Eighteen food service sites failed Pima County Health Department inspections in March. Fourteen passed follow-up inspections, three are awaiting re-inspection and results were not available for one that was reinspected just before deadline. Here’s what you need to know:
Bianchi’s Italian
3620 W. Tangerine Road
History: Good and excellent scores since 2015, but received a needs improvement rating Feb. 21 and failed a follow-up inspection March 4.
What the inspector saw: Cook picked up a piece of bread from floor then continued food prep without washing hands; bartender cleared dirty dishes then put away clean glassware without washing hands; four hand-washing sinks did not meet standards either because they were blocked or lacked soap or paper towels, a repeat finding; dishwasher lacked sanitizing solution, a repeat finding; floors were dirty; clean utensils stored in metal bins with “encrusted dirt and food debris.”
Follow-up: Passed a second follow-up inspection March 14.
Comments: Owner Vincent Bianchi said problems have been corrected.
Brookdale North Tucson
2650 W. Ina Road
History: Excellent scores since 2010, but the kitchen received a needs improvement rating March 25 and failed a March 26 follow-up inspection.
What the inspector saw: Refrigeration unit was not cooling sufficiently.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection April 2.
Comments: Kitchen manager Karen Citino noted the site’s long history of perfect inspection scores. She said food was removed from the faulty refrigeration unit and stored elsewhere until the problem was fixed.
Chevron Food Store
1345 N. Stone Ave.
History: Good ratings since 2015, but received a needs improvement score Feb. 26 and failed three follow-up inspections on March 8, 18 and 28.
What the inspector saw: No food thermometer; management not certified in food protection management; dirty wiping cloths stored on counters; facility’s only hand-washing sink was blocked, lacked hot water and was not draining properly.
Follow-up: A fourth re-inspection is scheduled for April 8.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Circle K
9000 N. Camino de Oeste
History: Good and excellent inspections for several years but received a needs improvement rating March 7 and failed a follow-up inspection March 18.
What the inspector saw: Hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, salsa and creamers stored at unsafe temperatures; hot dogs and salsa had no use-by dates; hand sink lacked water pressure.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection March 28.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Circle K
1555 W. Valencia Road
History: Good and excellent ratings until 2018. Since then, negative findings in five of seven health inspections including a March 19 needs improvement rating and two failed follow-up inspections on March 20 and April 1.
What the inspector saw: Burritos, cheeseburgers, turkey subs and salad were stored at unsafe temperatures; management not certified in food protection management; hand-washing sink blocked.
Follow up: A third follow-up inspection is scheduled for April 11.
Comments: A request for comment was not returned by deadline.
Dry River Company
800 N. Kolb Road
History: Good and excellent ratings until 2018. Since then, negative findings in three of last four health inspections, including a March 5 needs improvement rating and a failed re-inspection March 15.
What the inspector saw: Equipment-washing sink directly connects to sewer; ceiling had open areas with exposed insulation; “mold-like debris” on beer lines in bar area; dirty floors in bar area; refrigerator shelving had “extreme” buildup of mold-like substance.
Follow-up: A second follow-up inspection is scheduled for April 12.
Comments: Owner K.C. Combs said the issues have not affected food quality.
Famous Wok
6401 Marana Center Blvd.
History: Good and excellent ratings in 2016 and 2017. Since then, negative results in five of eight inspections, including a week-long, county-ordered shutdown Feb. 28 due to cockroach infestation and three failed follow-up inspections March 1, 5 and 11.
What the inspector saw: Live roaches on cutting boards, walls, floors and inside a paper towel dispenser near hand-washing sink; cigarettes stored on food prep counter; rice cooker not properly sanitized; person in charge lacked basic knowledge of food safety; two hand-washing sinks blocked and inaccessible; chemicals stored in unlabeled bottles.
Follow-up: Passed a fourth re-inspection March 21.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Giant
4180 W. Ina Road
History: Good and excellent ratings for 10-plus years, but received a needs improvement score March 18 and was placed on probation March 19.
What the inspector saw: Hand-washing sink had no hot water or paper towels, the third such finding, indicating a pattern of noncompliance; equipment-washing sink inaccessible; no functioning thermometer.
Follow-up: Passed a follow-up inspection March 29.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Guillermo’s Double L Restaurant
1830 S. Fourth Ave.
History: Good and excellent ratings for 15-plus years, but the site was placed probation March 5.
What the inspector saw: Cooked foods were improperly cooled.
Follow-up: Passed re-inspection March 11 and earned an excellent rating on March 13.
Comments: Manager Edgar Gonzales said the restaurant has never failed a health inspection before and acted quickly to correct the problem. Kitchen staff have received additional training, he said.
Hamburger Stand
1710 W. Valencia Road
History: Good and excellent ratings for nearly 10 years but was placed on probation March 12.
What the inspector saw: Lettuce, tomatoes and cheese stored at unsafe temperatures — evidence of a “pattern of noncompliance” since the same violation happened twice before; employee did not wash hands before putting gloves on to handle food.
Follow-up: Passed re-inspection March 25.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Lotus Garden
5975 E. Speedway Blvd.
History: Good and excellent scores for years until mid-2016. Since then, four of nine health inspections had negative findings, most recently a needs improvement rating Feb. 25 and a failed re-inspection March 6.
What the inspector saw: Cook did not wash hands before donning gloves to handle food; three hand-washing sinks did not have soap or paper towels; walls had areas of “black mold-like discoloration;” wiping cloths not properly sanitized.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection March 26.
Comments: Manager Dan Wong said problems have been rectified.
Mama’s Kitchen
180 W. Continental Road
History: Mainly good and excellent scores for 10-plus years, but received a needs improvement rating March 12 and failed a follow-up inspection March 13.
What the inspector saw: Turkey breast, salad, cheese and sour cream stored at unsafe temperatures; food stored in employee restroom; hand-washing sink blocked; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow-up: Passed second re-inspection March 26.
Comments: Manager Dan Winter said problems have been rectified.
Old Peking Restaurant
2522 E. Speedway Blvd.
History: Has been placed on probation four times in last three years, most recently on March 4.
What the inspector saw: Cockroach nymph crawling on food prep table; chicken, spring rolls, tofu and cabbage stored at unsafe temperatures; cucumbers were moldy; no person in charge on the premises; some foods had no use-by dates; chemicals stored in unlabeled containers; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow-up: Passed a March 14 follow-up inspection.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Omar’s Highway Chef Restaurant
5451 E. Benson Hwy.
History: Mainly good and excellent ratings for 15 years but was placed on probation March 26.
What the inspector saw: Lettuce, tomatoes, turkey and corned beef hash stored at unsafe temperatures; two employees did not wash hands before donning gloves to work with food; equipment-washing sink directly connected to sewer.
Follow-up: A follow-up inspection was scheduled for April 5 but results not available by deadline.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Quiktrip
1250 S. Pantano Road
History: Good and excellent scores since 2010 but received a needs improvement rating March 1 and failed a March 12 re-inspection.
What the inspector saw: Dishes stored as clean had built-up food debris; hand-washing sink had no paper towels; dishwasher did not have proper hot water temperature; dirty floors.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection March 26.
Comments: Could not be reached for comment. No one answered two calls placed during business hours and there was no voicemail system.
Royal Sun Restaurant and Lounge
1015 N. Stone Ave.
History: Good and excellent ratings until mid-2017. Since then, four of nine inspections had negative findings including a March 7 shut-down as an imminent health hazard due to rodent activity and a failed re-inspection March 18.
What the inspector saw: “Heavy rodent droppings throughout the facility;” dead mouse on glue trap under food prep table; storage shelves “lit up” under a blacklight, possibly from rodent urine stains; numerous holes in walls; broken door sweep on back door.
Follow-up: Passed a second re-inspection March 28
Comments: General manager Neil Shah said problems have been corrected and “will never, ever happen again.”
Super 8
715 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
History: Mainly good and passing ratings since 2016 but was placed on probation March 12.
What the inspector saw: Milk stored at unsafe temperatures; hand-washing sink had no paper towels and no hot water. Both problems had been identified twice before.
Follow-up: Passed re-inspection March 22.
Comments: Declined to comment
Years Asian Bistro and BBQ
625 E. Wetmore Road
History: Opened in mid-2018, was placed on probation Feb. 11 and failed re-inspection March 1.
What the inspector saw: Chicken, beef, eggs and pork stored at unsafe temperatures; two employees handled food without washing hands or putting gloves on; plates and bowls stored as clean had dried food debris; no thermometer; no sanitizer test strips.
Follow-up: Passed second re-inspection March 11.
Comments: Declined to comment.
