Mouse droppings and mold: Complaints lead to 6 of latest Stanislaus County inspections

Dominique Williams
·4 min read

Mouse droppings at a Westley gas station and a “fuzzy white substance” on multiple surfaces at a Modesto restaurant were observed when inspectors made surprise visits to Stanislaus County food facilities between March 11 and 17.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in Stanislaus County receive two unannounced routine food safety inspections per year, according to the Department of Environmental Resources. The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.

Food trucks that operate under a Stanislaus County Health Department permit are also inspected by the county, though those are scheduled and done at the department’s office.

Of the 77 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday, 14 were not updated on the site as of Thursday morning.

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Modesto Bee reporter Dominique Williams at dwilliams@modbee.com.

Five of 77 restaurants had several or major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of March 10-17. Only the dates of violations are listed.

The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.

The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website.

Matteri Field, 831 Hardin Road in Newman, had four violations March 11 — three of them major. The ballpark had two repeated violations: the food preparation sink did not have water turned on because there was a leak in the valves, and sanitizer test strips were not available at the time of the inspection. A residential barbecue grill, used to make hot dogs, was observed onsite. The bathroom did not have hot water for hand washing.

Denny’s, 110 McHenry Ave. in Modesto, had four violations during a reinspection March 12. Patches of mold and a “fuzzy white substance” were observed next to the washing machine hood and on the ceiling in front of an exit door in the back of the restaurant. An oven was in disrepair and a flat grill was lacking temperature controlling knobs.

GK Mongolian BBQ, 2300 W. Monte Vista Ave. in Turlock, had 10 violations — three of them major — during an inspection March 12 that resulted from a complaint. Inspectors observed an employee’s beverage on the food prep table. A bleach container was next to the food prep table and food container storage shelves. Grease and food debris accumulation was noted on several food contact surfaces throughout the restaurant. A scoop and strainer were in the walk-in refrigerator on top of soiled soy sauce containers lids. The walk-in refrigerator and freezer fan covers were heavily soiled with dust and debris accumulation.

A stainless steel pan was observed in the mop sink. The pan reportedly was used to fill the mop bucket and was not used for food storage. Grill scraping tools were stored in the front hand washing sink. Gas cylinders were not secured to a rigid structure and sanitizer buckets were not set up. A valid food safety certificate was lacking.

Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections include:

  • Squeeze In, 3020 Floyd Ave., Modesto

  • Wingstop, 3106 Geer Road, Turlock (Change of ownership)

Mouse droppings included in ‘nonmajor’ violations

76, 4507 Howard Road in Westley, had one violation March 14. Inspectors observed mouse droppings on a shelf in the storeroom. The gas station was advised to clean and sanitize the area and provide abatement.

According to Stanislaus County, other food facilities that had one to two violations, none of them major, are:

No violations for 43 Stanislaus County food facilities

These food facilities had no violations, according to the county: