Expired food, container with rodent droppings among violations at Phoenix-area restaurants

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

Maricopa County health inspectors cited five restaurants for 23 health violations during the week of Feb. 16. The violations ranged from nine- and 10-day old tuna salad, salsa and tzatziki stored in coolers throughout one restaurant to cooked chicken and cooked potato left out of a cooler for more than seven hours at another. One restaurant's panko container even had rodent droppings.

All the food had to be thrown out.

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 Feb. 16, inspectors visited more than 1,300 restaurants along with other food-serving facilities in hospitals, senior homes and schools. More than 170 restaurants received an "A" rating. See a sampling of the many restaurants that inspectors graded "A" at the end of this article.

5 violations

Eggstasy, 6990 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale

  • An employee cracked raw, unpasteurized eggs into a skillet with gloved hands and handled a clean spatula and a skillet with cooked eggs for a customer’s order. The employee was instructed to remove their gloves and wash their hands before continuing.

  • Boxes of raw chorizo and raw pork sausage links were stored above boxes of raw bacon in the walk-in fridge. Plastic containers of pancake and waffle mix containing raw, unpasteurized eggs also were stored on the top rack above containers of strawberry puree, salsa verde and cooked crepes. The person in charge moved the items to the proper storage areas based on minimum cooking temperature.

  • Cooked chicken breasts were at 82F-111F and cooked sausage patties were at 125F-131F on the cookline. An employee said the items were made approximately three hours prior to inspection. The person in charge threw out the food.

  • Cut kale salad mix was in the drawer unit on the cookline at 53F.  Various shredded cheeses were at 45F-46F on the top section of the prep table on the cookline. An employee said the items were stocked approximately three hours prior to the inspection. The person in charge placed the items in the walk-in fridge to rapidly cool to below 41F.

  • Salsa, tzatziki and cooked corn — all dated Feb. 2 — and tuna salad dated Feb. 3 were in cold holding units throughout the restaurant. The restaurant was inspected Feb. 12. The items were discarded.

5 violations

The Creek Patio Grill, 28244 N. Tatum Blvd., Cave Creek

  • A bartender was cutting limes for drinks and then moved to the cash register to use the phone, put their gloves back on and began cutting limes again. The employee was told to take off their gloves wash their hands and put on new gloves on before returning to work with the limes.

  • An employee at the bar with no gloves was cutting limes for customer drinks. The employee washed their hands and put on gloves before working with the limes again.

  • The chlorine sanitation solution in the dishwashing machine was measured at 0 parts per million. The person in charge primed the machine with a sanitation solution concentration of 50-100ppm.

  • A roast that was made in the morning and placed in the cooler at 10 a.m. was at 80F four hours later. The person in charge discarded the roast.

  • Raw chicken, pork, beef, lamb chops, cut lettuce, ranch dressing cooked pulled pork, cut tomatoes and crème brûlée were all at temperatures of 45F-47F. The person in charge said the products were delivered by a supplier three hours earlier. The person in charge moved the items to the produce cooler to rapidly cool.

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5 violations

The India Kitchen, 14884 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

  • Employees returned from outside and began working with food containers without properly washing their hands. Gloved employees also moved between the cook line and the prep area — through a swinging door — without a proper hand wash. These employees washed their hands and donned new gloves to continue with their tasks.

  • Marinated raw chicken in a large container was stored above ready to eat sauces in the walk-in cooler. An employee moved the raw chicken to a shelf with other raw chicken products.

  • Cooked chicken was on the cookline at 68F, cooked potato was at 55F, and cooked paneer was at 80F. The food was there more than seven hours and was discarded.

  • Cooked chicken had an internal temperature of 55F in the prep area. An employee said the chicken was not out long and moved it to the walk-in fridge to rapidly cool.

  • Containers of cooked chicken curry that were prepared more than seven days earlier were in the walk-in cooler. The containers were discarded.

4 violations

RnR Restaurant, 3737 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

  • Inspectors found a food container in the dry storage area that was filled with panko and rodent droppings. The container was embargoed.

  • A container of whole raw eggs was stored directly on top of a container of cooked pasta in the egg cooler on the cookline. The eggs were moved to proper storage.

  • Raw meatballs were at 48F-50F in cold holding drawers under the flat grill. Deli ham and turkey were at 49F, raw shrimp at 48F, various cooked chicken containers at 48F-50F and carnitas at 49*F. All the food was in the unit less than four hours and moved to walk-in cooler.

  • Bottles of liquor were stored directly in ice that was used for consumption in the downstairs bar. The ice was discarded.

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4 violations

Tortillas De Harina Linda, 635 N. Country Club Drive, Mesa

  • Raw shelled eggs were stored directly above raw onions in the reach-in unit. The manager placed the eggs in the walk-in fridge on the bottom shelf.

  • The three-compartment sink had a chlorine chemical sanitizer level of 0 ppm. The manager prepared fresh sanitizer to the required concentration level.

  • Cooked green chili, refried beans, cooked steak and beef in red sauce were in hot holding at internal temperature of 120F-126F. The manager said the food was there for less than two hours and reheated it all to over 165F.

  • Cooked birria had a preparation date of Feb. 2. The restaurant was inspected Feb. 13. The food was discarded.

Look 'em up: Check your favorite dining spots in The Republic's new restaurant inspection database

Grade A restaurants

Phoenix

  • China Harvest Buffet, 12407 N. 28th Drive

  • JT GYROS, 3434 W. Greenway Road

  • Bamboo Asian Kitchen,1818 W. Montebello Ave.

  • Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, 1525 N. 51st Ave.

  • Egyptian Motor Hotel, 765 Grand Ave.

Scottsdale

  • Manuel's Mexican Food Restaurant, 8809 E. Mountain View Road

  • Green Corner Restaurant, 10392 N. Scottsdale Road

  • Simply Thai, 8989 E. Via Linda

  • Smashburger No. 1404, 2805 N. Scottsdale Road

  • Agave Del Scottsdale, 8390 E. Via De Ventura

East Valley

  • Lulu's Taco Shop, 610 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert

  • Otto Pizza & Pastry, 804 S. Ash Ave., Tempe

  • JJ Madison's All American Grill, 430 N. Power Road, Mesa

  • Pink Panda Boba Company, 980 N. Cooper Road, Chandler

  • Serrano's, 22703 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek

West Valley

  • TOKYO JOE'S, 10285 W. McDowell Road, Avondale

  • By The Bucket, 15557 W. Bell Road, Surprise

  • Myungrang Hotdogs, 9140 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale

  • Szechuan Cuisine, 5158 W. Olive Ave., Glendale

  • Bomboba, 9897 W. McDowell Road, Tolleson

Source: Maricopa County Environmental Services

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 Phoenix-area restaurants see 23 health violations in inspections