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Every month, inspectors from the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department fan out around the Valley, visiting restaurants and making sure staff and customers stay safe.
The inspectors show up unannounced and rate restaurants on a two-tier scale. Foundational violations are issues that could cause larger problems, such as a lack of paper towels leading to improper handwashing. Priority violations are major issues that pose a direct threat to customer or staff safety. The issues must be fixed on the spot. If that’s not possible, the inspector schedules a mandatory reinspection for a few days later.
Any restaurant with three or more priority violations earns a letter “D” grade. The inspectors file reports for every restaurant, which are available to the public on a searchable database.
Every month, hundreds of restaurants pass their inspections with flying colors. But for some, the inspection turns up unsafe and unappetizing issues.
In May, multiple kitchens were home to flies and cockroaches. There were two instances of moldy jalapenos, and plenty of unsavory handwashing practices. Here are the worst Phoenix restaurant inspections from around Phoenix last month.
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Hub Grill and Bar
1925 S. Sossaman Road, Mesa
On May 4, the east Mesa location of Hub Grill and Bar received a visit and racked up four priority violations. The inspector found raw chicken and raw fish above onion sauce. There was a dirty meat slicer and black mold in the ice machine. Queso, pot roast, other meats, coleslaw and salsa were stored at unsafe temperatures. And onion dip was out of date.
Dona Licha Mexican Kitchen
4344 W. Indian School Road
On May 5, an inspector visited Dona Licha Mexican Kitchen, which earned four priority violations. There was a live cockroach on the rim of the ice machine and a couple of dead roaches behind the machine. The inspector watched an employee handle floor mats and then touch clean food containers. There were no paper towels at the front hand sink and no soap at the main hand sink. Cooked beans and tomatillos were improperly cooled. Green and red salsa and cream were all above safe temperatures. Horchata and milk were sitting on ice in the front service area, and were also too warm. Barbacoa, shredded meat and tomato puree were all out of date, with the puree being a month old.
Indigo
7343 W. Indian School Road
The grocery store and restaurant Indigo got a visit from an inspector on May 6 and earned three priority violations. The inspector watched an employee touch their face and mouth while working with food. The primary kitchen hand sink was turned off. A plastic container of raw chicken was sitting on the kitchen floor, uncovered and at room temperature, with flies landing on it. Also on the ground, there was a large pot filled with cooked onion soup that measured 97 degrees. Staff told the inspector that it had been cooked the night before and had been sitting out on the floor since then. Throughout the kitchen, there was dirt and food scraps.
Pho Lotus and Sai Gon Boyz Sandwiches
835 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert
On May 6, an inspector in Gilbert stopped by this dual concept spot and found three priority violations. There were flies in the kitchen and food residue built up on the outside of the kitchen equipment. Frozen meat was stored directly in plastic grocery bags. And cooked meat in the cooler was found at 65 to 70 degrees. There were bottles of medicine stored in the boba area, pho broth past its expiration date and milk and coconut milk without any date marks. Rice noodles were also sitting in water at room temperature.
AZ Pho & Grill
885 N. 54th St., Chandler
On May 7, at AZ Pho & Grill in Chandler, an inspector found five priority violations and dinged the restaurant for a fifth-time offense. Noted on the five last consecutive inspections, the restaurant had a dirty kitchen with grease, food scraps, residue and dirt on the floors under and around the prep coolers, prep tables and all of the cooking equipment. In addition, the dishwasher was running without any sanitizer. Raw beef was stored above cooked beef and pork. An employee cut raw shrimp, rinsed off the knives and cutting boards and put them away without sanitizing them. Spring rolls were at unsafe temperatures. Lettuce, noodles, cooked meats and shrimp had no date markings. First aid creams and gels were stored above the prep table and Advil, ibuprofen and Tylenol were stored among bottles of sauces. On the cook line, knives were stored between two coolers and between a cooler and the wall, neither of which was clean and both of which were unsafe spots to store knives.
The Stone Korean Tofu House
6910 E. Hampton Ave., Mesa
East Mesa eatery The Stone Korean Tofu House received a visit from the health department on May 8. The restaurant earned four priority violations, ten more foundational violations and a mandatory reinspection. The inspector watched an employee reuse a plastic glove that had been stored in raw beef and then touch ready-to-eat foods. The primary handwashing sink was turned off due to a leak and there were no paper towels or soap at two other sinks. One sink was blocked by several boxes of oil. The inspector found moldy lemons and a box of moldy jalapenos. The meat slicer was dirty and there were “mini saw machines” used to cut meat that were not official or approved. Boiled eggs, ribeye, spicy pork, chicken, brisket and steak were all around 60 degrees. Cooked rice and vegetables were cooling and frozen briket was thawing, both at room temperature. In the walk-in, a bag of potatoes and a box of vegetables were on the floor.
Latino Restaurant
1107 W. Hatcher Road
Latino Restaurant received a visit on May 12, during which it earned five priority violations and five foundation violations. The inspector watched as employees switched between handling raw and cooked foods, clean and dirty utensils, and touching non-food equipment without washing their hands. Employees wearing gloves also rinsed off their gloved hands. There were no paper towels at any of the sinks throughout the restaurant, including in the bathroom. A pan of cooked beans was set out to cool at room temperature on top of a chest freezer by the back door. Cooked meat, peppers, mozzarella and red salsa were all at unsafe temperatures. A can of WD-40 was stored on top of a dough press and rubbing alcohol was above a chest freezer. A prep cooler was holding food at nearly 50 degrees. There was no chemical sanitizer at the restaurant for wiping down equipment or running the dishwasher. There was food splattered on the cooler and freezer doors and handles. On the ceiling above the reach-in coolers, there was an “accumulation of dark organic soils.” And there was a hole in the ceiling with exposed wood and insulation.
Taco Mich & Bar
1602 E. McDowell Road
McDowell Road spot Taco Mich received a visit on May 18, resulting in three priority violations. At the bar sink, there was no soap or paper towels. Another sink had a broken faucet and no hot water. Dirty knives were stored as clean. Packaged salsas were above safe temperatures. First-aid medications, ointments and industrial oil lubricant were stored above packaged and uncovered foods. Above the fryer, tongs were set on a dirty piece of cardboard. And the kitchen was generally in disrepair. There were missing ceiling tiles, missing shielding for lights, unsealed wood boards under the stove, broken tiled flooring and holes in the walls.
bb.q Chicken
1900 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler
On May 19, an inspector stopped by bb.q Chicken in Chandler. There, they noted four priority violations, another six foundation violations and scheduled a mandatory reinspection. Raw chicken and raw eggs were stored behind and above ready-to-eat foods. The restaurant’s process for washing and rinsing equipment didn’t include sanitizing. Many foods were found sitting out at room temperature, including fries, chicken wings and thighs that had been fried in anticipation of future orders. Cream was sitting out at room temperature, and utensils were stored in containers of room-temperature water. The inspector also noted that the kitchen was dirty, with “heavy soiling” on the hand sink, cooler handles and buckets, and a large buildup of dust and dirt around all of the kitchen vents.
Koi Sushi
650 N. Scottsdale Road, Tempe
Tempe restaurant Koi Sushi received a visit on May 20, earning four priority violations. A piece of raw beef was sitting in a pan of shredded lettuce. Dirty knives were stored among clean. Noodles, raw tuna, salmon, cooked chicken, beef, fish cakes and dumplings were all too warm. Butane torches were stored facing clean plates and cutting boards and cough medicine was stored above the prep table.
Black Bear Diner
2805 S. Alma School Road, Chandler
The Chandler location of Black Bear Diner was visited on May 26, when it received three priority violations. The inspector watched a cook rinse his hands without soap, and then noted that there was no soap available at the hand sink. Raw sausage, beef and eggs were stored behind ready-to-eat foods. In the ice machine, there was “green organic growth” on the door touching the ice. A supposedly clean meat slicer and two vegetable dicers were filled with food scraps. Multiple foods, including sour cream, bread pudding and salsa, were found to be too warm.
Chilaquiles Modern Kitchen
1804 S. Signal Butte Road, Mesa
On May 28, a health inspector stopped into Chilaquiles Modern Kitchen in far east Mesa, found four priority violations and scheduled a mandatory reinspection. One of the main problems was that three of the violations were repeat offenses. When the inspector noted an incorrect cooling log, the manager shared that foods, including pans of carne asada, are frequently left out at room temperature for multiple hours when cooling. The inspector watched a dishwasher wearing gloves touch dirty dishes and then clean without changing their gloves or washing their hands. There was no hot water at the hand sinks. The main dishwasher and another in the bar were both running without any sanitizer. In the walk-in, multiple foods, including tomatoes, lettuce and pico de gallo, were above safe temperatures. Throughout the kitchen, coolers were holding food at 46 and 50 degrees.
Sushi Ave
866 N. Higley Road, Gilbert
Gilbert restaurant Sushi Ave received a visit from the health department on May 29, during which they earned four priority violations and a mandatory reinspection. The biggest issue was cockroaches. The inspector saw live cockroaches in the food prep area and the back kitchen. Other issues included cross-contamination, with bags of lettuce touching raw chicken. An employee’s medicine bottle was on top of a stack of salad bowls. Cut lettuce was held too warm. At the mop sink, there were plumbing issues and in the dry storage area, there was a large hole in the wall.
