Maggots in the fridge: The worst restaurant inspections in October

October is all about spooky and scary vibes. But when it comes to restaurant kitchens, we prefer treats to tricks.

Maricopa County restaurant inspectors visit dining establishments all around the metro Phoenix area every month. Following each stop, inspectors create a report which is uploaded into an online database. The inspectors record priority violations, which pose the greatest risk to staff or customers, and give out letter grades.

From last month's restaurant visits, some of the findings may haunt you. Here are the worst restaurant health inspections of October.

Arre!! Mexican Street Food

3805 S. 16th St.

A pungent smell, "puddles of brown viscous liquid that contained live maggots," more than 30 flies and "black organic growth" are the things of horror movies. But on an Oct. 3 visit to Arre!! Mexican Street Food on 16th Street, that's what an inspector found inside a broken refrigerator. The fridge wasn't actively being used to store food, but it was in "the direct vicinity" of all the other refrigeration units in the restaurant. There was also dirty equipment, improperly heated and cooled foods and a leaking ice machine "discharging onto the floor behind the bartop."

Stellar66

1829 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert

Stellar 66 opened in April and quickly became known for its whole Peking duck, dramatically set ablaze for extra crispiness and carved tableside. But those very birds were cause for concern on an Oct. 3 inspection. The health inspector found raw, whole ducks hung on racks directly next to cooked ducks in the walk-in refrigerator. Whole ducks, along with pig ears, chicken feet and ham didn't have any date markings and possibilities for cross-contamination ran wild. Raw pork was stored above some of the cooked ducks. Raw chicken, beef and shrimp were stored together on a sheet tray above raw lobster and fish. Raw pork and cooked pork were stored together and above other ready-to-eat foods. Bins of food were stored on the floor of the walk-in refrigerator and the hot water had been turned off at the hand-washing sink.

Varsity Tavern

501 S. Mill Ave., Tempe

"Brown slimy organic material" might sound fit for Halloween, but it's not what you want to find on cauliflower. Along with that discovery, a restaurant inspector found a number of issues at Varsity Tavern in Tempe. A leak from the ceiling was dripping into an ice machine. There was "brown/red coating and white organic material" on the soda gun. Ground beef had no date on it, and an "unidentified creamy liquid" was dated Sept. 1, more than a month prior to the Oct. 3 inspection.

Subway

8345 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria

Restaurant inspectors found another scary situation at Subway on Thunderbird Road in Peoria. "The inner surface of the glass door inside the microwave oven is shattered with sharp exposed shards of glass protruding from the surface," the inspection report noted. Other areas of the kitchen were "severely deteriorated" which prevents proper cleaning. Sinks drained onto the floor, the hot and cold water taps were reversed, and condensation from the walk-in freezer was dripping onto food shelves.

Papa Locos/Jay's Hot Chicken

323 E. Brown Road, Mesa

Papa Locos and Jay's Hot Chicken is a duo of restaurants that operate from the same space in Mesa. On Oct. 21, a health inspector found more than a duo of issues. Six priority violations were recorded, including employees washing their hands without soap and opportunities for cross-contamination such as raw beef being stored directly over an open container of refried beans. There was a tub filled with chicken patties that measured 85 degrees, roughly half of the required temperature for hot storage. Green salsa that was more than two weeks old was also found.

Jay's Fusion Grill

1100 E Apache Blvd Tempe

Yet another spooky discovery was made at Jay's Fusion Grill on Oct. 22. At the Tempe restaurant, an inspector found a "pan of cooked beans with white, veiny organic material coating the top." There was also raw chicken and beef stored on top of other cooked foods and dirty equipment. A host of ingredients, including cheese, enchilada sauce, chipotle mayo, salsa and pico de gallo were out of date and between 10 and 18 days old. Cleaning chemicals were found stored above food and there was a bottle of insect killer found in the kitchen, likely used for the "two small flat brown insects" the inspector saw near the sink.

Breakfast Bitch

330 E. Roosevelt St.

At Breakfast Bitch, a restaurant that has had its fair share of drama, a health inspector recorded six priority violations on Oct. 30. The handwashing sink had no cold water, instead only "scalding hot" 135 degree water. Another handwashing sink was unusable. There was also improperly cooled foods, items such as sausages and salsa with no date marking and raw beef stored above cooked chicken and shrimp. The inspector also watched an employee sanitize a large tray by dipping each side in sanitzer for "less than 30 seconds" and completely missing the middle of the tray.

El Pacifico Restaurante

3311 N. 16th St.

All kitchens need to be clean, but for those that handle raw seafood, proper practices are especially important. Shellstock, or raw mollusks in their shells, require special labeling that identifies where they were sourced. At El Pacifico, two types of clams had no tags, the person in charge couldn't provide any invoices for clams and the restaurant had no shellstock records. Along with the unidentified clams, the inspector found dirty equipment used to prepare the seafood. The "oyster shucker machine, oyster hand blade shucker, can opener, fish scale remover and bus tubs used for storing oysters," were stored as clean with "visible food debris." Handwashing was an issue, maybe due to the fact there was no hand sink in the main kitchen area and only one handwashing sink in the entire restaurant. Containers of lysol, glass cleaner, Dayquil and chafing fuel were stored with spices over a food prep tables.

Mirabel Golf Club

37100 N. Mirabel Club Dr., Scottsdale

At the Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, the greens in the kitchen didn't look as good as those outside on a Halloween inspection. The health inspector found moldy green peppers along with multiple jicamas with "white organic matter." There was also food stored at improper temperatures, including warm raw meat. Poached pears, salsa and pomodoro sauce were all out of date and turkey bacon, raw veal and tomahawk steaks didn't have any date markings at all. The club racked up four priority violations.