19 restaurants fail February Pima County health inspections

2680 N. 1st Ave.

History: Since 2006, the restaurant has largely received ratings of good and excellent, but had two previous ratings of needs improvement and a failing probationary in 2016.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed six priority violations, including an employee prepare a margarita without first washing his hands after cleaning dirty glasses, hot dogs kept below established temperatures and no test strips for one of the sanitizers used at the restaurant.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a Feb. 26 follow-up.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

190 W. Continental Road

History: Since 2016, the restaurant has exclusively received inspection ratings of good. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector saw five violations, the minimum for a failing probationary rating. They included a hand sink without paper towels, a cooler not keeping foods sufficiently cool, food stored without date marking, and a menu that does not identify which foods may be served raw or undercooked.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a March 1 follow-up.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

History: Since 2016, the food truck has had a mixed inspection history, though this is its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted 13 priority violations, including handling ready-to-eat food without gloves, cutting boards not being sanitized, unapproved par cooking, a cooler not keeping foods below established temperatures, cleaning chemicals stored above clean dishes, no three-compartment cleaning sink or sanitizer test strips.

Follow-up: The food truck passed a March 7 follow-up.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

1350 W. Irvington Road

History: Since the early 2000s, the buffet has earned inspection ratings of good almost exclusively. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed eight priority violations, including a blocked hand sink, raw beef stored above spinach, plastic containers with food debris stored as clean, food stored above established temperatures, chemicals stored near clean utensils, spices for “grilled food being stored inside same container storing chemicals,” and no sanitizer test strips.

Follow-up: The restaurant failed a Feb. 27 follow-up, and another had not occurred by press time.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

4701 E. 22nd St.

History: Since 2012, the convenience store has had a mixed inspection history, with several excellent ratings, as well as a previous failed inspection and needs improvement rating.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted six priority violations, including a hand sink whose water could not reach established temperatures, nacho cheese and other foods stored below hot-holding temperatures and chemicals stored on a sanitizer drain board.

Follow-up: The location passed a Feb. 20 follow-up inspection.

Response: “Circle K takes immediate and corrective action when receiving a Provisional License inspection notice,” company spokeswoman Donna Humphrey said in an email. “All items noted on the February 8, 2018, inspection … have been addressed with store employees and our facilities department.”

3155 E. Speedway

History: Since 2000, the chain location has largely received inspection ratings of good and excellent but also has had several needs improvement ratings. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: A reach-in refrigerator was not keeping foods below established cold-holding temperatures. The issue had not been resolved by a Feb. 16 follow-up, earning the chain location a fail.

Follow-up: The Circle K failed its first follow-up Feb. 16 but passed 10 days later.

Response: “Circle K takes immediate and corrective action when receiving a Fail rating on an inspection notice,” company spokeswoman Donna Humphrey said in an email. “All items noted on the February 16, 2018, inspection … have been addressed with store employees and our facilities department.”

5502 E. Speedway

History: Since 2012, the convenience store has mostly received inspection ratings of good and excellent but has failed one previous inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector found just one priority violation: coolers not keeping foods below established cold-holding temperatures. Normally five priority violations are required for a failing probationary rating, but because similar violations had been observed in two other recent inspections, the location was failed for what the health department calls a “pattern of non-compliance.”

Follow-up: The Circle K passed a Feb. 28 follow-up.

Response: “Circle K takes immediate and corrective action when receiving a Provisional License inspection notice,” company spokeswoman Donna Humphrey said in an email. “All items noted on the February 16, 2018, inspection … have been addressed with store employees and our facilities department.

18875 S. I-19 Frontage Road

History: Since 2000, the chain location has almost exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent but did have two previous needs improvement ratings. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted six priority violations, including raw beef stored above ready-to-eat sandwich meats, kitchenware stored as clean with food debris and a reach-in refrigerator not keeping foods below established temperatures.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a March 2 follow-up inspection.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

5335 E. Broadway

History: Since 2012, the hotel has exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed six priority violations, including gloveless handling of a melon, no detectable sanitizer in the dishwasher, food stored without date marking and a cooler not keeping foods below established cold-holding temperatures.

Follow-up: The hotel passed a follow-up inspection Feb. 26.

Response: “We were made aware of the area for improvement, and the deficiency was handled swiftly,” general manager Amy Wilcox said in an email. “As such, we passed inspection immediately during the follow-up visit.”

1340 N. Wilmot Road

History: Since 2004, the restaurant has mostly received inspection ratings of good and excellent but has also failed three previous inspections.

What the inspector saw: The county inspector noted nine priority violations, including blocked hand sinks; a hand sink without soap; dishes and kitchen equipment with food debris stored as clean; and pico de gallo and other foods not kept below established cold-holding temperatures. Many of the violations were corrected on site.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a Feb. 21 follow-up inspection.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

1730 E. Prince Road

History: This was the restaurant’s second routine inspection and its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed nine priority violations, including an employee opening a refrigerator after handling raw meat, another worker handling lettuce with bare hands, a blocked hand sink, vegetables being sliced on a cutting board used for raw meat and food stored without date markings. Many of the violations were corrected during the visit.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a follow-up inspection Feb. 15.

Response: Manager Fidel Valenzuela said that in response to the inspection, “We followed up and retrained all the people to make sure they knew all the correct procedures.”

4207 S. 6th Ave.

History: Since 2011, inspections at this location have almost exclusively resulted in good and excellent ratings. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted three priority violations, including a non-functioning hand sink, no paper towels at two hand sinks and no backflow prevention on the water line.

Follow-up: The hand sink had not been repaired by the first Feb. 21 follow-up, resulting in a fail. Molcas passed Feb. 3.

Response: A message seeking comment was not immediately returned Thursday.

806 E. University Blvd.

History: Since 2013, the restaurant has exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed three priority violations, including a cooler not keeping foods sufficiently cool, prepared food with date marking and “excess rodent droppings in mop sink area.” Five violations are typically required for a failing probationary rating, but because the date marking issue had also been observed in two recent inspections, Mutts was failed for a “pattern of noncompliance.”

Follow-up: The restaurant failed a March 5 follow-up.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

5851 N. Oracle Road

History: Since 2011, the restaurant has mostly received inspection ratings of good but had three previous failed inspections, as well as two needs improvement ratings.

What the inspector saw: The inspector found three priority violations, including sanitizer levels below established concentrations and a hand sink with a broken drainline. Because the sanitizer level issue had been noted during two recent inspections, the restaurant was failed for a “pattern of noncompliance.”

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a March 5 follow-up inspection.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

1015 N. Stone Ave.

History: Since 2010, the restaurant has almost exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent, though it did have a needs improvement last year.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed eight priority violations, including an employee handling raw meat and then donning a glove without first washing their hands, a worker fill a pan at the handwashing sink, several storage containers with rodent droppings, foods stored above established temperatures and no sanitizer test strips on the premises.

Follow-up: The lounge passed a Feb. 22 follow-up inspection.

Response: General manager Neil Shah said the restaurant took a number of steps in the wake of the inspection, including adding a new door and weather stripping to address pest issues. “We did everything and more,” he said.

7607 N. Oracle Road

History: Since 2010, the restaurant has largely received inspection ratings of good and excellent, though it has one previous failing probationary rating, as well as one needs improvement rating.

What the inspector saw: The inspector observed nine priority violations, including no hand towels at a hand sink, raw fish stored above cooked chicken, foods stored above established cold-holding temperatures and two compartments of the three-compartment sink connected directly to the grease trap.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a Feb. 12 follow-up inspection.

Response: “The recent health inspection in February allowed Saffron to continue to adjust and transition our kitchen’s systems and equipment to reflect the evolving health and safety in food regulations,” manager Mordechai Thomas said in an email. “That being said, we have taken serious, immediate corrective actions in our kitchen appliances, managerial staff, along with changes in our mandatory food handlers education requirements.”

5650 S. 12th Ave.

History: This appears to have been the restaurant’s first routine inspection, according to online records.

What the inspector saw: The inspector saw nine priority violations, including no paper towels at a hand sink, raw fish stored over cooked rice, dishes not being sanitized, a cooler not keeping foods below established temperatures and food stored without date marking.

Follow-up: The restaurant passed a Feb. 20 follow-up.

Response: Owner Carlos Chavez said that many of the violations were minor. “Everything is fine, every one was resolved,” he added.

5470 E. Grant Road

History: Since 2006, the convenience store has almost exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent. This was its first failed inspection.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted three priority violations, including no hand sink, a blocked three-compartment sink and other sinks unable to dispense sufficiently hot water. A live roach was also seen in a cabinet under the soda machine.

Follow-up: The Shell station still did not have a hand sink by the Feb. 26 follow-up, resulting in a fail. Other violations had also not been resolved. It passed two days later.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.

2701 E. Valencia Road

History: Since 2003, this Waffle House location has almost exclusively received inspection ratings of good and excellent. It had one previous needs improvement rating.

What the inspector saw: The inspector noted five priority violations, among them a cooler not keeping foods sufficiently cool, a high-temperature dishwasher running below established temperatures and an employee handling raw eggs and then handling ready-to-eat food.

Follow-up: The restaurant failed its first follow-up Feb. 26 and passed the next day.

Response: A message seeking comment was not returned.