14 eateries failed Pima County health inspections in July

1800 E. Fort Lowell Road, #136

History: Mainly good and passing ratings since 2015 but was placed on probation three times in recent years, most recently on July 23.

What the inspector saw: Foods stored at unsafe temperatures including cooked rice, noodles and egg rolls and raw beef, chicken and shrimp; inaccurate thermometers; hand-washing sink was blocked with trash; sink had no soap, a recurring problem in two previous inspections; vegetables cut up on a work table dirty with dried food debris; walls had "lots of grease."

Follow-up: Passed follow-up inspection on Aug. 2.

Comments: Renee Liu, the restaurant's contact person for health department inspections, said the problems inspectors identified have been corrected.

3156 E. Drexel Road

History: Mostly good and excellent ratings until 2015. Since then, the site has had negative ratings in five of its last 10 health inspections, including a July 16 needs improvement rating and a failed re-inspection on July 26.

What the inspector saw: Leaky ceiling was dripping water on food in walk-in refrigerator. Management was ordered to stop using the refrigerator but was still using it 10 days later when a re-inspection took place; glass door on refrigerator was cracked and held together with duct tape.

Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection on Aug. 6.

Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.

6090 S. Park Ave.

History: Good and excellent ratings for 10-plus years until the store was put on probation on July 5.

What the inspector saw: Utensils such as tongs used for hotdogs had not been sanitized in days; sanitizing sink was dirty with old food debris; burritos, cheeseburgers and sandwiches were stored at unsafe temperatures; multiple bottles of chemicals were improperly stored, posing a potential risk of contamination; flying insects in drain behind soda machine; waste from soda and slush machines was draining onto the floor instead of into the sewer line; floors in storage area, walk-in refrigerator and near soda machine were "very dirty (black)"; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection on July 16.

Comments: Circle K spokeswoman Donna J. Humphrey said the company took immediate corrective action. She added that all violations were addressed with store employees and Circle K's facilities department. 

15 S. Harrison Road

History: Good and excellent ratings for the last several years but received a needs improvement rating on June 29 followed by a failed re-inspection on July 9.

What the inspector saw: Hamburgers, turkey sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches stored at unsafe temperatures in refrigerated sandwich case. The unit still wasn't fixed 10 days later when initial re-inspection took place.

Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection on July 19.

Comments: Circle K spokeswoman Donna J. Humphrey said the company took immediate corrective action. She added that all violations were addressed with store employees and Circle K's facilities department. 

1735 W. Speedway

History: Negative findings in five of eight health inspections since mid-2017, including a June 29 probationary rating and a failed re-inspection on July 19 that prompted a warning of possible legal action unless problems were fixed.

What the inspector saw: Milk, bacon and breakfast croissants were stored at unsafe temperatures and the refrigeration problem still wasn't fixed when inspectors came back three weeks later; dirty hand-washing sink.

Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection on July 30.

Comments: Circle K spokeswoman Donna J. Humphrey said the company took immediate corrective action. She added that all violations were addressed with store employees and Circle K's facilities department. 

6841 E. Camino Principal

History: Good and excellent ratings until late last year. Since then, four of six inspections had negative findings, including a July 6 probationary rating and a failed follow-up inspection on July 16.

What the inspector saw: Milk, pickles, olives, cheeses, cut tomatoes and tuna salad stored at unsafe temperatures; faulty cooler, noted in a total of four inspections in last 18 months, still was not working properly; burgers and salmon were being cooked on household appliances instead of approved restaurant equipment and there was no ventilation hood to remove smoke and greasy air; no hot water in handwashing sink; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed second re-inspection on July 26.

Comments: Owner Keya Tehrani said a number of problems resulted from faulty equipment that has since been replaced.

Mobile food service

History: Good and excellent ratings since 2011 but was put on probation on July 14.

What the inspector saw: Cobs of corn were being cut with a saw in makeshift food prep area; masa grinder in disrepair with holes in welding; hand-washing sink blocked by oscillating fan; no thermometer on site; no test strips to test strength of sanitizing solution; no certified food protection manager; mobile unit was not operating from an approved commissary as required.

Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection on July 25.

Comments: Lorena Cortez, one of the owners, said all problems have been corrected.

901 N. Grande Ave.

History: Mainly positive ratings since 2016 but received a needs improvement rating on June 22 followed by a failed re-inspection on July 2.

What the inspector saw: Kitchen was briefly shut down as an "imminent health hazard" due to no working refrigeration; no hot water in hand-washing sink; clean dishes stored on dirty shelves; dirty dough mixers; bags of of onions stored directly on floor; holes in ceiling above reach-in refrigerator; open window had no screen; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed second re-inspection on July 11.

Comments: Manager Carlos G. Vargas said problems have been corrected. He said the refrigeration problem was due to a power outage.

10 W. Grant Road

History: Good ratings since 2016 but received a needs improvement rating on July 17 and failed a re-inspection on July 27.

What the inspector saw: Cooked noodles, eggs, brown rice and raw beef, pork and chicken were stored at unsafe temperatures; raw pork was stored above raw vegetables; containers storing cooked noodles were "covered in debris and dried food;" food prep table "dirty and sticky;" pans stored as clean had food debris; kitchen needed a "thorough deep cleaning;" no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: A re-inspection scheduled for Aug. 7 did not take place because the site was shut down for renovations when inspectors arrived. The kitchen will be reinspected once construction is complete, a health department officials said.

Comments: Could not be reached for comment. No one answered two calls to the restaurant's phone number and there was no voicemail option.

6020 W. Hospitality Road

History: Good and excellent ratings for the past several years until a needs improvement rating on July 13, followed by a failed re-inspection on July 23.

What the inspector saw: Sanitizing solution used to disinfect kitchen equipment did not have any sanitizer in it; kitchen did not have required test strips on hand to test the strength of sanitizing solution, and still didn't have the test strips 10 days later when re-inspection took place; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection on Aug. 2.

Comments: Declined to comment.

1750 E. Fort Lowell Road, #164

History: Good and excellent ratings since 2015 but was placed on probation on July 23.

What the inspector saw: Ongoing hand-washing issues for third inspection in a row; employee handled dirty dishes, then unloaded clean dishes from dishwasher without washing hands and changing gloves; employee wearing gloves dropped one of the gloves on floor, then put it back on and kept working; food debris on dishes.

Follow-up: Passed re-inspection on Aug. 2.

Comments: Manager Jose Lopez said the health inspector arrived on a day when some new employees were still in training. Their training is complete and problems have been corrected, he said.

12125 N. Oracle Road, #169

History: Eight of 14 health inspections had negative findings in the past two years, including a June 29 needs improvement rating followed by a failed re-inspection on July 11.

What the inspector saw: Beans and menudo stored at unsafe temperatures; employee dropped a glove on the floor, put it back on, then attempted to prepare a plate of food without washing hands or changing gloves; rust and peeling paint on shelves in walk-in refrigerator; grease and dust buildup on ventilation hood; clean dishes stored on dusty shelves;  built-up food debris and food stains on floor; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection on July 21.

Comments: Manager Cheli Chavez said faulty equipment was replaced and "everything is back to normal."

15250 N. Oracle Road, #190

History: Mainly good and excellent ratings for last several years, but was put on probation on July 7.

What the inspector saw:  Lettuce, spinach, sliced tomatoes, pickles and peppers were stored at unsafe temperatures, showing a "pattern of noncompliance" because the same problem was identified in two other recent inspections; no food thermometer; employee handled dirty dishes, then put gloves over unwashed hands to make food; no signs over sinks reminding employees to wash hands; no test strips available to test sanitizing solution; no certified food protection manager.

Follow-up: Passed re-inspection on July 18.

Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.

3605 W. Cortaro Road, #105

History: Mainly excellent ratings for the last several years but received a needs improvement rating on June 21 followed by a failed re-inspection on July 2, a probationary rating on July 12 and another failed re-inspection on July 23.

What the inspector saw: Ongoing issues with hand-washing sink (third time); sink had no hot water; sink had no soap or paper towels; no test strips for sanitizing solution; no certified food protection manager; management failed to submit a timely written plan for fixing problems.

Follow-up: Passed a fourth re-inspection on Aug. 2.

Comments: Jose Quijada, the store's contact person for health inspections, said a failed water heater was replaced and other problems were corrected.