Five restaurants failed July health inspections, and most passed follow-up inspections. Here’s what you need know:
• Nico’s Taco Shop, 7878 E. Wrightstown Road
History: The restaurant has had exclusively received “good” and “excellent” ratings since its opening in 2008. These were its first failed inspections.
What the inspector saw: Eight foodborne illness risk factors earned the location a probationary rating. Those violations included a manager on site without “knowledge of foodborne disease prevention,” employee drinks stored above food, trays blocking hand-washing stations, raw eggs sitting on top of cooked pork, walk-in shelves “heavily encrusted with food debris,” unsafe food temperatures, and food stored without adequate date marking. Most were corrected on site.
Follow-up: The restaurant failed a July 11 follow-up but passed another on July 21.
Response: Messages left with a manager were not returned.
• Village Inn, 4245 E. Speedway
History: This location has had exclusively “good” and “excellent” ratings since opening in 2000.
What the inspector saw: Seven risk factors, which earned the location a probationary rating. Among them were a manager who did not take initiative to correct problems, poor hand-washing and food handling practices, an obstructed hand-washing station, inadequately cleaned equipment including “grossly unsanitary” cutting boards, unsafe food storage temperatures and inadequately labeled chemicals. Several were addressed during the inspection.
Follow-up: The restaurant passed a July 18 follow-up inspection.
Response: In a written response, operations manager Scott Seather said, “We were surprised and disappointed to hear that one of our Tucson Village Inn restaurants … failed a recent health inspection. When we heard the news, we immediately took action and investigated the situation. Village Inn promptly passed a health reinspection and will continue to make our guests’ and employees’ safety the number one priority.”
• Olé Mexican Grill, 2080 W. Orange Grove Road
History: Since 2002, the restaurant has received “good” and “excellent” ratings exclusively. These were its first failed inspections.
What the inspector saw: Eight risk factors, earning the restaurant a probationary rating. These included obstructed hand-washing sinks, eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods, improper food handling practices, inadequate food cooling practices, no customer disclosure about the risks of undercooked foods, and unlabeled cleaning chemicals.
Follow-up: The location failed an Aug. 1 follow-up inspection.
Response: Ernest Aguirre, the restaurant’s owner, said most of the violations were corrected between the two inspections, and he expects to pass the second follow-up. “I think we should be passing the inspection,” he said. “I’ve been checking the temperatures and everything is good.”
• Wings and Rice, 5502 E. Pima St.
History: Other than one other “needs improvement” rating, the restaurant has received exclusively “good” and “excellent” ratings.
What the inspector saw: A handful of violations during a July 19 inspection, earning it a “needs improvement” rating, which is not as serious as a fail but still prompts a follow-up inspection. Among the violations were an obstructed hand-washing station, unsafe food temperatures, and the use of unapproved pest control chemicals.
Follow-up: The restaurant failed its first reinspection on July 20 but passed the next day.
Response: Owner Sung Ho Kang said, “It’s not going to happen again.”
• Amigos Burgers and Beer, 6372 S. Nogales Highway
History: Records of previous inspections are not available on the health department’s website, but co-owner Ramiro Flores said the restaurant has been open since 2013 and passed all previous inspections.
What the inspector saw: Nine risk factors on July 25, earning the restaurant a probationary rating. The violations included a manager who did not “demonstrate adequate food safety knowledge” and noted to the inspector that they use Google to look up requirements; no procedures in place for “vomiting or diarrheal” events; inadequate hand-washing and food handling practices; raw bacon stored above ready-to-eat foods; food held at unsafe temperatures; and no disclosure of undercooked food hazards on its menu. Several were corrected on site.
Follow-up: Flores said the restaurant was reinspected Friday and passed, though documentation of the follow-up was not immediately available on the county’s website.
Response: Flores said the restaurant has taken a number of measures since the inspection, including purchasing new cooling equipment, signing employees up for training, and putting food safety and hand-washing signs up for workers. “We just wanted to make it as easy as possible for our cooks to comply and have the knowledge,” he said.
