Stanislaus restaurants found storing potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temps
Unsafe temperatures for storing potentially hazardous foods and washing dishes and hands were violations at some Stanislaus County food facilities in late August.
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.
Of the 50 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Thursday, one was not updated on the site as of Friday morning.
Unsafe temperatures among major violations
Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Aug. 18-24. 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.
Paul’s Liquor, 1021 E. F St. in Oakdale, had six violations Aug. 19 — three of them major. The walk-in cooler containing milk was at 54 degrees (fridge must be 41 degrees or lower). The hot water throughout the facility was at 74 degrees (must be a minimum of 120 degrees). The hot water faucet at the hand-washing sink in the employee bathroom was broken. The floor sink was clogged with debris. The interior walls of the ice machine were soiled with grime. The storage area was cluttered with empty boxes and debris.
All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection Aug. 22.
Huckleberry’s, 151 N. Walnut Ave. in Turlock, had three violations Aug. 19. A pipe leading from the condenser fan unit in the walk-in refrigerator was leaking. The black foam insulation around the pipe was wet and had some white buildup. The pipe leading from the condenser fan unit in the walk-in freezer had a large icicle. A current health permit was not posted for public viewing.
Mr. Pickle’s Sandwich Shop, 1342 E. F St., Suite B, Oakdale, had three violations Aug. 20. The door to the employee bathroom was propped open. A few sanitizer buckets were placed directly on the floor. The carbon dioxide cylinder was not fastened to a rigid structure.
Mariscos La Ceiba, 1300 McHenry Ave. in Modesto, had five violations Aug. 21 — three of them major. Potentially hazardous foods in the prep fridge had a temperature of 56 degrees. The ambient temperature of the fridge was 51 degrees. Both of the hand-washing sinks by the bar lacked splash guards. Food handler cards and a food safety certification were lacking.
Burly’s California Bistro, 1219 N. Carpenter Road, Suite 5, in Modesto, had five violations Aug. 21. In the walk-in refrigerator, the internal temperature of salmon, siracha sauce and a gravy container were 45-46 degrees. The ambient air temperature within this fridge was 44 degrees. The women’s bathroom lacked paper towels in a dispenser. There was no sanitizer in the dishwasher. One employee’s food handler card was expired and the facility did not have a current permit to operate.
Two violations remained during a reinspection Aug. 28.
Roberts Ferry Gourmet, 150 N. Third Ave. in Oakdale, had two major violations Aug. 22. The prep sink and the hand-washing sink at the bar lacked warm water.
Discount Liquor & Cigarettes, 2912 E. Whitmore Ave. in Ceres, had four violations Aug. 22. Pink slime had accumulated on the interior surface of the ice machine. Paper towels were lacking in the dispenser next to the hand-washing sink in the bathroom. A reusable cloth towel was stored on this dispenser instead. Debris had accumulated on the shelves of the liquor storage area. Sanitizer test strips were lacking.
All violations were noted as corrected Aug. 29.
Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:
- McDonald’s, 2118 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- Roberts Ferry School cafe
- Starbucks, 1320 McHenry Ave., Modesto (major violations corrected at time of inspection)
- Viva Taqueria (two major violations corrected at time of inspection)
- Wienerschnitzel, 920 E. F St., Oakdale
Minor violations
According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one or two violations, none of them major, are:
- Burger King, 2320 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- Carl’s Jr, 100 N. Walnut Road, Turlock
- Circle K, 1640 N. Carpenter Road, Modesto
- Gas City (violation corrected by Aug. 21)
- La Mexicana Del Valle
- Reata on 3rd
- Refuge Coffee
- Viva Market
- Waterford Market
No violations
These food facilities had no violations, according to the county:
- Adelante High School
- Ampm, 3001 Healthcare Way, Modesto
- California Avenue School
- Cardozo School cafe
- C’est La Vie Patisserie
- Chevron, 1300 N. Carpenter Road, Modesto
- Circle K, 2500 Fulkerth Road, Turlock
- Costco, 2955 N. Tegner Road, Turlock
- Crawfish Noodle & Grill
- Dutch Bros, 1524 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- Ferrarese’s Deli
- Ike’s Love & Sandwiches
- Mesa Verde Elementary School
- Paloma’s Cocina and Cantina (facility closed upon inspection)
- Paul’s Stop N Go (facility said to conduct inspection at a later date)
- Phoenix Noodle House
- Queen Bean Coffee & Social House
- Rite Aid (facility closed upon inspection)
- Riverbank High School cafeteria
- Riverbank Language Academy
- Roberts Ferry Nut Company
- Shah Groceries
- Starbucks, 1342 E. F St., Oakdale
- Togo’s, 1190 E. F St., Suite A, Oakdale
- Wienerschnitzel, 204 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- 76, 4507 Howard Road, Westley
This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 11:04 AM.
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