingston County restaurants in July
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — Each month, the Livingston County Health Department inspects restaurants and schools for unsafe food practices.
The Daily suspended publishing monthly restaurant inspection reports during the pandemic, but inspectors continued filing them. The reports are available at swordsolutions.com/inspections.
Good food safety practices are critical to preventing foodborne illness and promoting public health. The Daily publishes reports on "priority" violations — ones that could "directly lead to contamination of food or increase the risk of transmitting a foodborne illness,” as well as corrective measures taken.
Follow-up inspections are also provided, if priority violation corrections were unresolved at the end of the previous month.
A total of 39 dining establishments inspected in July had priority violations found during routine inspections or follow-up inspections.
Four priority violations were found at the following locations:
Don Juan Mexican Restaurant, 9475 Village Place Boulevard in Brighton
A cooler under a grill was holding food at 45-46 degrees. Foods were moved to a different cooler. An employee handled raw meat with gloves and did not wash their hands before changing gloves. Soda nozzles contained syrup residue. They were washed and sanitized during the inspection. A water pitcher and sanitizer bucket were stored in hand washing sinks.
El Cerro Grande, 10572 Highland Road in Hartland
An employee was handling limes with bare hands. A dirty slicer was found and cleaned. A lid on a chip bin was cracked. Refried beans were holding at 178 degrees after about an hour. They were placed in shallow metal pans to cool more rapidly.
El Toro, 101 Brookside, Suite L in Brighton
Raw chicken was stored above raw beef and fish. It was moved to a bottom drawer. An employee did not wash their hands after touching raw chicken. An employee touched raw chicken and rinsed his gloves, handled a cell phone and touched his hat and apron. A sauce was cooled improperly. It was placed in a proper ice bath.
Independence Village of Brighton Valley, 7700 Nemco Way in Brighton
Three cans were dented. They were set aside to return to the vendor. There were no paper towels at a hand sink. A fan and cart were blocking hand sinks. They were moved during the inspection. A mixer was soiled, and a slicer was dirty behind the blade.
Three priority violations were found at the following locations:
Jimmy John's, 1504 Lawson in Howell
Recently sliced deli meats were stockpiled on a table, holding at 45-48 degrees. They were moved to a cooler. An employee did not wash their hands after leaving the cashier station. An ice machine had some mold growth inside.
New Asia, 10030 Highland Road/M-59 in Hartland
A tray of raw eggs was stored above ready-to-eat items in a cooler. They were moved below. There was no soap in a restroom and wait station hand sink. Staff provided soap during the inspection. A manufacturer's label was missing from bleach. It was removed from the restaurant.
No Thai, 8367 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
Cooked chicken was improperly cooled, holding at 43-49 degrees. It was discarded. Food cooling in pans was at room temperature. The hand dryer in the bathroom was not working. Hand towels were provided during the inspection.
Two priority violation were found at the following locations:
Cheryl's Place, 4683 S. Old U.S.-23 in Brighton
Cold foods in a salad prep cooler were stored above 41 degrees. Pans restricting air flow were removed to allow for proper temperature regulation to correct the violation. A hand sink did not have paper towels. The dispenser was refilled.
Dough Creations, 1243 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell
Raw shell eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods in a cooler. They were moved to a bottom shelf. Employees were dumping liquids and ice and rinsing containers in a hand sink. Staff was educated and an extra hand sink sign was created.
Dragon Court, 7570 E. M-36 in Whitmore Lake
During an enforcement follow-up inspection, there was raw chicken stored over cheese, raw beef, and sauces, and a bowl of raw beef stored over vegetables. Surfaces were visibly dirty, including on a slicer, can opener, shelving, and storage bins.
Kerby's Koney Island, 9855 Village Place Boulevard in Brighton
A container of ranch past its discard date was found and discarded during the inspection. Several cans were dented. They were discarded.
Poke Fresh, 9864 E. Grand River Ave. Suite 120 in Brighton
Fried rice was holding at 110-115 degrees. The temperature of a hot holding unit was adjusted higher during the inspection. A hand sink contained a strainer and was being used for culinary purposes.
Wendy's, 8545 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
A manager touched lettuce while taking temperature with a probe. An employee touched french fries with bare hands when grabbing a full container from the inside with their thumb. American cheese in a cooler was holding at 60 degrees with no time stamp on it. It was discarded.
One priority violation was found at the following locations:
Howell Nature Center, 1005 Triangle Lake Road in Howell
There were no water test strips in a three-compartment sink.
Hungry Howie's, 601 W. Grand River Ave. in Fowlerville
Bags of steak and chicken had an old date marking label on a container. A proper label was attached during the inspection.
Jet's Pizza, 120 W. Highland Road/M-59, Suite 800 in Howell
Several cans of sliced mushrooms were severely dented. They were discarded during the inspection.
KFC, 9689 E. M-36 in Whitmore Lake
Mashed potatoes, corn, and macaroni and cheese were holding around 90 degrees in a hot holding unit. A manager realized an off switch must have been bumped. It was turned back on.
Los Tres Amigos, 4184 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell
Many items in coolers were dated for eight days instead of seven. Proper date labels were attached during the inspection.
McDonald's, 10600 Highland Road in Hartland
There were no paper towels at a hand sink.
McDonald's, 11033 Whitmore Lake Road in Whitmore Lake
Cooked eggs were stored directly on top of raw shell eggs in a cooler. There were moved to a walk-in cooler.
Ocean Star Chinese Restaurant, 10578 Highland Road/M-59 in Hartland
Soiled single-use gloves were being reused. They were discarded.
Olive Garden, 6870 Whitmore Lake Road in Brighton
A dishwasher handled dirty dishes and a cell phone before handling clean dishes.
Panera Bread, 8365 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
Shredded mozzarella and rice were holding at 58 degrees and 55 degrees respectively. They were discarded.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, 8522 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
Two knives on a magnetic strip had food debris on them. They were soaked and then taken back to the dish machine to be re-washed.
Subway, 7491 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
A chlorine sanitizer bottle was below 50 ppm. It was remade at the proper concentration during the inspection.
Taco Bell, 8541 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
Two soda fountain nozzles contained syrup residue. They were cleaned during the inspection.
Thai Café, 215 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell
Spouts were holding at 70 degrees in a container sitting at room temperature. They were discarded.
Tony Sacco's Coal Oven, 10051 Highland Road/M-59, Suite 1 in Hartland
Ham and spinach dip were beyond their consume-by dates. Cooked chicken was not dated. They were discarded.
Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage
Priority violations were re-inspected at the following locations:
Acapulco Mexican Grill, 675 W. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
A follow-up inspection on five priority violations was conducted. Coolers had been repaired. There were no instances of cross-contamination. Proper food cooling was observed. Hand sinks had been stocked with paper towel. Staff had been retrained.
Legacy Center, 9299 Goble Drive in Brighton
A follow-up inspection on four priority violations was conducted. Coolers in concession stands were holding food at 53 degrees and 44-46 degrees. Foods were discarded during the inspection. Hot dogs and brats were not dated. They were discarded. There were no paper towels at hand sinks. There was no date marking system in place.
M Street Baking Co., 117 N. Michigan Ave. in Howell
A follow-up inspection on two priority violations was conducted. No moldy food was observed. The baking company was in the process of labeling all retail food items that require labeling.
Shamrock Lounge, 9859 E. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
A follow-up inspection on two priority violations was conducted. Proper cleaning and dating were observed.
Subway, 8085 Country Corner Drive in Fowlerville
A follow-up inspection on two priority violations was conducted. Proper food temperatures were observed. A hand sink was accessible at the time of inspection, and product containers were no longer stacked around a hand sink.
Best Western Hartland, 10087 Highland Road/M-59 in Hartland Township
A follow-up inspection on one priority violation was conducted. The hotel provided health officials with a photograph showing they had the proper water testing strips.
Cajun Joe's, 5757 Whitmore Lake Road in Brighton
A follow-up inspection on one priority violation was conducted. The restaurant provided health officials with a photograph showing they had the proper water test kit.
Hungry Howie's, 603 W. Grand River Ave., Suite E in Brighton
A follow-up inspection on one priority violation found a pizza prep cooler holding food at 47-58 degrees. Foods were discarded during the inspection. Food in another cooler was holding properly at 41 degrees or below.
Log Cabin, 5393 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell
A follow-up on one priority violation was conducted. The restaurant sent the health department photographs of a properly sanitized ice machine and pop guns.
Wendy's, 1967 Blaine Road in Hartland
A follow-up inspection on one priority violation was conducted. A cooler near a grill line was holding food at a proper temperature of 40.5-41 degrees.
Wong Express House, 9912 E. Grand River Ave. in Brighton
A follow up inspection on one priority violation was conducted. The restaurant emailed the health department showing a digital probe thermometer. During the previous routine inspection, an employee did not wash their hands after touching raw chicken.
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Priority violations at 39 Livingston County restaurants in July
