Cockroaches and mold: The worst Phoenix restaurant inspections in March

Maricopa County Health Inspectors visit hundreds of restaurants every month, paying unannounced visits to check on the operations, cleanliness and safety of Valley kitchens.

The inspectors rate the restaurants, noting violations and the more serious priority violations, on reports that are published online. Restaurants with serious issues require a scheduled re-inspection.

In March, violations ranged from dirty equipment and moldy food to kitchens crawling with cockroaches. Here are the worst Phoenix restaurant inspections from March.

Osaka Japanese Steakhouse

6730 E. Superstition Springs Blvd., Mesa

On a March 3 visit, a health inspector found some very unwelcome guests at Osaka Japanese Steakhouse in Mesa. Near the dish pit area, there were "multiple live German cockroaches." Also, the inspector watched a cook handle raw beef and then touch cooking utensils and vegetables. Teppanyaki chefs left their knives "soiled with food debris" from the previous night. There were "multiple soiled wiping cloths" found under cutting boards and on prep tables and the floor of the walk-in refrigerator was lifting with "soiled water seeping out from underneath." The restaurant's violations earned it a scheduled re-inspection.

Hodori

1116 S. Dobson Road, Mesa

Raw meat was a problem at Hordori's March 3 inspection. A cook used the same tongs to cook raw chicken, pork and beef on the grill and then serve cooked meats. Chicken and pork were also undercooked and plated for service at almost 20 degrees under safe temperatures. The inspector found buckets of sliced onions and soup base and boxes of meat and cabbage stored on the floor in the walk-in refrigerator, in the freezer and in a hallway near the restaurant's back entrance. A re-inspection was scheduled.

Hansen's Cowboy BBQ

6245 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek

At Hansen's Cowboy BBQ, a recent inspection turned up a lot of old food. The health inspector visited the Cave Creek eatery on March 5 and found cabbage and cream with a sell-by date of Feb. 11. Tri-tip, rib tips and pork butt also were out of date, with date markings ranging from Feb. 18 to 26. And some of the food was visibly aging as well. Poblano sauce was dried and discolored, baked beans had "white, green and blue organic matter" and were stored in a cooler that also had mold. Water bottles, Gatorade and Coca-Cola bottles had "white organic matter," on the outside. The inspector also found dirty metal tongs, sheet pans and plastic containers with "visible debris."

El Pacifico Restaurante

3311 N. 16th St.

A health inspector stopped by El Pacifico Restaurante in Phoenix on March 5. They noted moldy bread rolls with "fuzzy green/blue organic growth." There was also seafood without proper identification, a dirty fish descaler, and a number of old food items made up to a month prior to the inspection. There was flan from Feb. 14 and cooked caldo from Feb. 3. The restaurant staff were also using buckets that previously held chemicals, including dishwashing detergent and sanitizer, to hold caldo, lettuce, chile rojo and jamaica. The inspection report noted that "a container previously used to store poisonous or toxic materials may not be used to store, transport, or dispense food."

Bear & the Honey

13216 N. Seventh St.

On March 10, a health inspector stopped by the Bear & the Honey bakery and coffee shop. Inside the walk-in refrigerator, there were moldy leeks, tomatillos, strawberries and blackberries with "white organic matter." The main hand sink was blocked by a trash can, raw eggs were stored over sliced oranges and brisket, and cheese, butter and cooked potatoes were all stored above proper temperatures. Old food was another issue. The inspector found pizza from Feb. 19 and a cooked potato mix from Feb. 6, more than a month before the inspection.

The Stone Korean Tofu House

6910 E. Hampton Ave., Mesa

At The Stone Korean Tofu House's second location in Mesa, a March 10 inspection noted four priority violations and earned the restaurant a required re-inspection. Three out of four hand sinks were blocked with items in the basins or in front of the sinks. Raw eggs and raw chicken were stored above other foods, creating a risk of cross-contamination. A meat slicer was found covered in "food debris." One hand sink was disconnected and the mop sink wasn't draining. A couple of odd issues arose, including holes in the bathroom walls that had been just wallpapered over and curtains and electrical outlets directly behind and above the fryers. In the kitchen, there was also "an accumulation of black debris" between the wall and the dish pit.

West African Cuisine

7017 N. 19th Ave.

At Phoenix restaurant West African Cuisine, a March 11 inspection turned up a host of issues. The inspector watched an employee handle raw fish, then touch food containers, handle utensils, touch their purse and clothing and then return to working with the raw fish "all without changing gloves or washing hands." There were also no paper towels at the hand washing sink and dishes and utensils were stored in the sink's basin. Employee lunches and foods were mixed with the restaurant's food storage. The inspector also noted rice sitting out a room temperature and "hanging wires and fallen panels" inside the reach-in freezer.

La Chona Burger

848 S. Alma School Road, #4, Mesa

All foods sold at restaurants must come from official, licensed sources. That was not the case at La Chona Burger on March 26. The Mesa restaurant was selling unlabeled bags of carne seca and machaca plus salsa made at someone's home. There were also issues with cross-contamination, including raw chicken and bacon stored behind cooked and raw pork. A broken prep cooler was holding food at room temperature, including salsas, lettuce, corn, chiles, hot dogs, ham and cream. There was also old food, with chile rojo, salsa, posole and flan that were multiple weeks old. The restaurant required a re-inspection.

Jay's Fusion Grill

1100 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe

Jay's Fusion Grill, also known as Papa Locos, Jay's Hot Chicken & Indo-Mex, in Tempe had some of the most violations found last month in its March 27 inspection. Peppers and zucchini had holes, "white fuzzy organic material," "black fuzzy material," and "black specs," according to the inspection report. The hand sink was blocked. Raw bacon was stored above cooked foods. Multiple pieces of kitchen equipment, including a knife, dicer, measuring cups, juicer and can opener, had "food debris and grime on them." Fried chicken was measured at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and had been sitting out for three hours. The inspector found many foods way past their dates, including old biryani, butter chicken sauce, chickpeas, birria, goat, saag, enchilada sauce, chipotle peppers and tomato paste. There was also a bottle of insect killer. Naan dough was stored on a sheet pan touching a plastic garbage bag. There was food debris, food and trash under the tables and equipment and "a fine layer of grease coating equipment and walls throughout the establishment." The March visit follows an equally unsettling October 2024 inspection and earned Jay's a scheduled re-inspection.