Flies and foul fish: The 9 worst restaurant inspections of November

While many associate November with happy food memories shared around the Thanksgiving table, some Phoenix restaurants made memories they’d rather forget last month.

Maricopa County health inspectors travel around the metro-Phoenix area, visiting restaurants unannounced to check on the cleanliness and safety of their kitchens. The goal is to keep everyone, from customers to employees, safe and healthy. 

The inspectors check everything from the soap at the sinks to the temperatures of food. Some issues, like a kitchen buzzing with flies, are obvious. While others, such as the opportunity for cross-contamination, are more subtle.

The inspectors rate restaurants on a grade scale and record two levels of violations. Foundation violations are issues that could lead to bigger problems; for example, a lack of paper towels may cause staff to fail to wash their hands. Priority violations are more serious issues that pose a direct threat to the safety of staff or customers. The inspection reports are available to the public in a searchable online database.

Restaurant staff must fix any issues on the spot. If they can’t, the restaurant earns a mandatory reinspection a few days later.

Here are the nine worst restaurant inspections from November.

Persian Room 
17040 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
On Nov. 3, a health inspector stopped by the Persian Room in Scottsdale and found three priority violations. In the refrigerator, there were two plates of raw chicken and an open bag of vegetables in a plastic container. The vegetables were in direct contact with raw chicken juice at the bottom of the container. The inspector also observed staff improperly sanitizing equipment, such as cutting boards. Lamb was stored at unsafe temperatures. There were two aerosol cans of pesticides in the dry storage room, and the inspector noted “at least three flies” in the kitchen.

Taquería de Jalisco Mexican Food
3015 E. Thomas Road
An inspector visited Taquería de Jalisco Mexican Food on Thomas Road on Nov. 4. There, they found three priority violations gave the restaurant a “D” grade. The inspector watched a staff member touch their apron with bare hands and then flip tortillas. When the inspector asked her to wash her hands, she said she just had, and pointed to the mop sink, which had no soap or paper towels. The bathroom sink that staff use also had no toilet paper, soap or paper towels. Cooked rice was being held at unsafe temperatures and frozen intestine was being thawed in still water in the sink.

Yod Thai Eatery 
13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Scottsdale’s Yod Thai Eatery got a visit from a health inspector on Nov. 5 and earned three priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. The inspector noted that there was no hot water at the hand-washing sink. There was a large chef knife stored with “visible food debris on the blade.” Food debris was also found on the supposedly clean meat slicer. Coconut milk soup and curry pastes were stored at unsafe temperatures. A rice paddle and other utensils were stored in standing water. 

SaSa Restaurant & Sweets
3923 E. Thunderbird Road
On Nov. 7, SaSa Restaurant & Sweets earned four priority violations, a “D” letter grade and a mandatory reinspection. The inspector watched an employee prep food, walk through swinging kitchen doors, deliver food to a customer, walk back through the swinging doors and continue prepping food without washing their hands. Another employee touched the doors and then prepared food with gloved hands without stopping to wash their hands. If they had used the handwashing sink, the employees would have found it without any soap. In the walk-in refrigerator, raw eggs and beef were stored above other foods. A meat spit was rotating without the heat source turned on, leaving the meat out at room temperature. Tzatziki sauce, feta cheese and cut tomatoes were all stored at unsafe temperatures.

Asiana Market 
1135 S. Dobson Road, Mesa
On Nov. 12, Mesa grocery store Asiana Market severely failed its health inspection. The store earned five priority violations and eight foundation violations. Of those 13 issues, seven were repeat violations for which the store has been written up before. Due to the numerous issues, the store also earned a mandatory reinspection. Many of the issues stemmed from the seafood counter. Raw tuna, squid, salmon and eggs were stored above ready-to-eat foods. Many different types of raw fish were stored above safe temperatures in a faulty cooler with a large chunk of ice at the bottom. Hand sanitizer, employee supplements and medicines were stored above food and food prep areas. Raw fish was thawing in hot water. Meats were stored directly on the ground in the walk-in cooler and freezer. Other unwrapped frozen meat was stored directly on bare metal shelving. Unsanitary practices were found in the fish slaughtering area, such as deeply scored cutting boards held in place with a foam pad and counters missing caulking, not allowing for proper cleaning. Throughout the kitchen and walk-in coolers, the inspector noted “an accumulation of dirt,” food debris and pooling water. 

Over Easy 
6451 E. Southern Ave., Mesa
The East Mesa location of breakfast and brunch chain Over Easy earned three priority violations on Nov. 13. The health inspector noted cream and sauces held at unsafe temperatures and grease overflowing onto the ground from an outdoor grease trap. There were also “dozens of live fruit flies” in the restaurant. 

AZ Pho and Grill
1674 N. Higley Road, Gilbert
On Nov. 19, a health inspector stopped by AZ Pho and Grill in Gilbert and found four priority violations. The inspector watched a cook wash their hands with gloves still on. Other employees came in from outside and began cooking without washing their hands. Employees’ personal items, including a jacket, purses and drinks, were stored above and next to the food prep area. Raw eggs were stored above jalapenos and shredded carrots. Spring rolls were found at unsafe temperatures. A bag of onions was stored directly on the floor, and in the walk-in freezer, there was “a heavy accumulation” of spilled soup on the floor. 

Taqueria Mi Lindo Guanajuato
12237 W. Grand Ave., El Mirage
Mobile food vendor Taqueria Mi Lindo Guanajuato got a visit from the health department on Nov. 21 and the inspector noted three priority violations. The inspection report explains that there was only one employee on staff, who went between taking money, retrieving items, throwing away trash and preparing food without washing their hands. The handwashing sink didn’t have any hot water. Cooked rice, beans and beef were held at unsafe temperatures. And the inspector found raw chorizo in the mobile food unit not approved for cooking raw foods. 

Ranch House Grille
5618 E. Thomas Road
Phoenix restaurant Ranch House Grill scored four priority violations and a mandatory reinspection on Nov. 25. The inspector found moldy strawberries in the walk-in. Raw, pooled eggs were stored at unsafe temperatures. And the shelving units inside the walk-in were rusted and “encrusted with organic matter.”