Modesto restaurant still operating without permit despite multiple warnings

Stanislaus County inspectors observed that one Modesto restaurant had been operating without a health permit despite being told multiple times that it needs one.

Other violations during inspections conducted the last week of August included employees not washing their hands and a live cockroach.

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 39 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Friday, two were not updated on the site as of Friday afternoon.

Operating without a permit among major violatons

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Aug. 25-31. 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.

Bob’s Coffee Shop, 6900 Hughson Ave. in Hughson, had four violations Aug. 25. The interior panel of the ice machine had grime buildup. The floor below cooking equipment had grease accumulation and the exterior surfaces of cooking equipment had grease buildup. Food handler cards were lacking for all employees.

Dunkin’ Donuts, 1300 Standiford Ave. in Modesto, had three violations Aug. 25 — two of them major. Both bathrooms were inoperable, with clogged plumbing lines. The employee bathroom was “unavailable”; it was functional but lacked lighting. The California Retail Food Code says that to have a dine-in option at a food facility, customers must have access to a functioning restroom. Sanitizer buckets were not set up and there were no test strips. The three-compartment sink was leaking at main nozzle and beneath the sink basin. A plastic container was observed beneath the sink to collect water runoff.

Cocina Michoacana, 1061 E. F St. in Oakdale, had three violations Aug. 25 — one of them major. The handwashing station was obstructed and inaccessible. The floor in the walk-in refrigerator was cracking and a metal plate was protruding, potentially causing a tripping hazard. The vertical distance between the small range and the bottom of the exhaust hood was 57 inches (maximum 48 inches).

Taqueria El Mexicano, 1717 Oakdale Road, Suite D, in Modesto, had three violations Aug. 26. The facility was operating without an Environmental Health permit. The facility has been informed multiple times over the phone that it needs to obtain a permit, inspectors said. Inspectors applied a fee for this violation. Only one other health inspection for this facility is available on the DER website, conducted on Nov. 26, 2024, and one of the violations was an expired Environmental Health permit posted on the wall.

There was no sanitizer at the three-compartment sink in the facility and the paper towel dispenser was empty at the handwashing station.

California Burrito, 1610 W. Main St. in Turlock, had seven violations Aug. 27. An orange hose with a sprayer attachment was being used at the three-compartment sink to wash/rinse utensils. Six-pound cans were being used to hold up sections of the wire racks in the walk-in cooler. Some of the cans had visible rust. Ice scoops were stored in the ice inside the ice machine and a separate ice bin.

Hot water measured at 118 degrees at the food-prep sink and the three-compartment sink (must be 120 degrees minimum). Soap was lacking at the handwashing station. The self-service salsa bar had an ambient temperature of 46 degrees (must be 41 degrees minimum). The pico de gallo had an internal temperature of 46 degrees. A health permit was not posted in a conspicuous location for public viewing.

Sonic Drive-In, 2125 W. Main St. in Turlock, had three violations Aug. 27 — one of them major. A live cockroach was observed around the food-prep sink. An open jar of maraschino cherries was on a wire rack next to the ice machine. The label on the jar stated that the cherries need to be refrigerated after opening. The facility did not have a valid health permit.

The Pho, 4500 Dale Road, Suite D, in Modesto, had nine violations Aug. 27 — two of them major. A container of cooked chicken on a counter had an internal temperature of 100 degrees (must be 135 degrees if being held hot, or 41 degrees if being held cold). Two other containers of beef/pork were also found on this table, and nearby were several cooked spring rolls on a tray. Per the operators, all of these items had been cooked around 9 a.m. the day of the inspection (time of inspection was around 1:30 p.m.). The facility does not have a hot-holding unit onsite.

A box of pork legs with internal temperature of 64 degrees was stored on a shelf in the middle of the kitchen. A container of beef was thawing on this shelf. Several containers of bulk food lacked labels. A countertop fryer was in use near the service window. The facility lacked mechanical ventilation above the fryer and a large amount of grease had accumulated on the wall/window behind it.

An employee did not wash hands after entering the kitchen and before putting on gloves to prepare food. The handwashing station in the kitchen lacked paper towels. The handwashing station at the front of the facility lacked paper towels and soap. The facility had an old permit to operate (expired in 2024) posted in public view.

Seven of the nine violations remained during a reinspection Sept. 3 — two of them major — and two violations remained during a second reinspection Sept. 10.

Village Fresh Market, 2090 E. Canal Drive in Turlock, had six violations Aug. 28 — one of them major. Multiple employees in the deli department were observed switching tasks without washing their hands. Two barbecue grills were in front of the food facility. Per the manager, this is a common practice. The back side of the barbecue premise is accessible to the public. Inspectors told the manager to separate the barbecue premise from public access to prevent food contamination or injury to the public.

The condenser fan units in the walk-in cooler had dust accumulation. The sanitizer bucket in the meat department and the sanitizer basin in the deli department had concentrations of 500ppm (too high). Multiple employees were missing food handler certifications.

My Garden Cafe, 3507 Tully Road, Suite 40, in Modesto, had four violations Aug. 28. Utensils and a blender were stored in handwashing sink. Touchpoints on equipment (door handles, etc.) were coated with grime/fingerprints. Fan covers in the walk-in refrigerator were coated with dirt/grime. An updated Stanislaus County Permit to Operate was lacking.

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

• China Gourmet (both major violations corrected at time of inspection)
• Fit Kitchen Meal Prep (major violations corrected at time of inspection)
• Happy Pho
• Modesto Sukiyaki (major violation corrected at time of inspection)
• Papapavlos Mediterranean Bistro

Minor violations

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

• Baskin Robbins, 2900 Standiford Ave., Suite 16-A, Modesto
• Burly’s California Bistro
• Dollar Tree, 1320 W. Main St., Turlock
• Dollar Tree, 2094 E. Canal Drive, Turlock
• Domino’s Pizza, 1419 Standiford Ave., Suite 1, Modesto
• El Capitan M&T Inc.
• Little Caesars Pizza, 2508 Oakdale Road, Modesto
• McDonald’s, 3050 Countryside Drive, Turlock
• Pura Vida
• Rico’s Pizza, 5000 Yosemite Blvd., Empire (violations corrected by Aug. 27)
• Round Table Pizza, 1449 E. F St., Suite 101-A, Oakdale
• Smart & Final, 2900 Standiford Ave., Suite 15, Modesto
• Starbucks, 1427 Herndon Ave., Ceres

No violations

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

• Carl’s Jr., 1600 Oakdale Road, Modesto
• Discount Liquor & Cigarettes
• El Coco Loco Mariscos Nayarit
• Kingdom Coffee
• Mochinut
• Mr. T’s Donuts
• Nizario’s Pizza & Grill
• O’Brian’s Tavern
• The Modesto Hotel (facility closed upon inspection)

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.