Business

Grimy conditions and ‘ubiquitous’ black growth: Latest Stanislaus County health 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.

.Grime buildup and “ubiquitous” black growth in an ice machine were found in Stanislaus County restaurants by inspectors in early January.

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 59 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Thursday, four were 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.

Growth in ice machine among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Jan. 6-12. 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.

GK Mongolian BBQ, 2300 W. Monte Vista Ave. in Turlock, had seven violations Jan. 6 — two of them major and six of them repeat violations. Food containers in both the walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer were open and didn’t have tight-fitting lids. Food was also in uncovered containers inside the sliding-door refrigerator. Soiled food utensils and cleaning supplies were at the hand-washing station. Griddle cleaning tools were placed in the sink basin at the hand-washing station. Sanitizer buckets were not set up in food-preparation areas. The soap dispenser in the ware-washing area was empty. Valid food handler cards were lacking for all staff.

Stop U Save Market, 1825 Mitchell Road, Suite A, in Ceres, had four violations Jan. 7. The floor area of the walk-in refrigerator had grime/stain buildup. The floor area below the syrup box rack had heavy syrup stain buildup. The bathroom hand sink soap dispenser was partially clogged. Ice scoops were not stored in a food-grade container.

Asian Cafe, 371 N. Golden State Blvd. in Turlock, had nine violations Jan. 8 — four of them major. Tempura fried pork was left out. The temperature of the pork was noted at 72 degrees (must be 41 or lower). A cornstarch slurry was left out at room temperature and was at 72 degrees. Rice in a plastic bin had a temperature of 58 degrees (must be 135 degrees or higher). Hot-holding containers in the steam table were lacking lids.

The ice machine had a “ubiquitous” black growth on the side and top interior panels. A cutting board was heavily weathered with deep, dark grooves that break through its surface layer and into the plastic grain. Sanitizer buckets were not set up in all food preparation areas. All pieces of equipment were heavily soiled with grease accumulation. Several food contact surfaces were soiled with food debris and grease accumulation.

Chevron Extra Mile, 881 N. Golden State Blvd. in Turlock, had three violations Jan. 9 — one of them major. Sanitizer buckets were not set up in food-prep areas. The facility was vending unpackaged, potentially hazardous foods without the submission of a menu, plans and manufactures spec sheets for the newly installed pieces of equipment. The hand-washing station at the self-service area was lacking a wall-mounted dispenser.

Quik Stop Market, 818 N. Carpenter Road in Modesto, had five violations Jan. 10. A piece of plastic wrap was attached to the drain pipe of the water heater and grime had accumulated on it. Paper towels were lacking at the hand-washing station. There was no toilet paper in the dispenser in the bathroom. The rear storage area for liquor had inadequate lighting. The facility lacked sanitizer test strips. Three violations remained during a reinspection Jan. 17.

Denny’s, 110 McHenry Ave. in Modesto, had three violations Jan. 10 — two of them major. There was no sanitizer in the dishwasher. The three-compartment sink water had a very slow flow in the floor sink. The wastewater flooded on the floor inside the dishwashing area and then the water flowed through the front area by the ice machine and the bathroom. A refrigerator had an ambient temperature of 56 degrees (must be 41 or lower).

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

  • Dutch Bros, 699 N. Golden State Blvd., Turlock (all violations corrected at time of inspection)

  • El Rosal, 2625 Coffee Road, Suite D, Modesto (all violations corrected at time of inspection)

  • Garcia Jojo’s (major violation corrected at time of inspection)
  • Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 2720 McHenry Ave., Modesto (all violations corrected at time of inspection)
  • Ramada (major violation corrected at time of inspection)

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:

This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 12:59 PM.

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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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