19 food service sites flunked Pima County health inspections in April
19th Hole Bar + Grille
111 S. La Canada Drive, Green Valley
111 S. La Canada Drive, Green Valley
History: Mainly good and excellent scores for several years but received a needs improvement rating April 3 and failed reinspection April 4.
What the inspector saw: Ham, cheese, pastrami and chicken wings stored at unsafe temperatures; dishwasher had no sanitizing solution; drain flies in floor drain; dirty floors throughout the facility.
Follow up: Passed a second follow-up inspection April 16.
Comments: Manager Greg Freland said faulty equipment was replaced and new operating procedures were adopted to prevent a recurrence.
Arizona DES/BEP Office Café
Chopped eggs were 20 degrees too warm and every other item also wasn’t cold enough on the salad bar at the Arizona Department of Economic Security cafe in the state building at 400 W. Congress St, a recent county health inspection found.
History: Good and excellent ratings for several years but was placed on probation April 4 and failed an April 26 follow-up inspection.
What the inspector saw: Ham, potato salad, feta cheese and “all items on the salad bar” were stored at unsafe temperatures; built-up food debris on can opener, slicer and other surfaces; several refrigerated foods had no use-by dates; bloated, damaged can of clam juice on dry goods shelf.
Follow-up: Passed a second follow-up inspection May 6.
Comments: Brett Bezio of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, which operates the cafe as a training program for blind and visually disabled entrepreneurs, said problems were quickly corrected, and a corrective action plan was put in place prevent a recurrence.
Casa Video + Film Bar
History: Mainly good and excellent scores for several years but received a needs improvement rating April 16 and failed reinspection on April 26.
What the inspector saw: Hand-washing sink had no soap, hot water or paper towels.
Follow up: Passed a second reinspection May 6.
Comments: Manager Lance Pope said the problem has been corrected.
China Pasta House
Cloths used to wipe up kitchen messes were improperly stored and sanitized at China Pasta House, 430 N. Park Ave., a recent county health inspection found.
History: Mainly good and excellent for several years but was placed on probation April 11.
What the inspector saw: Pork, noodles and sprouts stored at unsafe temperatures; refrigerated foods had no use-by dates; food debris on kitchen utensils; insects near dough mixer; onions, potatoes and cabbage were stored outdoors; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow up: Passed reinspection April 23.
Comments: A comment could not be obtained because the woman answering the phone said she did not speak English.
Chuy’s
History: Good and excellent scores for 20-plus years but received a needs improvement rating April 15 and failed reinspection on April 16.
What the inspector saw: Beef, chicken, fish, cabbage and pico de gallo stored at unsafe temperatures; food debris build-up on refrigerator shelves.
Follow up: Passed a second follow-up inspection April 25.
Comments: Owner Brian Latta noted the restaurant’s long history of positive health inspections and said problems were due to faulty equipment that was promptly replaced.
Circle K #1581
History: Good and excellent ratings until 2014, since then negative findings in six of 11 inspections. Most recently was placed on probation April 9, then failed three follow-up inspections April 19 and 29 and May 9.
What the inspector saw: Burritos, sausage biscuits, egg croissants and chocolate milk were stored at unsafe temperatures — a violation inspectors had identified twice.
Follow up: A fourth follow-up inspection is scheduled for May 20.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Circle K #3391
History: Good and excellent scores for years until 2018. Since then, three of five inspections had negative findings including a probation rating April 11, and failed re-inspection April 22.
What the inspector saw: Burritos and submarine sandwiches stored at unsafe temperatures —the third time inspectors identified the problem; refrigerator shelves were “covered with damp and soiled cardboard.”
Follow up: Passed a second re-inspection April 23.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Denny’s #6743
History: Mainly good and excellent scores since 2015 but was placed on probation April 18 and failed reinspection April 29.
What the inspector saw: Potatoes, gravy, squash and mushrooms stored at unsafe temperatures; strawberries covered in “mold-looking substance;” cockroach and trash found in storage unit.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection May 9.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Empire Pizza
History: Mainly good and excellent ratings for several years but was placed on probation April 12 and failed a follow-up inspection April 22.
What the inspector saw: Sausage, shredded cheese and ranch dressing stored at unsafe temperatures — the third time inspectors identified the problem; drain flies and three dead cockroaches in dish room; dried food residue on kitchen utensils.
Follow up: Passed a second follow-up inspection April 26.
Comments: An email from the company said problems have been corrected.
Family Dollar Store #6302
History: Excellent ratings for years until 2018. Since then, negative findings in three of the last five inspections, including a needs improvement score April 11 and a failed reinspection April 22.
What the inspector saw: The store amassed large piles of trash outside that created potential harborage conditions for insects and rodents.
Follow up: Passed a second follow-up inspection May 1.
Comments: The store is under new management, said Bianca Serrato, the new manager.
KFC
History: Good and excellent ratings for five years but was placed on probation April 1 and failed two follow-up inspections on April 11 and 26.
What the inspector saw: “Brown, sticky residue” in storage area for fried chicken — the third time inspectors noted a cleanliness problem; paper towels not available at hand-washing sink — the second such violation; food containers worn and cracked; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow up: The date of next inspection was not immediately available.
Comments: Declined to comment.
La Casita De Molina
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2017 but was placed on probation April 19 and was briefly shut down as an imminent health hazard.
What the inspector saw: Dried beef, shredded beef, menudo, guacamole and cheese stored at unsafe temperatures; cook prepared carne asada with bare hands; two hand-washing sinks blocked and inaccessible; dirty refrigerators; several refrigerated foods had no use-by dates.
Follow up: Passed re-inspection April 29.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Lin’s Grand Buffet
History: Since opening in early 2017, the restaurant has failed five of 11 health inspections, including an April 15 probation rating and two failed follow-up inspections on April 26 and May 6.
What the inspector saw: Yellowtail sushi, chicken skewers and cooked chicken wings stored at unsafe temperatures; food debris on kitchen utensils; two hand-washing sinks blocked and inaccessible, four sinks lacked hot water; multiple refrigerated foods had no use-by dates.
Follow-up: A third follow-up inspection was scheduled for May 16 but results were not available by deadline.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Little Caesar’s # 3160
History: Good and excellent scores since 2016 but received a needs improvement rating April 19 and failed two reinspections April 25 and May 6.
What the inspector saw: Not enough hand-washing sinks to accommodate the number of employees; the lone hand-washing sink had a water supply so hot it could not be used for handwashing.
Follow up: A third follow-up inspection was scheduled for May 16 but results were not available by deadline.
Comments: Manager Jose Rosas said problems have been corrected.
Native Grill and Wings
History: Good ratings since 2017 but was placed on probation April 4.
What the inspector saw: Cook changed gloves several times without washing hands, a repeat violation; no soap at two hand-washing sinks; dried food debris in microwave; pans stored as clean had food debris — a problem identified twice before.
Follow up: Passed re-inspection April 15.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Papa Mike’s Homemade Jerky
History: Good and excellent scores since 2016 but received a needs improvement rating April 19 and failed reinspection April 29.
What the inspector saw: Operator was not keeping required records for food production, making product hard to trace if it ever had to be recalled for health reasons.
Follow up: Date of next inspection was not immediately available. An April 29 letter to operator Mike Larsen said his food service permit could be revoked if he doesn’t comply.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Rodolfo’s Mexican Food
History: Good and excellent scores for several years but was placed on probation April 18.
What the inspector saw: Live baby cockroach on food prep counter; salsa and cabbage stored at unsafe temperatures, the third citation for a food temperature violation; several refrigerated foods had no use-by dates; encrusted food debris on cooking utensils.
Follow up: Passed re-inspection April 29.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Sonic Drive-In
History: Good ratings since 2017 but was placed on probation April 1.
What the inspector saw: Grease buildup on kitchen surfaces and “general cleanliness issues throughout the facility,” indicating a “pattern of noncompliance” since inspectors had previously identified the same problem at least three times.
Follow up: Passed re-inspection April 11.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Tony’s New York Italian Style
History: Good and excellent until 2017. Since then, three out of five inspections had negative findings including an April 10 needs improvement rating and a failed reinspection April 23.
What the inspector saw: Macaroni salad, coleslaw, deli meats and pickles were stored at unsafe temperatures; “food splatter” on walls and door of walk-in refrigerator.
Follow up: Passed a second re-inspection May 3.
Comments: Owner Mark Paolini said a faulty refrigeration unit is no longer in use.
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