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Every month, restaurant inspectors from the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department fan out around the Valley to make sure kitchens are clean and safe.
In July, they hit up many food trucks and taco stands, paying special attention to those operating outside in the heat.
They also visited pizzerias, doughnut shops and seafood spots to make sure everything was operating up to code. Of the hundreds of restaurants visited, most passed their inspections with ease. But for some, issues piled up.
Inspectors visit restaurants unannounced and rate them on a two-tier scale. Foundational violations are issues that could lead to bigger problems, such as a lack of soap, which could cause improper handwashing. Priority violations are issues that pose a direct threat to the health and safety of staff or customers. Any restaurant that receives three or more priority violations qualifies as a “D” on its inspection.
Restaurants must fix issues on the spot. Anything that can’t be immediately corrected results in a scheduled reinspection a few days later. Health inspectors record their findings in inspection reports, which are available to the public through the county’s searchable online database.
In July, heat was certainly an issue, as was a general lack of training and understanding about food safety. Seafood was also a big headache for Valley restaurants. Here are the worst Phoenix restaurant inspections in July.
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El Camaron Gigante
8343 W. Van Buren St., Tolleson
The inspection report from El Camaron Gigante started with a summary of issues that led the inspector to conclude there was “no active managerial control of food service workers or food handling/preparation processes.” The inspector also noted that “multiple priority violations were occurring and repeating with high frequency during inspection.” The West Valley eatery racked up four priority violations and six more foundational violations on July 1. The inspector watched as employees handled raw seafood, dirty dishes, boxes of food from a delivery, step ladders, personal clothing and then ready-to-eat foods, clean dishes and ice all without washing their hands. This was because there was only one hand sink for the entire kitchen, and that sink was broken. The drainpipe leaked whenever it was turned on, and spilled water into a bucket on the floor. At one additional sink in the bar, there were no paper towels and the basin was blocked with water bottles and trash bags. Cooked shrimp were mixed with ice and sitting directly in a dirty prep sink covered in food splatter and dried-on food scraps. Dirty molcajetes, food containers and utensils were all stored as clean. Raw whole fish was submerged in “red/grey colored water” in a bucket on the floor. Packages of raw seafood were stored by the water heater at room temperature. Boxes of produce sat on the floor next to a table where employees peeled raw shrimp. Shrimp shells and water were falling on the floor around the produce.
Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine
1919 W. Chandler Blvd. #2, Chandler
At Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine in Chandler, a health inspector stopped by on July 7 and noted six priority violations. The inspector watched an employee smoke at the back kitchen door, with smoke coming into the kitchen. That door remained open, with a magnetic screen only partially covering the entrance. Employees returned to work after going outside, touching their hat, a broom and dirty dishes and smoking without washing their hands. There was no soap at the hand sink or sanitizer in the dishwasher. A box of raw eggs was stored on a rack at room temperature. Noodles and butter were also found between 74 and 76 degrees. An overpacked cooler filled with boxes and bags couldn’t keep fresh ingredients cold enough, which the inspector noted as a second repeat violation. Cooked foods were improperly cooled and the inspector found a strange hose setup. A garden hose was connected to an outdoor faucet, coming into the kitchen with the sprayer resting in the sink. The person in charge told the inspector the hose was used for precleaning dishes.
Zipps Sports Grill
4710 E. Warner Road
Zipps Sports Grill is a frequent flyer on these lists, and on July 8, an inspector found three priority violations at the Ahwatukee location. A large salad spinner was blocking the handsink. A large bowl of raw beef was sitting directly on top of several half-gallons of milk, and on a shelf above sour cream, pickles and beer batter. A pan of marinara sauce was measured between 154 and 84 degrees. A pan of tuna salad was dated June 27, 12 days before the inspection. The inspector observed over 30 fruit flies around the sink and dishwasher. Employee drinks were stored above utensils, dishes and to-go containers. There were food scraps, trash, residue and mold on the floors and coves of the walk-in.
One Stop Nutrition
2501 W. Happy Valley Road
At One Stop Nutrition, the inspector was not pleased with management, or lack thereof. The July 9 inspection report notes that due to the three priority violations, including repeated issues and the person in charge having insufficient knowledge of food safety, “a theme of no active managerial control has been noted during this inspection.” The bathroom sink had no soap or paper towels and the prep room handsink was blocked. An ice machine had a layer of black mold under the lip and shoot area. Employees rinsed blenders quickly without proper washing and immediately reused them. The inspector noted that those blenders were frequently used with peanut butter, which is a common allergen. The front counter fridge was holding vanilla soft serve base, oat milk, almond milk and yogurt above safe temperatures, which the inspector noted was a third-time violation. Improperly dosed chemicals were used to sanitize cutting boards and two chemical spray bottles were unlabeled.
Bosa Donuts
2990 N. Dobson Road, Chandler
A Chandler location of Bosa Donuts earned four priority violations on July 13. Employees’ drinks and personal items were stored among food prep areas. Two employees put on gloves to handle food without washing their hands. This may be because the hand sinks in both the employee restroom and the customer restroom were broken and out of service, and at the back hand sink, there were no paper towels. In the refrigerator, raw eggs were stored above an open carton of tomatoes. Deli ham, turkey, cut tomatoes and cheese were all too warm. The ice scoop was stored with the handle touching the ice. There was “thick liquid food debris” inside the dough drawer. On the baking table, speed racks and dry storage racks, there was a “very heavy accumulation” of dough, flour and other food scraps. A waterline to the soda machine leaked continuously onto a ramp leading to the floor sink, encrusted with minerals and food scraps.
Taqueria Obregon
3401 E. McDowell Road
A health inspector stopped by Taqueria Obregon on July 16 and found three priority violations. Employees switched tasks from the cash register to handling utensils to plating and serving food without washing their hands. Multiple of the hand sinks were blocked, with items including a sanitizer bucket and a bottle of marinade. Another sink had insufficient hot and cold water. The self-service counter held cooked peppers and onions at unsafe temperatures, without any covering. Frozen raw shrimp were thawing at room temperature. Fly tape covered in bugs was hanging over two of the hand sinks. Food residue and “other organic matter” were built up on the handles of the reach-in coolers and other food equipment.
Sahuaro Roll
5430 N. 59th Ave., Glendale
The mobile food vendor Sahuaro Roll received three priority violations and 11 additional foundational violations on a July 17 inspection. The issues ranged from improper equipment setup, including issues with the clean water supply, to a dirty food truck in need of a deep clean. The inspector watched an employee pick up items off the ground and then go back to food prep without washing their hands. There were no paper towels at the sink. Many foods, including raw shrimp, raw chicken, rice, cheese and cooked beef were held above safe temperatures, from 45 degrees to 85 degrees. A prep table near the truck door was holding at 60 degrees. The truck didn’t have required equipment and paperwork, such as a food thermometer, sanitizer testers or a commissary log. There were food scraps and debris on the floor, walls and fridge doors. And according to the inspection, the truck was “clearly taking water from adjacent nightclub and dumping water at city sewer at time of inspection.”
Babo Jumak
2909 S. Dobson Road, Mesa
On July 20, an inspector visited Mesa’s Babo Jumak, formerly known as Ban Chan, and recorded six priority violations. Employee drinks and personal items were stored on and above prep tables. An employee touched dirty dishes and then clean without washing their hands. An employee washed fruit with their bare hands. Raw egg was stored above produce and sauces. Cooked potatoes and fish cakes in the reach-in were measured between 77 and 84 degrees in addition to cooked rice, pork, bean sprouts, leafy greens, tofu and sauces, which were all above safe temperatures. A rice scoop was stored in still, warm water and a food slicer had a substantial accumulation of debris on the blades.
Barro’s Pizza
1939 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert
The Gilbert location of Barro’s Pizza was visited on July 22 and earned three priority violations. Several employee drinks were stored on the prep table and racks above food equipment. There were many issues with hand washing, including an employee touching their clothes and then handling food, an employee leaving the kitchen, returning and putting on gloves without washing their hands and an employee picking up cheese with their bare hands. There was no sanitizer in the dishwasher. Ham, cooked chicken, cut tomatoes, pepperoni and cheddar cheese were all too warm, with portions of blue cheese dressing measuring 63 degrees. The cold table used for pizza ingredients was holding food between 51 and 56 degrees. Pizza boxes were stored on the floor.
Pho Number One
1955 W. Baseline Road, Mesa
On July 23, Pho Number One found itself with three priority violations. The inspector watched an employee crack raw eggs and then touch a spatula handle, pan handle and wok controls without washing their hands. An employee also cracked eggs and then wiped their hands on a damp cloth, and then used that cloth to wipe the counter. There was a spray can of ant-and-cockroach killer at the mop sink. The restaurant had made their own version of ice wands, used to cool down soups and broths, by tying together repurposed plastic milk gallon jugs with cord and submerging them in pho broth. The inspector also found ice wands placed on cardboard on the floor of the walk-in. It was noted that the freezer had a “heavy accumulation” of food debris and scraps on the floor, on storage shelves, under lids of cold tables and on the wall around the slicer.
