Eateries that failed Pima County health inspections in June
Fifteen food service establishments failed Pima County Health Department inspections in June.
Eight of them were published last week and this collection includes them and the other seven. The newer ones are first on the list.
Here’s what you need to know:
Water Hole
UpdatedHistory: Good or excellent ratings since 2013 but was placed on probation June 15 for running an unlicensed eatery and was warned by the county to shut it down or face possible legal action.
What the inspector saw: The bar — which is allowed to serve only prepackaged snack foods — had a sign out front advertising burgers and fries. Out back, a goat was living next to a makeshift outdoor kitchen that did not meet sanitary standards. Inside, a cat was crawling on tabletops. Insecticide labeled as unsafe to use near food was stored on top of a freezer and no one on site was certified in food protection management.
Follow-up: Passed a reinspection June 25 after voluntarily shutting down the kitchen and removing cat from the premises.
Comments: Could not be reached. No one answered the business phone number listed in county records and there was no voicemail.
Indian Twist
Updated
Indian Twist, in the space that formerly housed Twisted Tandoor.
History: Opened in June 2017 and received an “excellent” rating a few months later, but was put on probation June 1 and was briefly shut down as an “imminent health hazard” due to faulty refrigeration.
What the inspector saw: Numerous foods stored at unsafe temperatures including butter chicken, curry chicken, lamb, lentils, cooked vegetables and mango lassi; server touched hair and dirty dishes, then served food without washing hands; dirty shelving; cracked and broken dishes; clean utensils stored in container encrusted with food debris.
Follow-up: Passed reinspection June 11.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Jerry Bob’s
Updated
Jerry Bob’s at 3601 N. Campbell Ave. was put on probation by the Pima County Health Department in June, in part because of food debris on dishes and containers. The site passed re-inspection two weeks later.
History: Good and excellent ratings for several years until June 4, when the site was put on probation.
What the inspector saw: Ham, meatloaf, spinach, peeled eggs and cooked potatoes were stored at unsafe temperatures; no functioning thermometer; plates, bowls and containers stored as clean had food debris; dishwasher handled dirty dishes and trash can, then put away clean dishes without washing hands; cook touched a hamburger bun with bare hands; handwashing sink did not drain properly.
Follow-up: Passed re-inspection June 18.
Comments: Manager Yolanda Sadler said “all noted items have been corrected” and said the dishwasher received additional training.
The O Oracle 2000
Updated
The O, on the site of the former Gus and Andy’s Steakhouse on Oracle Road, is scheduled to open March 10.
History: Opened in early 2017 and had good or passing ratings until June 22 when it was put on probation.
What the inspector saw: Frozen burgers and chicken wings improperly thawing at room temperature; one handwashing sink had no soap and two others had no paper towels; no working thermometer; wiping cloths not properly sanitized; no certified food protection manager.
Follow-up: Passed a July 11 reinspection.
Comments: Co-owner Mike Pavon said problems were promptly corrected and didn’t affect customers. He said he didn’t know about the need for a certified food protection manager because he wasn’t notified of the rule change, which occurred in 2016. He criticized the Health Department’s enforcement efforts as overzealous and “anti-business.”
Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant, Tucson Mall
UpdatedHistory: Good and passing ratings since 2016 until a probationary rating on June 8 followed by two failed reinspections on June 20 and June 30.
What the inspector saw: Beef, tofu and pho stock stored at unsafe temperatures; liquid from prepackaged squid dripping onto fish for sushi; employees handled dirty rags and raw and cooked food without washing hands; soiled wiping cloths used on food surfaces; slicer and cutlery stored as clean had food debris; dishwashing machine had no chemical sanitizer; two handwashing sinks had no soap; person in charge did not have required knowledge of food safety; manager not certified in food protection.
Follow-up: The site passed a third reinspection on July 11.
Comments: A new owner took over last week and problems have been corrected, manager Raymond Tran said.
Sawmill Run Restaurant, Mount Lemmon
UpdatedHistory: Good and excellent ratings for several years until June 28 when the restaurant was put on probation.
What the inspector saw: Employee handled raw meat, then cooked food without washing hands or changing gloves; raw chicken stored in a sink; clean dishes stored on dirty racks or in dirty containers; dirty dishes stored as clean; “dirty walls in multiple areas;” handwashing sink had no soap.
Follow-up: Passed a July 10 reinspection.
Comments: A man answering the phone, who identified himself as “Chef Patrick” and wouldn’t provide his surname, said the restaurant’s owner hired him from out of town to clean things up and said one of his first moves was to fire the staff members responsible. “There is no excuse for what happened. It was just pure negligence and laziness and it won’t happen again.” The establishment was cleaned from top to bottom and deficiencies corrected, he said.
Sushi Cortaro
Updated8225 N. Courtney Page Way No. 141
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2012, but was placed on probation June 11.
What the inspector saw: Tofu, cream cheese, yogurt, milk and cut cucumbers stored at unsafe temperatures; faulty refrigeration unit; faulty thermometer; raw chicken and eggs stored with produce; dishes stored as clean had food debris; not enough chemical sanitizer in dishwashing machine.
Follow-up: Passed reinspection on June 21.
Comments: Could not be reached for comment. The person who answered the phone hung up on a reporter.
Bianchi’s Pizza
Updated
Bianchi’s Pizza, 1110 N. Silverbell Road, had “black, greasy” cooking sheets and other dirty kitchen equipment during a health department inspection in June.
1110 N. Silverbell Road
History: Good and excellent ratings until 2015 but a spotty record more recently. The restaurant was put on probation June 15 and failed two follow-up inspections June 25 and July 6, prompting a warning from the health department that its operating permit could be revoked if problems weren’t fixed. Four of the last 10 health inspections had negative findings.
What the inspector saw: Nine of 14 cold foods tested — including shredded cheese, lasagna, raw and cooked chicken, raw hamburger and roast beef — were stored at unsafe temperatures because refrigerators weren’t set to proper cooling level; foods stored in containers without expiration dates; no hand-washing sink in food preparation area; employees didn’t wash hands after handling dirty dishes; grimy equipment such as “black, greasy cooking sheets,” and dirty refrigerator shelves; take-out containers stored on dirty shelves; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow-up: The eatery passed a third follow-up inspection July 11.
Comments: Owner Vincent Bianchi said the first inspection was on a busy day when employees hadn’t had time to clean after the lunch rush, and said many problems were fixed the same day they were identified. He acknowledged he did not act promptly to install a hand-washing sink in the food preparation area and instead kept using a sink in a different area. He said the kitchen seemed too small for a new sink but he later found one that fit and had it installed.
Circle K #8772
UpdatedHistory: Mixed. Good and excellent ratings until 2016, but three of its last five health inspections had negative findings. The store received a “needs improvement” rating on June 19, then failed two follow-up inspections on June 20 and June 29.
What the inspector saw: Milk, breakfast burritos, steak burritos, beef charbroil, baked ranch chicken and smoked turkey stored at unsafe temperatures; dirty handwashing sink; no paper towels at handwashing sink.
Follow-up: The store was put on probation after the June 29 inspection because some problems inspectors identified had not been corrected.
Comments: Declined to comment.
Fito’s Taco Shop
Updated9665 N. Thornydale Road, Suite 130.
History: Good and passing ratings since 2016, but received a “needs improvement” rating May 25, followed by a failed inspection on June 11. The eatery is currently operating without a license and the health department has posted signage on site to notify the public.
What the inspector saw: Carne asada, taco beef, chicken, chile relleno, shredded cheese and pico de gallo stored at unsafe temperatures; foods not marked with discard dates; no handwashing reminder sign in the women’s restroom; manager not certified in food protection management.
Follow-up: A new owner recently took over and “chose to remain open and is operating without a permit until they qualify,” the health department said. Numerous improvements must be made to floors, walls, kitchen sink drainage and general cleanliness before a permit can be issued, an inspection report said. A re-inspection has yet to occur, according to health department website.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant
Updated
History: Good or excellent ratings for last several years, but received a probationary rating on June 4, when it was briefly was shut down as an “imminent health hazard” after sewage backed up into the kitchen. The site also failed a re-inspection on June 14.
What the inspector saw: Employee handled raw food, then cooked food, without washing hands; hand-washing sinks blocked and inaccessible; rice and noodles stored at unsafe temperatures; cooked shrimp, pork and chicken stored without use-by dates; dirty cutting boards, shelves and equipment; insecticide stored in food preparation area; dirty wiping cloths used on counters and equipment; sewage back-up in kitchen; “heavy grease, dust and food debris build-up on floors, walls and equipment throughout the facility.”
Follow-up: The restaurant passed a June 25 follow-up inspection.
Comments: Manager Sam Che said he takes health inspections seriously and has corrected deficiencies.
Living Room Wine Cafe and Lounge
Updated
2905 E. Skyline Dr., suite 168
History: Good and excellent ratings since 2016, but the eatery was put on probation June 8.
What the inspector saw: The site was put on probation after inspectors — for the third time in nine months — found “visible food debris encrusted” on numerous dishes. Inspectors also found faulty freezer gaskets and excessive food debris in a walk-in cooler. As well, the eatery was advertising a “pet-friendly” patio without having the required permit for that feature.
Follow-up: The site passed a re-inspection on June 18.
Comments: General manager Derrick Stephens said the problems were fixed within a week and said food quality was not affected.
Magpie’s Gourmet Pizza
Updated
105 S. Houghton Road, suite 149
History: Good and excellent ratings for more than 10 years until a June 4 “needs improvement” rating and a failed inspection on June 20.
What the inspector saw: Missing ceiling tile over food preparation area created risk of contamination; manager not certified in food protection management; employee drink in food preparation area; kitchen lacked required three-compartment sink with separate sections for washing, rinsing and sanitizing equipment.
Follow-up: The sink issue remains unresolved but the health department is working with the owner to address.
Comments: A message seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
Midtown Tavern
UpdatedHistory: Spotty. Negative findings in four of six health inspections since December. Most recently, it received a probationary rating June 5, followed by a failed inspection June 15.
What the inspector saw: Three of four hand-washing sinks had no soap; cook and supervisor unaware of correct cooking temperatures for fish, chicken or hamburgers; dishes and cutlery stored as clean had food debris; no menu warning about dangers posed by under-cooked foods such as rare beef.
Follow-up: The site passed a June 25 follow-up inspection.
Comments: Owner Frank Silverman, who took over in November 2017, said he has been working to fix problems left behind by previous ownership. He said recent violations were “minor” in nature and have been corrected.
Shish Kebab House
Updated
History: Good and excellent ratings for 10-plus years, until a May 31 “needs improvement” rating followed by a June 11 failed inspection.
What the inspector saw: Beef kebabs, lamb kebabs and raw diced beef were stored at unsafe temperatures in refrigerated cooling drawers under the grill. The issue was still unresolved more than 10 days later when a subsequent inspection took place.
Follow-up: Passed a second follow-up inspection June 21.
Comments: Owner Reina Alas noted the eatery’s long record of positive inspections. She said the recent problem was due to an equipment breakdown and said it took about two weeks for a replacement to arrive.
