Moldy walls, warm fish: The worst Valley restaurant inspections of February

February is a short month. But this year, there was no shortage of unappetizing findings at Phoenix restaurants.

Every month, health inspectors from the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department fan out around the Valley to check on restaurants, food trucks, markets and anywhere else that serves food. They monitor the goings on behind the scenes to make sure staff and customers stay safe. 

The inspectors take notes on issues they find, differentiating between foundation violations and priority violations. Foundation violations lead to bigger issues, such as how a lack of hot water could result in an ineffective dishwasher. Priority violations pose a direct safety threat. 

On some occasions, the inspectors allocate a letter grade. Any restaurant with three or more priority violations earns a “D.” Restaurant staff must fix the issues on the spot. If they can’t, a mandatory reinspection is scheduled for a few days later. 

The findings and violations are recorded in inspection reports, which are available to the public in a searchable online database. 

Here are the worst metro Phoenix restaurant inspections from February, with one East Valley grocery market topping the list with eight priority violations earned.

America Market Place
6802 E. Thomas Road, Scottsdale
At America Market Place in Scottsdale, a Feb. 2 inspection resulted in three priority violations. In a reach-in cooler, raw chicken was stored above salsa and raw beef was above cooked nopales. In the walk-in refrigerator, raw beef was stored above cooked chicharrones. Two vegetable choppers were stored as clean, but had bits of dried vegetables stuck to the blades and pads. Cut tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cream and guacamole were all found above safe temperatures. The person in charge dumped mop water outside onto the parking lot. And the kitchen was found to be dirty and in disrepair. There was food debris behind and beneath equipment throughout the kitchen, along with holes in ceiling tiles and in the walls, and broken floor tiles.

bb.q Chicken
1900 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
On Feb. 3, a restaurant inspector visited bb.q Chicken in Chandler, found three priority violations and scheduled a mandatory reinspection. The restaurant stored raw chicken above cooked fries, mozzarella sticks, rice and pickles. There were also issues with the restaurant’s ability to clean dishes due to a broken sanitizing chemical dispenser, which also had the cold water turned off because of a leak. There was also no cold water available at the dish sink. Utensils and rice scoops were stored in room-temperature water. Around a floor sink, the restaurant had installed an unsealed, rough concrete curb to stop overflow. The DIY curb had collected dirt, food scraps and grease. There was also a large amount of dirt and dust found around the kitchen’s vents. 

Tortas Chiwas
635 N. Country Club Dr., Mesa
On Feb. 4, a health inspector recorded four priority violations at Tortas Chiwas in Mesa. The sandwich shop struggled with improper handwashing. The inspector watched an employee leave the kitchen, return and don gloves for food prep without washing their hands. An employee also handled raw beef, removed their gloves, donned new ones, and grabbed tortillas without washing their hands. In the prep fridge, an open package of raw bacon was stored above an open container of rice and bags of ice cream mix. A dirty slicer was stored as clean. An open container of cheese sauce, which needed to be refrigerated after opening, had been stored at room temperature for three days. Cut cabbage and salsas were found at unsafe temperatures, which the inspector noted was the third consecutive time the restaurant had been dinged for not keeping foods cold enough. 

Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket
2025 N. Dobson Road, Chandler
The Chandler location of Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket was visited by the health department on Feb. 5. They earned three priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. In the meat-cutting area, the hand sink’s hot water had been shut off and there was no soap. Staff were cleaning cutting boards and knives in the fish cleaning area using only running water and heavily leaking sinks. Raw packaged fish was found above safe temperatures. Frozen fish were thawing in room-temperature water, and frozen shrimp were thawing in baskets at room temperature. Floor drains in the meat-cutting room and in front of fish tanks were backed up. And throughout the space, the inspector found mold on the walls. 

Cloves Indian Groceries & Kitchen
1825 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
On a Feb. 9 inspection, Chandler’s Cloves Indian Groceries & Kitchen earned a whopping eight priority violations. In an area for rolling kathi, or kebab wraps, there was no sink. The nearest sink was more than 25 feet away, through a breezeway with a curtain. In the kitchen, several containers of cooling foods were stored on the floor, blocking access to the only hand sink. In the prep cooler, there was a pan of moldy tamarind. Raw chicken was stored above eggs, goat bones, dosa batter, chana masala and sauces. A dirty can opener and multiple metal pans were stored as clean. Foods, including chana masala and rice were cooling at unsafe temperatures. In the back kitchen, containers and buckets of meat soups and curries were sitting out between 82 and 140 degrees. Pastries in a warmer were not hot enough. A kettle of lentil soup, a gallon of milk and tandoori chicken were all stored near room temperature. Foods were past date, improperly dated or had no date markings at all. Window cleaner and sanitizer were stored in multiple areas above spices and food containers. In the walk-in refrigerator, buckets of rice, ghee, dosa batter and vegetables were stored on the floor. The inspector scheduled a mandatory reinspection of the business and noted in the inspection report that “County legal action may result from this inspection.”

Sushi Ave
866 N. Higley Road, Gilbert
Gilbert restaurant Sushi Ave got a visit from the health department on Feb. 10, where it scored three priority violations, a “D” letter grade and a mandatory reinspection. The inspector watched an employee touch potstickers with their bare hands. There were no paper towels at the hand sink. Fried rice was being held at 82 degrees and tempura batter was found at 75 degrees. Staff told the inspector that everything from raw shrimp to potstickers gets dipped in that same batter. There was a bottle of Advil in the server station above the hot-water kettle and the drink station. Rice scoops were stored in room-temperature water and the sanitizer was too dilute. 

Los Pinos Surf and Turf
3618 W. Camelback Road
On Feb. 12, Los Pinos Surf and Turf earned three priority violations and a letter “D” grade. There was a container of raw chicken stored above raw fish. Raw beef was stored above uncovered mixed vegetables. Diced tomatoes, imitation crab, octopus, peppers, cheese, chicken, cut lettuce and sour cream were all found above safe temperatures. Containers of salsa had date markings between Jan. 19 and Jan. 27, and a staff member confirmed that was the date the salsas were made. There was food debris stuck on the soap dispenser at the hand sink, and a hose nozzle was attached to the mop sink.