Room-temperature raw chicken and an overflowing parking lot: Latest Stanislaus inspections

Dominique Williams
·7 min read

Improperly disposed of waste from a taco shop led to flooding in a Modesto parking lot, impacting multiple businesses.

Raw chicken was observed thawing at room temperature at an Indian restaurant.

These were some of the observations made by Stanislaus County inspectors in late March while routinely visiting food facilities.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the 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 71 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday, six were not updated on the site as of Thursday afternoon.

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

Major violations for several Stanislaus County restaurants

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of March 18-24. 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.

While not technically inspection violations, Low Key Saloon, My Taco House and Ramen 101, all in the Walmart-anchored shopping center at 3848 McHenry Ave., were surveilled by the Environmental Resources Department on March 21. Per the city of Modesto Environmental Services, wastewater generated from My Taco House was not being disposed of properly. The wastewater is exiting onto the parking lot and draining into the nearest storm drain. Soap and water were verified to be flowing from the three-compartment sink into the parking lot. Ramen 101 was impacted by septic overflow related to the disposal of wastewater. The dishwasher inside Low Key Saloon was vulnerable, and inspectors observed a video of the liquid waste flowing out of the top of a man-made cover. Ramen 101 and My Taco House voluntarily closed and Low Key Saloon enacted a menu restriction in lieu of permit suspension. All three facilities reopened fully March 27.

Empire Gas and Food, 5018 Yosemite Blvd. in Empire had eight violations on March 19. The floor area near the three-compartment sink had a large accumulation of soiled and stained towels. The surface of the sink had dirt and grime buildup. The soap dispenser in the bathroom was empty and the toilet handle was “marginally operational.” The floor in the bathroom had dirt accumulation and there were miscellaneous items stored within. The ceiling inside the walk-in refrigerator had dirt and debris buildup and the condenser fan guards were grimy. The beer walk-in refrigerator temperature was 51 degrees (must be kept at 41 degrees or lower).

Four of the eight violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection March 26.

Mango Crazy, 2745 Countryside Drive, Suite B, in Turlock, had five violations March 19 — one of them major. The sanitizer buckets had a zero ppm concentration of chlorine sanitizer. The concentration must read at 50 ppm. There was a broken glass-faced thermometer noted in the refrigerator, and several food storage containers were lacking proper labeling. Food handler cards were lacking for several employees and the food safety certification was lacking.

Carnitas Purepecha, 2430 Geer Road in Turlock, had four violations March 19, three of which were corrected at the time of inspection. Inspectors observed a stainless steel mug in the ice storage bin. “Employees shall not commit any act that may contaminate food/food contact surfaces/utensils,” the inspector wrote in the report. Potentially hazardous foods were noted to be held at warmer temperatures than required by California health codes. Several food containers lacked proper food labeling, and food handler cards were lacking.

Liquor Locker, 1578 E. Whitmore Ave, Suite K, Ceres, had three major violations on March 20. The facility was lacking hot water at the mop sink and in the restroom. Soap was also lacking in the restroom.

All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection April 1.

Morgan Gas & Mart, 1517 Morgan Road in Modesto, was surveilled by the Environmental Resources Department on March 20 due to the city of Modesto shutting off the facility’s water for nonpayment. The facility was approved to sell only prepackaged food until the water was restored. The machines delivering cold and hot beverages were not approved for use until water was restored.

The first reinspection was conducted March 21. Five violations — one of them major — were noted, including hot water at the three-compartment sink at 104 degrees (must be 120 degrees or hotter), hot water in the restroom at 98 degrees (must be between 100 and 108 degrees), clutter in the back room containing the three-compartment sink and an expired manager food safety certificate.

During a second reinspection March 25, only one violation remained.

Cold Stone Creamery, 1449 E. F St., Suite 101 H, in Oakdale, had five violations March 20. Inspectors observed the hot water at 111 degrees (must be 120 degrees or higher). There was “a lot” of ice buildup in the walk-in freezer and icicles forming on the ceiling, cooling unit and on the plastic barriers inside the freezer. The food safety certification was missing — a multiple violation from previous inspections.

Fridas Taqueria Ajua, 2101 W. Rumble Road, Suite C, in Modesto, had five violations March 21 — one of them major. Milk and butter were maintained at 50 degrees in the soda refrigerator (must be 45 degrees and in a separate refrigerator from the soda). Inspectors observed grime and mold-like growth on the interior walls of the ice machine. Numerous spots on the kitchen floor were noted to have an accumulation of food debris and dirt, and dirt accumulation was spotted below the ceiling inside the walk-in refrigerator.

Mr. T’s Donut, 3507 Tully Road, #330, in Modesto, had four violations during an inspection March 21, which was the result of a complaint. Inspectors observed mold-like growth below the ceiling tiles above the dish-washing sink. The hand-washing sink was obstructed by a cloth hanger nailed on the adjacent wall. A wooden rack in the storage area had unpainted surfaces, exposing absorbent, nonsmooth surfaces that were not easily cleanable. There were cardboard pieces placed underneath the anti-slip mats in the kitchen.

Tandoori Flame, 7125 McCracken Road in Westley, had three violations March 21. Inspectors observed a 40-pound box of chicken thawing at room temperature (must be thawed under cold running water or in a refrigerator). Several cutting boards were heavily soiled, and food service/food prep utensils were being stored in an unapproved trailer behind the restaurant.

The first two violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection March 27.

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

Few and minor violations

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

No violations

J’s Mart in Modesto was closed when inspectors attempted to visit the facility.

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