Mold and chemicals: The worst restaurant inspections in October

October is filled with spooky, scary decorations. But at some Valley restaurants, the gruesome findings were more than decor.

Every month, Maricopa County Health Inspectors fan out around the Valley to visit restaurants and make sure everything stays clean and safe. 

They visit unannounced and then submit reports, which are available to the public through a searchable online database. The reports rank restaurants on a two-tier scale of violations and priority violations. Priority violations pose a direct threat to staff or customer safety, and any restaurant with three or more is considered to have failed its inspection.

Restaurant staff must fix any issues on the spot. If they can’t, a mandatory reinspection is scheduled.

Last month, mold seemed to be an issue, from moldy sausage to eggplants, tomato paste and sauces. Inspectors also observed multiple issues with hand washing and the storage of chemicals and medicines in the kitchen. Here are the worst restaurant inspections from October. 

Hot Bagels & Deli
34640 N. North Valley Pkwy.
At Hot Bagels & Deli in the north Valley on Oct. 1, a health inspector found four priority violations and mandated a reinspection. The inspector watched the person in charge crack a raw egg and then touch a ready-to-eat bagel without washing her hands or changing her gloves. In the refrigerator, a container of raw egg was stored directly on top of cooked bacon and a bottle of Advil was stored above deli meat and uncovered egg salad. Butter was sitting out at room temperature.

Brasero Tacos Y Tequila
3911 E. Thomas Road
Phoenix Mexican restaurant Brasero Tacos Y Tequila scored three priority violations during its Oct. 8 inspection. Many of the issues were due to possible cross-contamination. In the refrigerator, raw chicken, chorizo and beef were stored above raw fish, cooked fajitas and hot dogs. In a separate cooler, raw hamburger patties were stored above vegetables. The inspector also found cooked beef tongue with a date marking of Sept. 24, two weeks prior to the inspection. Other foods had no date markings. And lastly, the inspector was concerned to find adobo marinade stored in a trash can.

Convenience Mart
757 S. Country Club Drive, Mesa
A health inspector visited Convenience Mart in Mesa on Oct. 14. There, they found four priority violations and scheduled a mandatory reinspection. An unlabeled sauce and can of tomato paste were coated with green and gray mold. Raw chicken, lamb and goat were stored in plastic bags above herbs, rice and cooked chicken curry. Supposedly clean tongs and wire racks had food debris on them. Many items, including sauces and chicken curry, did not have any date markings, and others, such as bone-in chicken and chicken tenders, were held at improper temperatures. In a fridge labeled for personal use, there was a mixture of food items for staff and ingredients for use in the kitchen. There was also a bottle of Pepto stomach medicine stored above ginger and yogurt. Chemicals were stored above spices, oven cleaner was stored next to cups and window cleaner was stored above foodservice gloves. 

Indian Delhi Palace
5104 E. McDowell Road
On Oct. 17, Indian Delhi Palace on McDowell Road scored three priority violations, and eight violations in total. In the report, the inspector described a strange and problematic scene. An employee scooped ready-to-eat rice from a strainer on the floor next to a drain surrounded by standing water. As employees walked around the kitchen, water from the floor splashed onto the rice. Employees poured buckets of water onto the floor to wash away spilled rice, which just added to the standing water. There were also issues with handwashing, ranging from no paper towels at the sink to employees handling dirty dishes and then clean ones without washing their hands. The three-compartment sink was filled with dirty dishes and no water, soap or sanitizer. When employees did wash items, it was done improperly. The inspector watched an employee rinse a cutting board, touching it to the dirty dishes, and then placing it on top of vegetables. In the prep sink, raw chicken was sitting submerged in room-temperature water. Some food items didn’t have date markings, and others were way past their expiration date. The inspector noted foods dated Sept. 4 and Oct. 10. Sauces and chicken were found at improper temperatures and cooked chicken was sitting out in a container next to the mop sink.

Pinard Wine Bar
20469 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale
On Oct. 23, a health inspector found four priority violations at Pinard Wine Bar in Scottsdale. The inspector watched an employee touch a trash can, their baseball cap, a backpack and their clothing while wearing gloves, and then continue handling food storage containers without changing their gloves or washing their hands. At the salad station, an employee touched cut watermelon with their bare hands. In the refrigerator, raw eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods. In a different cooler, there was cooked rice from Oct. 16 and cooked mushrooms and carrots without any dates or past their expiration date. The salad prep cooler was holding at over 54 degrees, when safe temperatures are 41 degrees or under.

Thai Coconut Restaurant
7116 E. Mercer Lane, Scottsdale
Thai Coconut Restaurant received a visit from a health inspector on Oct. 23 and earned four priority violations. An employee touched cooked carrots, green beans and eggplant with their bare hands. Diced raw chicken was sitting directly on top of cooked potatoes. In the ice machine, the inspector saw brown and black residue and a bottle of wine stored directly in the ice used for customers’ drinks. Tylenol and lighter fluid were stored above the clean dishes and Windex and orchid food were hung above sodas. Below the equipment in the kitchen, the inspector noted an “accumulation of food debris and grease.”

Mercado Latino
3102 W. Van Buren St.
On Oct. 20, an inspector stopped by Mercado Latino on Van Buren Street. There, they found four priority violations and scheduled a mandatory reinspection. At the outdoor grill, a broken handsink was “coveying sewage.” The sink’s basin was filled with equipment and garbage. Inside, a hand sink in the kitchen was blocked by a large container of oil. Pinto beans, rice, pork ribs and barbacoa were held at unsafe temperatures. And the inspector found raw pork being dried, sitting out at room temperature. The business operator said the pork had been sitting out to dry since the day before. Inside the walk-in refrigerator, the inspector found “organic black matter” in the floors, walls and ceiling. 

The Chicken Ranch
14051 W. Grand Ave., Surprise
Suprise restaurant The Chicken Ranch got a visit from a health inspector on Oct. 29. It earned three priority violations and a madatory reinspection. Issues included a bag of moldy crumbled sausage with “green and white organic matter,” mashed potatoes and gravy held at unsafe temperatures and food kept far beyond its expiration date. Marinara sauce, grilled onions and ranch were all out of date by a week or two. Salsa and cooked bacon were found from Sept. 11 and 8, both over 40 days past their expiration date. The inspector also noted grease and “black soil build up” under the kitchen equipment, ice machine and along the floor and wall junctures. The ceiling and vents throughout the kitchen were covered in dust and grease. 

Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant
4651 E. Cactus Road
Halloween ended up being a spooky one at Golden Wok Chinese Restaurant on Cactus Road. An inspector found three priority violations, including a box of moldy eggplants. More moldy eggplant was found in the prep table. Water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and cut cabbage were found above safe temperatures. A rice scoop was sitting in warm water, and a rusted metal cooling plate at the bottom of the ice machine was contaminating the ice with orange rust.