8 Metro Phoenix Restaurants Scored a 'D' in February

Every week, the county's health inspectors within Maricopa County Environmental Services give restaurants grades after completing inspections. Participation in the rating system, however, is voluntary, which means owners or managers do not have to accept a grade after an inspection; instead, the restaurants are listed online as "not participating." And in some cases, grades posted online may change, which typically means a restaurant has provided necessary documentation for food safety or fixed a critical issue that led to a low grade. Here's a more detailed explanation.

February 2018's health inspections produced eight violations. It wasn't the worst month by a long shot, although some mishandled mozzarella sticks may disagree. February's health inspector reports included under-sanitized knives, errant pork rinds, and a questionably placed syringe. Here are some of the details.
Wildflower Bread Company (6428 South Mcclintock Drive Suite 104, Tempe)
"Employee handling ready to eat food wearing gloves touched trash container and returned to handling food without washing hands. Hand employee wash hands/change gloves."

Fry's Signature Food Store (10450 North 90th Street, Scottsdale)
"At rotisserie chicken area 3 compartment sink, employee washed, rinsed, and sanitized knives, but only kept clean knives in sanitizer solution <2 seconds. Per manufacture label, food contact surfaces are to remain in sanitizer solution at leas 60 seconds. Instructed employee to re-sanitize knives for proper time frame."

"Observed open cup with syringe and vial of insulin in walk-in cooler among food items..."

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El Metate (6140 East Main Street Suite 1, Mesa)
"Observed open cup with syringe and vial of insulin in walk-in cooler among food items on middle shelf of shelving unit. PIC removed item at time of inspection. Please ensure that medicines that require refrigeration and are stored in a food refrigerator, are stored in a package or container and kept inside a covered, leak proof container that is identified as a container for the storage of medicines."

Mr. Haney's Castaways (5110 East McDowell Road)
"When to Wash Observed employee touch their hat and glasses prior to grabbing mozzarella sticks with bare hands prior to cooking mozzarella sticks."

Pozoleria Mexican Food (2801 East Van Buren Street)
"Observed a large black garbage bag containing pork rinds on a counter in the kitchen. PIC moved the pork rinds to a clean plastic bucket upon request. Please use food-grade containers to store your food."

King Wong (2545 North 32nd Street)
"Containers of raw beef being stored over cut vegetables in reach-in cooler by stove, and also being stored over cooked pork in bottom prep table cooler, raw fish stored over buckets of sauces in clear reach-in near door... Please ensure raw animal products are stored safely as to prevent cross contamination."

Flor De Michoacan (582 North Arizona Avenue, Suite 2, Chandler)
"Raw as Ready-to-Eat Fish Observed raw shrimp used in ceviche marinated in lime juice without parasite destruction paper work. Provide destruction verification sheet."

Papa Chevo's (4302 East Ray Road Suite 114-115)
"Raw beef in open bowl container stored above red and green salsas in squirt bottles without lids in lower portion of prep top cooler. PIC moved salsas to another section of the cooler so that they would be protected."