Two Centre County breakfast sandwich shops fail February inspections. See the reports
At least two Centre County establishments were found out of compliance following food safety inspections conducted throughout February.
Though unrelated and conducted separately, both of the month’s failed inspections occurred at State College establishments known for their breakfast sandwiches.
Information regarding county establishments and their violations appears below in an alphabetical list with a summary of the problems inspectors noted in their respective reports. More details are available upon request by visiting the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s online database.
More than 50 other establishments passed their inspections with few or no violations. They also appear alphabetically below.
Business owners who wish to clarify or comment on inspection results can contact Centre Daily Times reporter Matt DiSanto by emailing mdisanto@centredaily.com.
About food safety inspections
Under Pennsylvania law, eating and drinking establishments are inspected at least once per year. Some schools, including the State College Area School District, receive biannual inspections.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture may conduct additional inspections if complaints are received or if initial inspections are not up to code.
Most observed violations are minor in scope and are corrected during inspections, but some establishments may temporarily close if too many violations are found. Closures may occur as a result of other issues, including risks for foodborne illnesses or violations that take time to address, such as broken plumbing or pest infestations.
Most inspections in Centre County are conducted at the state level through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. More than 100 municipalities directly conduct their health inspections through certified officials who fall under their jurisdiction. State College, for example, is responsible for performing inspections in the borough and in Ferguson, Patton and College townships, a borough official said.
Once inspections are complete and reports are published, you can browse them online by visiting pafoodsafety.state.pa.us/web/inspection/publicinspectionsearch.aspx. You can look up establishments by name or filter results to specific cities, counties and ZIP codes.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Bagel Love Cafe, 2122 N. Atherton St. in State College — A Feb. 23 routine inspection resulted in four violations for this breakfast sandwich shop, most of which concerned cleanliness.
According to borough sanitarian Brian O’Donnell’s report, the restaurant stored commercially processed, ready-to-eat food items in a reach-in refrigerator for more than 24 hours without being marked with the dates on which they were first opened. Additionally, O’Donnell observed bags of flour and other dry goods food items stored in a back production area, where it is “subject to splash from contamination,” the report reads.
A paper towel dispenser near a handwashing sink was empty, the report claims. A wall next to the restaurant’s broiler featured peeling paint and required resealing and painting.
Irving’s, 110 E. College Ave. in State College — A Feb. 20 routine inspection found five violations at this breakfast sandwich shop.
O’Donnell observed food preparation areas under ceiling tiles that are “soiled with heavy dust buildup.” Mechanical washing equipment featured limescale buildup and rust, while the sides of a line cooler were soiled with food debris.
Walls in the dish cleaning and storage room displayed peeling paint and damaged drywall in need of repair, plus peeling paint on another wall near an ice machine, O’Donnell’s report reads. Backsplashes at hand sinks and counters, plus walls behind trash cans, were soiled with food residue and “in need of cleaning.”
How to complain about conditions
If you see a problem at a retail food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint to catch officials’ attention.
To notify the commonwealth about questionable conditions anywhere food is served or sold to the public, call 1-866-366-3723 or fill out the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s food safety complaint form, available online at pda.pa.gov/FoodSafetyComplaint/. The form asks for consumer information, facility details and a full description of each complaint.
You can also contact the commonwealth’s Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services directly by calling 717-787-4315 or emailing RA-FoodSafety@pa.gov.
Locally, you can report concerns to State College officials by calling 814-234-7100 or emailing healthdept@statecollegepa.us.
These businesses passed inspections in February
Alloy Kitchen, 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte
Brother’s Bar & Grill, 134 S. Allen St. in State College
Cafe 210 West, 210 W. College Ave. in State College
Central Counties Youth Center, 148 Paradise Road in Bellefonte
Central PA Institute of Science & Technology, 540 N. Harrison Road in Pleasant Gap
Centre Hall-Potter Elementary School, 211 N. Hoffer St. in Centre Hall
Centre Markets, 2901 E. College Ave. Suite 506 in State College
Chopstick Express, 134 E. College Ave. in State College
Dollar General No. 2263, 141 S. Spring St. in Bellefonte
Dunkin’, 479 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Centre Hall
Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St. in State College
Findlay Dining Commons, 215 Findlay Commons in University Park
Flo Bros Pizza, 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte
Graduate State College - The Trophy Room, 125 S. Atherton St. in State College
Hampton Inn & Suites, 1955 Waddle Road in State College
Hilltop Farms, 3796 Jacksonville Road in Bellefonte
Holiday Inn Express, 1925 Waddle Road in State College
Hometown Market, 1323 Walton St. in Philipsburg
Krishan Indian Grocery, 230 A W. College Ave. in State College
Little Szechuan, 228 W. College Ave. in State College
Marin Eats, 2042 Axemann Road in Bellefonte
Marion-Walker Elementary School, 100 School Drive in Hublersburg
Masala Palace, 120 E. Beaver Ave. in State College
Meddear Food Co. (MFF2), 705 S. Atherton St. in State College
Meyer Dairy Store, 2390 S. Atherton St. in State College
Millheim Hotel Inc., 112 W. Main St., P.O. Box 442 in Millheim
Mini Mart, 114 N. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte
Momotaro No. 168, 220 W. College Ave. in State College
Mountain View County Club, 310 Elks Club Road in Boalsburg
Nittany Meadow Farm (MFF2), 227 Nittany Meadow Farm Lane in Centre Hall
Pappa’s Pies (MFF3), 210 Pepper Ride Drive, P.O. Box 184 in Spring Mills
Paul’s Provisions, 200 Mill St., Suite 842 in Milesburg
Penns Valley Area Elementary School, 4528 Penns Valley Road in Spring Mills
Penns Valley Area Junior/Senior High School, 4545 Penns Valley Road in Spring Mills
Philipsburg Elementary School, Route 550 Windy Hill Road in Philipsburg
Philipsburg Elks Lodge and Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, P.O. Box 307 in Philipsburg
Philipsburg-Oceola Area High School, 200 Philips St. in Philipsburg
Pleasant Gap Elementary School, 230 S. Main St. in Pleasant Gap
Port Matilda Elementary School, 209 Locust St., P.O. Box 558 in Port Matilda
Quaker Steak and Lube, 501 Benner Pike in State College
Sakura Restaurant Inc., 1525 S. Atherton St. in State College
Smoke N Go Express, 121 W. College Ave. in Bellefonte
Springhill Suites, 1935 Waddle Road in State College
St. John The Evangelist Catholic School, 115 E. Bishop St. in Bellefonte
St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church (TFS4), 134 E. Bishop St. in Bellefonte
The Phyrst - Famous Ernie’s Steaks - Local Whiskey - Central Reservation, 111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave. in State College
Underground Burgers and Crepes - Yallah Taco - Justice Chicken, 218 E. Calder Way in State College
Webster’s Bookstore Cafe, 133 E. Beaver Ave. in State College
Weis Markets No. 137, 110 Rolling Ridge Drive in State College
Zion Mart No. 64, 1896 E. College Ave. in Bellefonte
Note: Occasionally, a listed address — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — is not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments for specific service locations.