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Employees not washing hands and soup left overnight: Latest Stanislaus County inspections

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Monthly restaurant inspections

In our Reality Check stories, Modesto Bee journalists deliver fast facts about the issues that matter to local residents to hold officials and institutions accountable. Read more. Story idea? Tips@modbee.com.

Stanislaus County inspectors observed employees not properly washing their hands at two Modesto restaurants and soup that was left out overnight to thaw at a Turlock chain sandwich shop during inspections conducted in late November.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county receive two unannounced routine food safety inspections per year, according to the Department of Environmental Resources. The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.

Food trucks that operate under a Stanislaus County Health Department permit also are inspected by the county, though those are scheduled and done at the department’s office.

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Of the 75 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Thursday, Dec. 13, one was not updated on the site as of Friday morning.

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Modesto Bee reporter Dominique Williams at dwilliams@modbee.com.

Improper hand washing among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Nov. 25 - Dec. 1. Only the dates of violations are listed.

The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.

The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website.

Fat Wong Chinese Food To Go, 3121 Yosemite Blvd., Suite B2, in Modesto, had 10 violations Nov. 25 — one of them major. A large amount of raw, frozen meat products was placed under cold, running water. Since there was a large amount, the meat could not thaw properly. Food utensils were stored directly on the floor in the water heater room. The floor in this room had grime, food stain and dirt accumulation. Bulk foods, including flour and rice, were stored in their original, open bags (rather than food-grade and washable containers with tight-fitting lids).

The interior of the ice machine had stain/grime buildup and the barbecue oven had excessive grease buildup. The exterior surfaces of large, dry food containers had stain buildup. The exterior surfaces of tubs and lids in the walk-in refrigerator had grime/stain buildup. The floor inside the fridge had food particle accumulation. Employees’ food handler cards were lacking.

Three violations remained during a reinspection Dec. 2.

Green Leaf, 553 N. Golden State Blvd. in Turlock, had 10 violations Nov. 25 — one of them major. Naan bread was being prepared atop a round, cloth pillow. Prepackaged food was on the floor throughout the facility. Large bags of whole, unshelled walnuts without proper labels were stored directly on the floor of a closet. Portioned bags of shelled walnuts were in the refrigerator without proper labeling. Large cuts of meat, including legs of lamb, were sitting on cardboard on the walk-in refrigerator shelves.

A refrigerator had been added to the facility without approval from the department. The refrigerator was disconnected to the power outlet. A refrigerator at the meat counter was offline; no food products were in it. Sanitizer buckets were not set up in the food prep areas. Sanitizer test strips were not available. The permit was lacking.

Dutch Bros, 699 N. Golden State Blvd. in Turlock, had four violations Nov. 25 — two of them major. Inside the ice bin, a scoop was directly touching the ice for consumption. Multi-use linens throughout the drink prep areas were heavily soiled and left out on the counter. A sanitizer bucket was not set up in one of the food preparation areas. A food handler card for one food employee was expired.

My Garden Cafe, 1109 Oakdale Road in Modesto, had eight violations Nov. 26 — six of them major. After touching the dirty utensils and trash, the employees started preparing food without washing their hands. The hand-washing sink across from the griddle lacked a soap dispenser and soap. Employees said the facility had been out of soap since the evening prior. The ware-washing station lacked a hand-washing sink.

The ambient temperature in the prep fridge was 45 degrees (must be 37 to 38). The temperature of cooked bacon was 54 degrees and shelled crab was at 45 degrees (must be 41 or lower). The ambient air temperature for the prep fridge by the air fryer was 46 degrees and the temperature of potentially hazardous foods ranged from 44 to 46 degrees. Employee food handler cards were expired and the facility lacked a health permit on the wall for public viewing.

One major violation remained during a reinspection Nov. 27.

Chili’s Grill & Bar, 2801 Countryside Drive in Turlock, had seven violations Nov. 26 — one of them major. The single-door refrigerator was at 47 degrees and a three-door refrigerator for sandwich prep was at 45 degrees. The ice scoop was stored directly touching the ice for consumption. The paper towel dispenser in the ware-washing area was in disrepair. There was a four-inch hole in the rinse basin of the three-compartment sink. Sanitizer buckets were not set up in all of the food-prep areas. Valid food handler cards were lacking.

Teriyaki King, 1600 E. Hatch Road in Modesto, had three violations Nov. 26. Multiple flies were in the kitchen area. There was a leak in the kitchen ceiling. Chlorine test strips were lacking for the three-compartment sink.

Mi Carniceria Prima, 1717 Oakdale Road, Suite M, in Modesto, had six violations Nov. 26 — five of them major. The hot water at the three-compartment sink and at the food prep sink was 117 degrees (must be a minimum of 120). The temperature of the meat in the display case ranged from 44 to 45 degrees (must be 41 or lower). The facility lacked food handler cards for each of the staff members, a food safety certification and a health permit on the wall for public viewing.

Phoenix Noodle House, 1222 H St. in Modesto, had 11 violations Nov. 26 — five of them major. Several employees were observed coming into the kitchen after starting their work shift without washing their hands appropriately, only rinsing with water and not using hand soap or paper towels. The hand-wash stations in the kitchen were out of hand soap and paper towels upon arrival for inspection. Hot water was at 103 degrees throughout the facility (must be a minimum of 120). The dishwasher was dispensing chlorine sanitizer at 0 ppm.

Seven 10-pound bags of noodles were stored at room temperature. The owner said the food was kept refrigerated at home and boxes were brought to the facility as needed and kept at room temperature. Potentially hazardous foods must be kept at 41 degrees or lower and may not be stored or prepared in a private home. The dry-food storage room was cluttered, not organized and had heavily soiled floors.

The walls and floors behind the ice machine were heavily soiled with dust, grease and fallen food accumulation. The mechanical hood system had grease accumulation. The women’s restroom door was not self-closing. The food safety certificate for one employee was expired.

One violation remained during a reinspection Dec. 10.

Taqueria El Mexicano, 1717 Oakdale Road, Suite D, in Modesto, had four violations Nov. 26 — one of them major. Inspectors saw an employee place a cutting board atop a trash bin and then marinate chicken on top of the cutting board. Food handler cards for all the staff members were expired. The food safety certification and health permit were expired.

7-Eleven, 1305 Herndon Road in Ceres, had four violations during an inspection Nov. 26 which was the result of complaints. The complaints alleged that the bathrooms did not have soap or paper towels and that there was a mouse seen running across the counter, as well as a straw nest on one of the food stands. The bathrooms were fully stocked with soap and the air dryers are operational. There was no evidence of rodent activity at time of inspection.

Soap and paper towels were lacking at the hand-washing sink behind the front service counter. Paper towels were lacking at the hand-washing sink next to the three-compartment sink. This sink was cluttered with empty cans and bottles and was inaccessible. Floor sinks throughout the facility were soiled.

Commonwealth, 1022 11th St. in Modesto, had nine violations Nov. 26. The walls behind the dishwasher in the kitchen, the walls under the hand air dryers in the bathrooms, and the floors throughout the facility under equipment and storage shelves were heavily soiled. The floor inside of the walk-in cooler was soiled with food debris. Several empty, bulk food-storage containers were on the floor inside the dry-storage room. The beverage refrigerator in the bar area had a temperature of 43 degrees (must be 41).

The hand-washing station in the kitchen and the bar had water leaking at the faucet. An electrical cover for an outlet and several ceiling panels were missing. There was no toilet paper inside the dispensers. The food safety certificate and all food handler cards were expired.

West Coast Sourdough, 3210 W. Monte Vista Ave. in Turlock, had 14 violations Nov. 26 — nine of them major. An employee was holding her phone while preparing food. Clam chowder and other prepackaged soups were left out overnight to thaw at room temperature in a container filled with water. Room deodorizer was next to bread bags. Hot-held potentially hazardous foods were at 109 degrees (must be 135 or higher).

The single-door refrigerator in the food prep area held potentially hazardous foods at 66 degrees (must be 41). Per staff, the refrigerator had been leaking internally and the temperature had been at 55 degrees since the night before. The sandwich prep fridge next to the cash register was at 66 degrees and the sandwich prep fridge across from the register was at 46 degrees. The hand-washing sink was in disrepair. Hot water was not available.

Sanitizer buckets in the food preparation areas had a sanitizer concentration of 0 ppm. Sanitizer was not available at the food facility at the time of inspection and sanitizer test strips were lacking. A food handler card for one employee and a food safety certificate were lacking. There was no valid permit to operate.

El Marisquero, 575 Lander Ave. in Turlock, had four violations Nov. 27. Two cutting boards were in the hand-washing sink next to the dishwashing machine. A refrigerator was being used as storage for personal items. The ice scoop was stored directly in the ice inside the ice machine. Food handler cards for multiple employees were expired.

Sticky Rice Restaurant, 1778 Mitchell Road, Suite 209, in Ceres, had nine violations Nov. 27 — one of them major. Raw, frozen pork was thawing in standing water in the three-compartment sink. Hood filters had grease accumulation. The surfaces of the kitchen trash containers were heavily stained. The floor of the walk-in refrigerator had stain/dirt accumulation. The interior surface of the ice machine had stain buildup.

The walk-in freezer had ice buildup. The hot water temperature at the employee bathroom hand-washing sink was 83 degrees (must be 120 minimum). This bathroom lacked a wall-mounted paper towel dispenser. There was no verification of food handler cards for all employees.

Viet Noodle Xpress, 2400 Coffee Road, Suite H, in Modesto, had three violations Nov. 27 — two of them major. Employees were observed not washing their hands between touching the raw meat and cooked meat. The hand-washing sink was broken in the drinking area. There was a tea container on the floor.

Ishtar Mediterranean Market & Grill, 2340 W. Monte Vista Ave. in Turlock, had five violations Nov. 27. The olives inside of the food display refrigerator were at 46 degrees (must be 41 or lower). Upon arrival to the inspection, employees were observed cooking with the mechanical hood turned off. The hood was heavily soiled with grease accumulation. The ceiling in the entire kitchen area is a deep, dark color of grease The kitchen area had several lights in disrepair. Walls and ceilings in the kitchen were heavily soiled with grease and dust accumulation. Food handler cards were lacking for all employees.

Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:

Minor violations

According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one to two violations, none of them major, are:

No violations

These food facilities had no violations, according to the county:

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Dominique Williams
The Modesto Bee
209-253-9007
Dominique Williams writes about new business, restaurant and retail developments for The Modesto Bee. She is a Ripon native and a graduate of Sacramento State.
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