This common issue affected Columbia restaurants inspected in the last week

Charles Dunlap, Columbia Daily Tribune
Updated ·4 min read

Restaurants throughout Columbia are having to correct a common issue following inspections in the last week.

Soiling inside ice machines, which could include mold, slime or limescale, were found at multiple Columbia restaurants. General inspection reports did not note specifics on what type of soiling, but noted they must be corrected in most cases by draining, washing, rinsing and sanitizing of ice machines before they could be used again. Another issue was ice buildup in refrigerators or freezers, requiring defrosting.

The Columbia Daily Tribune is starting a weekly feature on restaurant inspections. Regular inspections happen two to three times per year based on priority and location, per a message from Columbia/Boone Public Health and Human Services. In general, violations are corrected at the time of inspection or by a follow-up inspection. Not all reinspection reports were available at time of publication.

Ocha Thai Restaurant at 510 E. Green Meadows Road had a soiled ice machine clean Monday after its April 11 inspection, along with other reinspections from April 18 and May 6.

Other issues from the earlier inspections included a lack of a manager's certificate on-site, along with lack of date controls on food items, lack of food handler cards, heavily soiled floors that needed cleaning, lack of ammonia-based sanitizer dispensing at a dishwashing station and ensuring employee personal items, including medicine, were not stored near food. Critical violations were corrected, but there are outstanding noncritical violations still to be addressed, including lack of food handler cards, manager certificates, soiled floors and storage of personal items, per an update from a PHHS Environmental Health supervisor.

Two ice machines at Fieldhouse, 1107 E. Broadway, in the nightclub bar area were noted to be heavily soiled May 8. They were to be emptied, cleaned and sanitized by Monday. A reinspection report was not available.

Other restaurants with soiled ice machines or ice storage chests (including covers) within the last week where the issue was corrected by reinspection, or is due for a reinspection this week included D'Rowe's, 1005 Club Village Drive; Ernie's Cafe and Steakhouse, 1005 E. Walnut St.; Truman's Bar and Grill, 3304 Broadway Business Park; Park Restaurant, 4380 Nocona Parkway; Shortwave Coffee and Bakery, 29 S Ninth St.; and Mugs Up, 603 Orange St.

Inspectors found ice buildup in freezers and other refrigeration units at Fretboard Coffee, 1013 E. Walnut St; Sycamore, 800 E Broadway; Willie's Pub and Pool, 1109 E. Broadway; and Mugs Up.

Other significant violations were confirmed as corrected by Monday at Sycamore from previous inspections April 8 and April 15, including a lack of manager's food safety certificate and hazard analysis critical control point system for food cooked sous vide. Without the HACCP for the sous vide food at the April 8 inspection, it was tossed. Sanitizing solution test strips were procured and shields were added to lightbulbs in a dry storage space.

A dented food can at D'Rowe's was tossed at its May 10 inspection. Truman's also had uncovered food in its walk-in cooler May 6, which was corrected by May 9. Fretboard needed a covered trash can in the women's restroom based on an April 30 inspection, which was in place during a reinspection Monday.

Repeat offender Geisha Sushi Bar, 804 E Broadway, Suite C, needs to repair its kitchen floor, per a May 8 inspection. Owners have until May 22 to correct. Pappadoo's Soul Food by Tuesday needed to have a handwashing sink next to its dish washing area after it was removed prior to a May 7 inspection. A reinspection report was unavailable.

A lack of food handlers cards, soiled kitchen floors, a buildup of dust, dirty walls in a can storage area and a broken gasket on a reach-in cooler were found April 29 at Pappo's Pizzeria and Pub. The dirty walls were a repeat violation and were addressed by a May 6 reinspection. Other items are outstanding, per the Environmental Health supervisor update.

The Las Margaritas restaurant on South Eighth Street was not using enough sanitizer in the dishwasher Monday. The issue is scheduled for reinspection Thursday. The Las Margaritas restaurant on St. Charles Road did not have date labeling on food items in the walk-in cooler on its May 9 inspection. Reinspection was to happen Tuesday, but a report was not yet available.

Restaurants with no violations at the time of inspection were:

  • Uprise Bakery, 10 Hitt St. (May 13);

  • Mi Jalisco, 901 Safari Drive, Suite 101 (May 13);

  • Jimmy John’s, 4008 W. Broadway (May 10);

  • Quickway Japanese Hibachi, 2540 E Broadway Bluffs Drive, Suite 103 (May 9);

  • Starbucks Kiosk inside Gerbes, 729 W Broadway (May 8);

  • El Poblano Grill and Cantina, 2513 Old Highway 63, Suite 103 (May 8); and

  • Le Bao, 1009 Park Ave. (May 7).

NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect corrections from a Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Environmental Health supervisor following original publication.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia restaurant inspections find soiled ice machines