Thirteen local food service establishments — 11 restaurants, a supermarket and a convenience store — received ratings of “provisional” or “fail” during Pima County health inspections in December.
Five of the businesses failed follow-up inspections, but the rest passed.
Here’s what you need to know:
Crossroads Restaurant
2602 S. Fourth Ave.
- History: Restaurant has received mixed ratings since 2000, and failed an inspection in 2007.
- What the inspector saw: Seven critical violations were noted during a Dec. 1 inspection, causing the restaurant to receive a “provisional” rating. The violations dealt with issues including unsafe temperatures, employee handwashing technique, improperly stored food and dirty utensils and food prep equipment.
- Follow-up: Failed Dec. 11, when one of the violations hadn’t been corrected. Passed Dec. 14.
- Response: Owner or manager didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Kikka at Whole Foods Oracle
7133 N. Oracle Road
- History: The sushi counter received “excellent” ratings on health inspections in 2013 and 2014. But during a Dec. 15 inspection, Kikka received a “needs improvement” rating due to food measuring at unsafe temperatures.
- What the inspector saw: On a Dec. 28 reinspection, all of the food temperature issues had been corrected, but the facility still didn’t have a county-approved food safety plan in place, which is a requirement. Because that critical violation hadn’t been corrected from the previous inspection, Kikka received a “fail.”
- Follow-up: Passed Jan. 7.
- Response: “Food safety is our number one priority. Our sushi rice is controlled by pH level which renders it safe for room temperature holding. During the health inspection, the pH level of our white rice was within the critical limit but our brown rice was not. The whole batch of brown rice was discarded immediately at the time of the inspection,” said Kikka’s food safety specialist,
- Stella Tjakralaksana
- . “We took this matter very seriously. Our food and safety manager together with our district manager retrained all personnel and ensure the (food safety) plan is being followed properly.”
Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket
1990 W. Orange Grove Road
- History: “Good” and “excellent” ratings since it opened in 2010.
- What the inspector saw: Lee Lee’s holds separate permits for the supermarket and meat market. On Dec. 30, both areas received “fail” ratings on health inspections. The inspector noted five critical violations in the supermarket, including food stored at unsafe temperatures; an employee sweeping the floor, then cutting vegetables without washing his hands; and numerous food items without labels. The meat market report noted eight critical violations, most involving hand-washing problems. “Also observed an employee use hose to quickly rinse off hands,” the inspector wrote, after noting that other employees were washing their hands in the dish sink, not the handwashing sink.
- Follow-up: Failed Jan. 13; passed Jan. 14
- Response: “In response to the recent rating for the supermarket and meat market at the Lee Lee International Supermarket Tucson location, we immediately undertook employee training and updated store signage,” said Chief Financial Officer
- Kelly Brendel
- . “The location has been re-inspected and successfully passed the follow-up inspection with all noted issues corrected.”
Lucky Wishbone
2545 N. Campbell Ave.
- History: All “good” and “excellent” ratings since it opened in 2001, but received a “needs improvement” during a Nov. 23 inspection because of problems with food storage and date marking.
- What the inspector saw: On a Dec. 3 reinspection, two of the three critical violations had been corrected, causing the restaurant to receive a “fail.” The inspection report noted that wood shelving above a food prep table and dish sink was in disrepair and hadn’t been fixed or replaced. “Wood particles ... become airborne with the slightest touch,” the inspector wrote.
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 4.
- Response: Owner or manager could not be reached for comment.
Nan Tian BBQ Gourmet (inside Lee Lee’s)
1990 W. Orange Grove Road
- History: Mostly “good” ratings, but received a “provisional” rating in 2013 and a “needs improvement” last March.
- What the inspector saw: Eight critical violations were noted during the Dec. 30 inspection, causing the restaurant to receive a “provisional” rating. The violations dealt with unsafe temperatures, cross-contamination of food items, and meat hooks and storage racks with food debris. The inspector also noted that the person in charge “was seen handling money, raw foods and cooked foods without washing hands.”
- Follow-up: Failed Jan. 11.
- Response: No phone number listed.
New China Super Buffet
1160 N. Wilmot Road
- History: Mixed ratings over the years, but has received three “fail” or “provisional” ratings since 2000.
- What the inspector saw: The restaurant received a “provisional” rating on a Dec. 23 inspection, with nine critical violations noted in the report. Numerous food items on the buffet were above or below safe holding temperatures, and the inspector wrote that “no potentially hazardous foods in facility are datemarked.” In addition, dirty towels were laying inside of the hand sink, the soap dispenser was broken and no paper towels were available.
- Follow-up: Failed Jan. 4.
- Response: Manager declined to comment.
Old Peking
2522 E. Speedway
- History: Mostly good ratings over the years, but failed two inspections in 2006.
- What the inspector saw: Five critical violations during a Dec. 16 inspection earned the restaurant a “provisional” rating. Violations included an employee handling utensils covered with raw meat, then touching clean items without washing his hands; styrofoam containers used to store raw chicken being used for takeout orders; and soda nozzles with “dark slimy buildup.”
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 28.
- Response: Owner or manager could not be reached for comment.
Subway
7635 N. La Cholla Blvd.
- History: “Good” ratings since 2013, but received a “needs improvement” on Dec. 4, when employees failed to demonstrate proper handwashing technique and the person in charge was unable to show adequate food safety knowledge.
- What the inspector saw: As a condition to the “needs improvement” rating, one employee was required to attend a food safety class. When the inspector returned on a Dec. 14 follow-up inspection, no one had taken the class yet, causing the restaurant to receive a “fail.”
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 17.
- Response: A representative of Subway’s corporate office didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Szechuan Omei
2601 E. Speedway
- History: Received “provisional” and “fail” ratings in May, and a “provisional” again on Oct. 28. Failed an inspection on Nov. 9, and failed the reinspection
- Nov. 19.
- What the inspector saw: One critical violation was recorded during a Dec. 4 inspection, which was a follow-up to the three previous failed inspections. Because items in the walk-in refrigerator still measured above safe temperatures, the restaurant received a “fail.”
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 14.
- Response: Owner or manager was not available for comment.
Thuan Kieu
1990 W. Orange Grove Road
- History: Received a “provisional” rating in 2010, but all “good” and “excellent” inspections since.
- What the inspector saw: With six critical violations, the restaurant received a “provisional” rating during a Dec. 14 inspection. Violations included temperature issues, dirty food prep surfaces, open employee beverage cups throughout the kitchen and inconsistent date marking. “In the walk-in, observed two pots of liquid with a mold-like substance on surface,” the inspector wrote in the report.
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 24.
- Response: Owner or manager could not be reached for comment.
Tino’s Pizza
6610 E. Tanque Verde Road
- History: Mostly “good” and “excellent” ratings since 2000, but received a “needs improvement” on a Dec. 3 inspection for two critical violations involving food above and below safe temperatures.
- What the inspector saw: On a Dec. 8 reinspection, one of the critical violations had been corrected, but the restaurant received a “fail,” because items in a walk-in refrigerator were still measuring above safe-holding temperatures.
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 10.
- Response: “As far as I know, everything is clear with the health department and we got a good inspection,” said owner
- William Chonis
- . “Everything is in good standing.”
U-Like Oriental Buffet
5101 N. Oracle Road
- History: “Good” ratings since it opened in 2012, but received a “provisional” rating last April.
- What the inspector saw: Six critical violations observed during a Dec. 28 inspection caused the restaurant to receive a “provisional” rating. The inspector found hot food items measuring below safe temperatures, cross-contamination of food in the walk-in refrigerator, and food debris on racks and in the dish drying area. When the inspector asked the person in charge about the employee illness policy, the person answered, “I don’t think we have one of those.”
- Follow-up: Failed Jan. 7.
- Response: No answer at the phone number provided.
Circle K No. 3458
4990 N. Oracle Road
- History: “Excellent” ratings since it opened in Dec. 2012, but received a “needs improvement” on a Dec. 7 inspection, because items in a walk-in refrigerator were measuring at below safe-holding temperatures.
- What the inspector saw: When the inspector returned on Dec. 8 to see if the critical violation had been corrected, milk in a far corner was still measuring above temperature, causing the convenience store to receive a “fail.”
- Follow-up: Passed Dec. 9.
- Response: A representative from Circle K corporate offices did not respond to a request for comment.
