Four Ozarks establishments have trouble getting water hot enough for handwashing this week

Four Greene County restaurants had problems with getting hot water this past week, according to Springfield-Greene County Health Department food inspection reports.

Inspectors found that at least one sink lacked hot water at the following establishments: Bellacino's Pizza and Grinders at 2586 S. Glenstone Ave., Cedars Restaurant at 3322 S. Campbell Ave., Mama Jean's Deli and Production Kitchen at 228 W. Sunshine St., and Nobaked Cookie Dough. Water at hand sinks are supposed to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In some reports, it was noted that other sinks in the establishments had hot water. The majority of sinks having issues were restroom sinks, according to reports.

Food inspections take place one to three times a year, depending on the type of food served, the population served, difficulty of food preparation and past history. Restaurants preparing food from raw ingredients are inspected more often "than convenience stores that serve only non-potentially hazardous foods, such as popcorn and soda," according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

Each report identifies what was happening at the establishment at that time. Consumers who want to know whether a violation is a one-time thing or a pattern are encouraged to refer to previous reports.

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Issues found during inspection fall into either priority or non-priority violations. Priority violations impact the safety of the food, such as cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food, improper food temperature and poor personal hygiene and employee health. Multiple priority violations can lead to an establishment being shut down. Non-priority violations alone do not directly affect food safety, such as dirty floors, sticky tabletops or outside trash cans not being covered.

Here are food inspections from the past week:

Bellacino's Pizza and Grinders, 2586 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed employee washing hands in a sink with only cold water operating, education was given on not using this sink until hot water is fixed. Three non-priority violations: Observed hand-wash sink closest to dish area has no hot water; observed mop sink not draining properly; observed frozen meat sitting on counter to thaw, which was corrected by moving the meat to the walk-in cooler to thaw.

Big Whiskey's Republic, 900 N. Old Town Ave., Republic. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed beard restraint requirements. Two priority violations: Observed insufficient sanitizer in bar sink, which was corrected at time of inspection; observed can opener was not clean, which was corrected at time of inspection. No non-priority violations.

Burger King No. 24139, 1929 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed complaint about beard restraints and requirements, person in charge said they had addressed complaint with employees. One priority violation: Observed tartar sauce with manufacturer discard date of Jan. 12 was still in use, which was corrected by discarding the product. Two non-priority violations: Observed foods on time-only control were not marked with discard time, which was corrected at time of inspection; observed test strips expired September 2023, which was corrected by discarding test strips and getting ones that are not expired to use.

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Caracas House LLC, Springfield. Jan. 18 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority item corrected, foods held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below. No violations noted.

Casey's General Store No. 3010, 325 W. Cardinal Drive, Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Catering Creations, 5000 W. Samuel Cedars Lane, Rogersville. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Cedars Restaurant, 3322 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: active. Three priority violations: Observed raw shell eggs stored over vegetables in walk-in cooler, corrected by moving boxed vegetables from beneath the shell eggs and storing them away from eggs; observed raw chicken stored next to raw pork pan with bags of raw pork touching the chicken pan, corrected by rearranged items so there is separation between types of raw animal proteins; observed dish machine dispensing 10 parts per million chlorine into dish machine, corrected by repairman arriving at time of inspection and changing squeeze tube. One non-priority violation: Observed hot water only reaching 74 degrees in women's bathroom.

China King of Springfield LLC, 2123 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: Observed foods at temperatures above 41 degrees, like the chicken at 43 degrees and cream cheese at 43 degrees. One non-priority violation: Observed cooked noodles cooling in 6-inch deep pan, which was corrected at time of inspection.

Chuck E. Cheese, 3500 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Cielito Lindo, 3530 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed employee leaning on the bar and eating chips, employee washed hands when asked, corrected on site and education provided that employees should only eat in designated break areas; observed rice in steam table at 99 degrees to 102 degrees, which was corrected by reheating in over to over 165 degrees. One non-priority violation: Observed refried beans cooling in tall half-size metal pans, which was corrected on site and will be cooled in smaller quantities in the walk-in cooler in future.

Cox Walnut Lawn - MORH, 3535 S. National Ave., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed condensate ice build up below compressor fans.

Dairy Queen No. 11131, 2300 W. College St., Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. Five priority violations: Observed white queso reheating for 2 and a half hours at 85 degrees, which was corrected by voluntarily discarding product; observed open can of white queso stored on dry goods shelf since previous day, which should have been refrigerated after opening, corrected by voluntarily discarding product; observed buildup on two tomato slicers and a can opener, which was corrected on site by moving equipment to the three-vat sink for cleaning and sanitizing; observed employee wiped gloved hands on soiled cloth, then grabbed napkins to put in bag with food, which was corrected by providing education and the employee changing gloves; observed bag of rodent bait not in a covered, tamper-proof station, which was corrected by sweeping up bait and discarding it. Two non-priority violations: Observed lighting in back area uncovered; observed pans stored on dry good shelf and Blizzard mixing machine no longer in use being stored on-site.

Dollar Tree No. 7439, 2759 W. Republic Road, Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. Discussed damaged canned goods and what is acceptable. Walk-in cooler door covered with shelving and boxes and was not able to get inside to check temperatures. Will conduct compliance check next week to check walk-in cooler temperatures. No violations cited.

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Ed V. Williams School, 2205 W. Kearney St., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Edible Arrangements, 1336 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan 18 suspended permit re-inspection – Result: Approved. No violations noted.

Flat Creek Bar and Grill, 772 E. U.S. Highway 60 East, Republic. Jan. 18 complaint inspection – Result: active. Restaurant is not vacuum packaging products and have replaced their vacuum packager machine with a hot-sealing machine. All foods were properly cooled and held at proper temperatures. No violations noted.

Fulbright Early Childhood Development, 3373 W. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 24 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed at time of inspection.

Happy China, 820 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed raw shell eggs stored over green peppers in walk-in cooler, which was corrected on site; observed chlorine solution for wiping cloths was over 200 ppm, which was corrected by re-making the solution at proper concentration. No non-priority violations.

Hilton Garden Inn - Pavilion Grill, 4155 S. Nature Center Way, Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed utensil being stored unclean on magnetic strip holder in kitchen when it is required to be stored clean, which was corrected at time of inspection.

Jimmy John's No. 1838, 3305 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed employee rub forearm against nose while spreading mayonnaise on bread without washing hands after rubbing nose, which was corrected on site by employee washing hands and putting on new gloves. One non-priority violation: Observed daylight coming through gaps at corners of back door.

K Fried Chicken, 3050 S. National Ave., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Krab Kingz, 3014 S. National Ave., Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Kum & Go No. 1463, 3434 W. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed multiple cans of bean dip on shelf with dents along seams and side, which was corrected by pulling cans to be returned to vendor. No non-priority violations.

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Kung Fu Taco, 3354 S. National Ave., Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed open energy drink can in food preparation area, which was corrected by removing the can.

Lucky Cat Boba Tea and Taiyaki, 3424 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Mama Jean's Deli and Production Kitchen, 228 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: Observed soup cooling for three and a half hours at 98 degrees, which was corrected on site by reheating soup to 165 degrees and restarting cooling process; observed dish machine not dispensing sanitizer. One non-priority violation: Observed employee bathroom handwashing sinks do not have hot water and handwashing sink by bakery area has 62 degree water.

Mama Jean's Deli and Production Kitchen, 228 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. Jan. 19 re-inspection – Result: active. Dish machine working properly. No violations noted.

Max Orient, 2825 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan 17 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: Observed potentially hazardous foods in line prep cooler not being held at or below 41 degrees (cabbage at 53 degrees, eggs at 48 degrees), which were voluntarily discarded; observed can opener stored dirty, which was corrected by removing it from service and putting it in the dish area. One non-priority violation: Observed bottled drinks and boxes of oil stored directly on floor.

Max Orient, 2825 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan. 19 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority violations corrected prior to re-inspection. No violations noted.

McDonald's No. 19907, 3250 E. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

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Mission Ridge at Quail Creek, 4349 S. Kansas Ave., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed no air gap on dipper well inlet, which was corrected at time of inspection. No non-priority violations.

Mudhouse Coffee & Tea, 323 S. South Ave., Springfield. Jan. 19 re-inspection – Result: active. Make table working properly. No violations cited.

New China, 2725 N. Kansas Expressway, Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. Single priority violation was corrected prior to exit. No priority violations cited. Four non-priority violations: Observed open drink in food preparation area, which was promptly removed; observed bus tub of shrimp thawing in standing water in sink, which was corrected by staff starting water into bus tub; observed front hand sink blocked by cart with rice cooker on it, which was corrected by relocating rice cooker; observed wall by back hand sink, front and side of upright freezer and vent in restroom were dirty.

Nobaked Cookie Dough, Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed mop sink faucet is leaking at atmospheric vacuum breaker; observed no test strips for quat sanitizer; observed no hot water at restroom faucet.

Papa Murphy's Take N Bake Pizza, 3250 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted at time of inspection.

Patty Shack, 12427 W. Farm Road 28, Walnut Grove. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

Price Cutter No. 35 Produce/Salad Bar, 1260 E. Saint Louis St., Springfield. Jan. 17 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority violation had been corrected prior to this re-inspection. No violations noted.

Secret Sandwich Shop LLC, 208 W. McDaniel St., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations observed at time of inspection.

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Senor Julian Mexican Bar & Grill, 3405 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Springfield Southside Seniors, 2215 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

St. George's Donuts, 3628 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Subway No. 3826, 321 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed knives being stored dirty, which were removed from service to be washed, rinsed and sanitized. No non-priority violations.

Sweet Couture/European Cafe, 207 Park Central East, Springfield. Jan. 23 re-inspection – Result: active. Dish machine operating and sanitizer concentration at 100 ppm chlorine. No violations noted.

Taco Bell No. 004042, 2249 E. Sunshine St., Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

Thai Palace, 3250 E. Battlefield Road, Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

The Sub Shop, 456 W. McDaniel St., Springfield. Jan. 19 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed owner wipe gloved hands on cloth sitting on make table, then handle bread, which was corrected by providing education and having owner change gloves. No non-priority violations.

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Tropical Smoothie, 1971 E. Independence St., Springfield. Jan. 17 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Walmart Supercenter No. 1009 Produce, 1150 E. U.S. Highway 60 East, Republic. Jan. 23 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted.

Whatever You Want LLC, 2463 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. Jan. 18 re-inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Noodles still not cooling in required time. One priority violation: Observed noodles cooked the day before were at 45 degrees in reach-in cooler.

Ziggie's Cafe-North, 2515 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. Jan. 18 routine inspection – Result: active. Three priority violations: Observed two dirty knives stored on magnetic drying rack and a dirty potato slicer stored in kitchen utensil holder, which was a repeat violation that was corrected by washing, rinsing and sanitizing items; observed three unlabeled spray bottles filled with clear liquids, corrected by manager identifying and labeling all bottles; observed ready-to-eat turkey stored under raw beef patties in walk-in cooler, which was corrected by moving turkey to a safe place. Four non-priority violations: Observed personal food items in walk-in cooler stored with other foods and not labeled for personal use; observed hand sanitizer, multi-purpose cleaner and Febreze fragrance spray stored over silverware and cups at serving station, which was corrected by moving chemicals elsewhere; observed multiple employee medications being stored at serving station, which was corrected by manager moving medication to safe location; observed three uncovered containers of flour in storage room, which was corrected by covering with lids.

Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Food inspections find Ozarks establishments struggling for hot water