Stanislaus County inspections reveal food safety and hand-washing issues

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.

Twenty-four restaurant inspection reports were send to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday.

Major

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of Sept. 1-7. 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.

Dollar General, 7100 Hughson Ave. in Hughson, had three violations on Sept. 2 — one of them major. The electric water heater was not operational. The hand-washing sinks and toilet surfaces in the bathroom were discolored/stained. The paper towel dispensers in the bathroom were not operational.

Golden Dragon, 2305 W. Main St. in Turlock, had five violations on Sept. 2. Multiple containers of raw chicken were on the floor in the walk-in cooler. Two tomato sauce cans were being used to hold chicken and beef in the prep fridge. Cloth towels soiled with debris were lining some of the wire racks in the walk-in cooler. The condenser fan unit in the walk-in had dust accumulation. There was black buildup on the deflector shield in the ice machine.

Hot Rod Diner, 130 Walnut Road in Turlock, had seven violations on Sept. 2 — one of them major. An employee was handling soiled utensils and dishes at the ware-washing station and then handling clean utensils and dishes without washing hands. Black buildup was observed on the shield deflector in the ice machine. A plastic container of butter was observed in the three-compartment sink. A large container of cooked potatoes was left at room temperature. The internal temperature of the potatoes was 119 degrees (must be a minimum of 135 degrees).

Hot water at the three-compartment sink and mop sink measured 105 degrees (must be 120 degrees minimum). The facility did not have a food safety certification, which was a repeat violation. A current health permit was not posted in a conspicuous location for public viewing.

Two violations remained during a reinspection on Sept. 4.

Diamond Gas and Mart, 3401 Yosemite Blvd. in Modesto, had six violations on Sept. 2 — two of them major. Rice in a steam table was measured at 126 degrees. The hot water line at the hand-washing sink was turned off. Paper towel dispensers were empty in the bathroom. An NSF-approved probe thermometer was lacking. A valid health permit and a food safety certificate were lacking.

Three violations remained during a reinspection on Sept. 8.

Edwins Coffee Shop & Taqueria, 4633 Main St. in Denair, had four violations on Sept. 3. Refrigerator surfaces had stain buildup. Hood filters and the floor area below the cooking line had grease accumulation. A freezer was not operational.

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

• La Perla Tapatia, 1460 Mitchell Road, Modesto
• The Pho, 4500 Dale Road, Suite D, Modesto (five of seven violations corrected by Sept. 10)

Minor violations

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

• Airport Grocery
• Chevron, 100 E. Glenwood Ave., Turlock
• Country Store
• Dollar General, 1539 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto
• Dollar General, 965 Lander Ave. in Turlock,
• Protein House
• Sublime Pop
• Togo’s, 2900 Standiford Ave., Suite 24, Modesto
• Wienerschnitzel, 2900 Standiford Ave., Suite 20, Modesto

No violations

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

• CVS, 2900 Standiford Ave., Modesto
• Daiso
• Denny’s, 1991 Lander Ave., Turlock
• Distant Mountains Bread & Coffee
• Prime Time Nutrition, 1396 Mitchell Road, Ceres
• Scoop Society Banquet Hall & Ice Cream
• Subway, 801 Oakdale Road, Suite B2, Modesto

This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 12:21 PM.

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.