Sixteen establishments that serve food were cited by the Pima County Health Department in November for priority violations that required follow-up inspections. Fifteen passed follow-up inspections. The results from one follow-up inspection was unknown as of the Star’s deadline.
Priority violations could directly lead to foodborne illness, according to the Pima County Health Department’s website.
Here’s what you need to know:
16 Pima County establishments cited for food safety violations in November
Alpha Epsilon Pi
History: Excellent ratings from 2013 through 2016, but received a needs improvement rating in May 2017 and a probationary rating in December 2017. Both were followed by passes. Received a probation rating Nov. 19.
What the inspector saw: Foods in the make unit and walk-in refrigerator were held at unsafe cold temperatures causing the establishment to be closed until corrected; prepared and packaged foods had prep date instead of discard date; no probe thermometers to check food temps; dishwasher not dispensing sanitizer; cream cheese spread had mold on top; ground beef stored next to shredded cheese in make unit; rolls and watermelon stored next to or on top of ground beef in walk-in; no food protection manager certificates.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Dec. 2.
Comment: No answer when called and no way to leave a message.
Ba-Dar Restaurant
History: Excellent and good ratings since 2005 except for a needs improvement in September 2014, followed by a pass. Received a needs improvement rating Oct. 30.
What the inspector saw: Foods stored at unsafe cold temperatures; prepared foods not marked with discard dates or were kept beyond such dates; employee food stored above make top units and near hot holding foods; scrubbing pads and food debris in hand-wash sink; pesticide stored in back room; rice being cooled at room temperature instead of cold unit; dead roach under soda shelving unit and dead baby roaches on glue traps; food containers stored on floor; dispensing scoops stored in food containers; food debris under cooking equipment and under dry storage shelves; no food protection manager certificate.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 12.
Comment: The owner said everything was corrected and there are no problems now.
BPO Elks Lodge #2592
2951 S. Camino Mercado, Green Valley
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2008. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 14.
What the inspector saw: Foods stored without date mark or having passed discard date; insecticide stored on premises; employees in bar area used dish rags for drying hands; metal basket with ice observed in hand-wash sink; Dishwashers not dispensing sufficient sanitizer; no food protection manager certificate.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 25.
Comment: Declined to comment.
Circle K #99
History: Mostly good and excellent ratings since 2002 except for a needs improvement in March 2015 and June 2016, both followed by passes, and a fail in November 2018 followed by a pass. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 22.
What the inspector saw: Multiple foods stored in walk-in at unsafe cold temperatures resulting in facility stopping sales of cold items until fixed; candies stored next to cleaning materials in storage area; uncovered topping containers at self-serve hot dog station; dirty plastic containers stored above three-compartment sink; no procedure in place for cleanup of any potential accident involving vomiting and diarrhea; no food protection manager certificate.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 25.
Comment: Corporate office did not respond to a request for comment.
Enjoya Bowls (Mobile)
Food truck
History: Received a needs improvement rating in August, followed by a pass. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 22.
What the inspector saw: Hand-wash sink and three-compartment sink water not hot enough; waste water leak.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 27.
Comment: The owner said the water heater had not been on long enough to heat the water sufficiently at inspection time and it was turned on earlier for the follow-up inspection and passed. It heats continuously when the truck is in operation. The leak has been repaired.
Happy Trails Kindergarten — Child Care Center
History: Good and excellent ratings for more than 10 years. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 8.
What the inspector saw: Reach-in refrigerator maintaining foods at unsafe cold temperatures; hand-wash sink had milk container draining in it.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 18.
Comment: The director said the problems have been resolved.
Kneaders Bakery & Café
History: Good and excellent ratings since late 2016. Received a fail rating Nov. 19.
What the inspector saw: Cutting boards not properly sanitized in ware-washing area throughout the day; high-temp dishwasher not reaching appropriate temperature and not sanitizing; no temperature measuring device for high-temp dishwasher.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 21.
Comment: The manager said the equipment has been fixed and all problems resolved.
Little Caesars
History: Good and excellent ratings except for a needs improvement in October 2017, followed by a pass. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 19.
What the inspector saw: Hand-wash sink inoperable.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Dec. 16.
Comment: There was no answer and no way to leave a message.
Paleteria Y Neveria La Michoacana
History: A good rating in January. Received a needs improvement Nov. 19, followed by a fail rating Dec. 4.
What the inspector saw: Hand-drying towels unavailable at two hand-wash sinks; no hot water in hand-wash sink in serving area; no soap at hand-wash sink in ice-cream making area; utensils stored as clean and cutting equipment contaminated with debris; toxic chemical stored on rack above food; dead roach in trap on food storage rack; prep sink had leak.
Follow-up: Results of a follow-up inspection were unavailable before deadline.
Comment: No answer when called and no way to leave a message.
Pho #1
History: Good and excellent ratings until July 2018 when the restaurant received a probationary rating followed by three fails and then a pass in September 2018. Received an imminent health hazard rating Nov. 12.
What the inspector saw: Mouse droppings on surfaces of tables and shelving and on equipment where food is prepared; insecticide stored on site; gap at back door bottom allows possible mouse entry; significant pest control problem; mouse droppings in food storage areas; containers of flour and sugar appeared dirty and were stored on floor; hand-wash sink used to clean utensils; no certified food protection certificate.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 18.
Comment: Manager unavailable to comment.
Pi Beta Phi
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2003. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 12.
What the inspector saw: Walk-in refrigerator holding ground beef and dairy products at unsafe temperatures.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 26.
Comment: No answer when called and no way to leave a message.
Sky Islands — School and Institutional Cafeterias
History: Good and excellent ratings since its record began in April 2017. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 12.
What the inspector saw: Some plastic containers used to store clean equipment had food debris and soil accumulation; reach-in unit holding foods at unsafe cold temperatures.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Nov. 15.
Comment: The principal said the school now has a new refrigerator. The school has a farm to kitchen program, so there was no meat at risk; it was all produce. There was a coolant leak that wasn’t caught until the inspector noted it. Everything was thrown away and the leak was fixed within 24 hours. The new unit is cooling properly.
Three Points Restaurant
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2011 until receiving needs improvement ratings in March 2018 and November 2018, both followed by passes. Received probation rating Nov. 21 and a fail on Dec. 3.
What the inspector saw: Chef removed something from an egg with bare hands; cleaning items stored in hand-wash sink; dishwasher not dispensing sanitizer; slicer in kitchen encrusted with meat; multiple foods stored at unsafe cold temperatures; foods stored without date labels; insecticide stored in kitchen; mouse (still alive) in trap in kitchen; cloths used for sanitizing left on counter top; mouse droppings on floor in kitchen; waitress observed using her “vaporizer” in kitchen; no food protection manager certificate.
Follow-up: Passed a second follow-up inspection Dec. 10.
Comment: An employee said the problems have been resolved and that the restaurant passed the second follow-up inspection.
Walgreens #09953
History: Excellent ratings since 2007. Received a needs improvement on Nov. 26.
What the inspector saw: Hand-washing sinks in restrooms did not have hot water.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection Dec. 6.
Comment: Declined to comment.
Wings Over Broadway
History: Good and excellent ratings since its record began in March 2018. Received an imminent health hazard rating Nov. 19.
What the inspector saw: Hand-wash sink had unlabeled spray bottles and another had an electrical cord wrapped around the faucet; no paper towels at one hand-wash sink; mouse droppings and trash found underneath stored oranges and green peppers in walk-in; dishwasher not dispensing sanitizer; mouse droppings in containers used to store clean kitchen equipment; dead mouse in hot holding food unit; cutting boards not sanitized throughout the day; foods stored at unsafe cold holding temperatures; incorrect date marking labels; insecticide stored in ware washing area; food debris encrusted on metal rack used to store spices; water leaking under prep sink; dead mice under equipment; no person in charge when inspector arrived.
Follow-up: Passed follow-up inspection Nov. 20.
Comment: The owner said there were some issues with the building that have been taken care of.
Zona 78
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2008 until a probationary rating and a fail in August 2018, followed by a pass. Received a needs improvement rating Nov. 21.
What the inspector saw: Hand-wash sink in bar had utensils stored in it; hand-wash sink in dish-washing area had no water; foods stored at unsafe cold temperatures; foods stored past use-by date; mop sink not sealed to wall.
Follow-up: Passed follow-up inspection Dec. 2.
Comment: The general manager said all of the problems have been resolved and a repair had already been in progress in one case.
Johanna Eubank is a digital producer for the Arizona Daily Star and tucson.com. She has been with the Star in various capacities since 1991. Contact her at jeubank@tucson.com
Johanna Eubank
Online producer
