Live pigeons and dead fish: The worst restaurant inspections in September

On any given day at a restaurant, staff know that a Maricopa County Health Inspector could show up unannounced. The unscheduled nature of health inspections inspires restaurant owners to keep their kitchens clean and ready. It also allows inspectors to gain an honest look at how a restaurant operates its kitchen on a day-to-day basis.

During their visits, restaurant inspectors check everything from equipment functionality to staff cleanliness. When issues arise in the kitchen, inspectors note them down in their inspection reports, which are available to the public in a searchable online database.

Issues get ranked on two levels: violations and priority violations. The former are issues that could lead to a larger problem. For example, a lack of soap could cause improper hand washing. Priority violations are major issues that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of customers or employees.

Issues found by inspectors must be addressed immediately. Anything that can’t be fixed on the spot is checked in a mandatory reinspection. Inspectors also use a grading scale to tally the violations and assign a letter grade. Any restaurant that earns three or more priority violations gets a failing score.

In September, inspectors visited restaurants and food businesses throughout the Valley, identifying issues at establishments ranging from small, local eateries to international chains and a grocery store. Flies, dead fish and food stored in trash bags cropped up as some of the most unappetizing issues they found. Here are the 11 worst health inspections at metro Phoenix restaurants in September.

Guru Palace Cuisine of India
2048 E. Baseline Road, #1, Mesa
On Sept. 2, a health inspector visited Guru Palace in Mesa, where they found three priority violations. In the walk-in, a pan of raw fish was stored on top of open pans of cooked potatoes. Tubs of raw chicken were placed on top of lamb and beef, and multiple boxes of raw chicken were left out on the three-compartment sink. The chicken was measured between 52 and 65 degrees. The inspector also noted lamb sitting out, also at unsafe temperatures. Ranch and blue cheese were also too warm, and chemicals were found throughout the kitchen. The inspector found insecticides near the water heater, plus sealants and cleaning spray on a shelf next to washed food pans and takeout containers.

99 Ranch Market
1920 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
A health inspector found a host of issues at the Chandler 99 Ranch Market on Sept. 2, earning the store three priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. Many of the issues appeared to stem from a lack of staff training. The inspector noted that there was no person in charge at the seafood department, and the “employees inside did not demonstrate adequate knowledge.” The employees couldn’t present a Certified Food Manager certificate, which is required, and a manager was “unable to demonstrate or reference applicable food safety knowledge.” The issues didn’t stop there. 99 Ranch Market has fish tanks where customers can select their seafood choices. But the tanks had multiple dead fish floating inside. The inspector also watched an employee slaughter one of the fish and then package fried fish without washing their hands. Another employee rinsed cutting boards and utensils with water, without properly cleaning them. There were also frozen raw fish and shrimp thawing in the sinks.

Sushi Brokers
350 N. Gilbert Road, #101, Gilbert
At Sushi Brokers, a health inspector noted three priority violations on Sept. 3. There were no paper towels or soap at the hand sink, at there was no hot water at the restaurant. Raw chicken was stored above raw sushi fish in the walk-in, and multiple items were out of date, including spicy mayo from Aug. 20 and homemade buttermilk ranch from Aug. 24. The inspector also noted black organic growth on the inside of the soda nozzle at the bar, and a dishwashing machine running without any chlorine sanitizer.

Curry Corner
1212 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe
Tempe restaurant Curry Corner was visited by the health department on Sept. 3 and earned four priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. Along with the inspector, the restaurant had another surprise visitor. “A live wild pigeon” entered the kitchen through an open back door. According to the inspection report, the “pigeon was removed from the establishment.” Also during the visit, the inspector watched an employee touch their face and glasses, put on gloves by touching the outside of the gloves, and begin preparing food. Another employee didn’t adequately wash their hands after touching raw chicken. Multiple food items were too warm, including paneer cheese, chicken, samosas, milk, goat and sauces, and multiple spray bottles of chemicals were hung on the edge of the prep table, facing clean dishware. Lastly, an employee had stored their personal water bottle in the ice bin used for drinks.

My Kitchen
4049 E. Williams Field Road, #108, Gilbert
At My Kitchen in Gilbert, an inspector found multiple possibilities for cross-contamination on a Sept. 9 visit. The inspector watched an employee handle raw chicken with gloved hands, then remove their gloves and return to food handling without washing their hands. In the walk-in, raw egg was stored above cut lettuce, and raw chicken was stored above sauces. In the freezer, raw crab dumplings were stored above raw chicken. Dried chiles were stored next to an open box of powdered detergent. There were also issues with date markings, with egg rolls, cooked pork, noodles and cut cabbage without any dates. The inspector also noted that the handles to the hand sink were “heavily soiled.”

Mensho Ramen
805 N. Dobson Road, Mesa
5813 N. Seventh Street
Both Valley locations of Mensho Ramen were visited by the health department last month, and both had major issues. On Sept. 10, the Phoenix restaurant earned three priority violations and on Sept. 17, the Mesa location earned four priority violations. Both restaurants earned themselves a mandatory reinspection. In Phoenix, a dishwasher was operating without any chlorine. Boiled eggs, cooked pork, mushrooms and corn were being held at unsafe temperatures and there was a bottle of cold medicine stored above a prep table. In Mesa, the inspector found a dishwasher with no chlorine. There were cooked mushrooms, pork, corn, tomatoes and cooked rice all held at unsafe temperatures. Chicken and duck weren’t cooked an adequate temperature. And there were issues with the plumbing at the three-compartment sink and mop sink.

Jin BBQ
111 S. Dobson Road, #104, Mesa
On Sept. 12, an inspector visited Jin BBQ in Mesa and found three priority violations. The front hand sink was blocked thanks to several containers in the basin. A large reach-in refrigerator was holding food too warm, potentially due to a large sheet of ice that was covering the vents. The inspector also found frozen beef stored in a black plastic trash bag, which is not a food-safe container. And the inspector also noted an employee dumping a mop bucket outside on the cement, rather than at a mop sink, as required.

Central BBQ Lakehouse
5350 S. Lakeshore Drive, Tempe
On Sept. 22, an inspector visited Central BBQ Lakehouse in Tempe and assigned three priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. The hand sink had no paper towels or soap. Raw salmon, tuna and shrimp were stored above avocados, ginger, cooked shrimp and smoked eel. Many food items were stored at unsafe temperatures, including rice noodles salad, creamed corn, cooked rice and shredded cheese. Other dishes and ingredients, including pasta salad and crab mix, didn’t have date markings. And some of the items that were labeled were out of date. The inspector also noted that there is no mop sink at the restaurant, which is required. The hot water handle on a hand sink near the dishwashing area was broken.

Mariscos Mi Lindo Guaymas
1036 W. Southern Ave., Mesa
A health inspector visited Mariscos Mi Lindo Guaymas, a new restaurant that opened in the former Stufrageous Stuffed Burgers in Mesa, on Sept. 22. A health inspector noted multiple flies buzzing around the kitchen as part of a report with four priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. Other issues included raw oysters stored above cut cucumbers, raw shrimp stored above produce and raw eggs on top of sauces. The inspector watched a glove-wearing employee touch raw chicken and then wash their hands with the gloves still on. Another gloved employee touched their clothes and a cloth towel before continuing to handle food. Cooked salsa was held out at room temperature, there was an unlabeled bottle of purple liquid, and no cold water was available at the front hand sink. The inspector also noted “an accumulation of food debris” in the freezer and refrigerators.

Chunk Cookies
4331 E. Baseline Road, #106, Gilbert
On Sept. 23, an inspector visited Chunk Cookies in Gilbert, finding three priority violations and assigning a mandatory reinspection. The first issue that stood out to the inspector were boxes of butter stored on the floor, at room temperature. The manager told the inspector they don’t refrigerate butter, and it had been sitting out for “at least a few days.” Other bags and boxes of food were also stored directly on the floor. There were spray bottles with no labels and cans of Raid pest control spray in the kitchen. The inspector also noted a mop basin filled with water. According to the manager, the drain was clogged and the stagnant water had been sitting for about a week. There was also grime and food buildup on the floors throughout the kitchen.

Eggstasy Restaurant
2510 W. Happy Valley Road, #1248
On Sept. 29, a health inspector stopped by Eggstasy on Happy Valley Road and found four priority violations. The inspector measured containers of butter, finding one at approximately 80 degrees and another at 65. Eggs, salsa and tzatziki sauce were also stored above safe temperatures. The inspector also found out-of-date sausage and a container of Advil above the cookline. The inspection report also noted five employee begerages and two open bowls of employee food stored on top of a dishwashing machine.