Live cockroach and ‘a lot of’ flies: See latest Stanislaus County health inspections
Stanislaus County health inspectors observed a live cockroach at a Modesto Chinese restaurant and “a lot of” flies at a tortilleria during inspections conducted in early October.
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 41 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday, two were not updated on the site as of Thursday morning.
If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Modesto Bee reporter Dominique Williams at dwilliams@modbee.com.
Cockroach and flies among major violations
Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the weeks of Sept. 30 - Oct. 6. 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.
Patterson Food Center, 200 N. 2nd St. in Patterson, had four violations on Oct. 2 — one of them major. Cutting boards within the deli/seafood department had deep knife grooves and significant staining. Floors within walk-in refrigerators were soiled. Multiple fan covers within the walk-in refrigerators were coated with dirt and grime. Sanitizer test strips for the chlorine buckets were unavailable upon inspection.
Roth Social House, 3100 Hotel Drive in Turlock, had three major violations observed during an opening inspection after the facility closed voluntarily following a fire incident in August. The Ice cream cold box was turned off. The refrigerator in The Market side of the facility was at an ambient temperature of 49 degrees (must be 41 degrees; corrected at time of inspection). The refrigerator on the south end of the facility was at an ambient temp of 50 degrees.
It was noted that there was sufficient refrigeration to continue operations. The facility was approved to operate pending approval of other public agencies.
Imperial Garden Restaurant, 2045 W. Briggsmore Ave. Suite A1 in Modesto, had four violations on Oct. 2 — one of them major. One live cockroach was observed near the food-prep sink. Raw fish was stored on top of fresh produce inside the walk-in cooler. Bulk containers with raw meats were stored without cover inside the walk-in cooler. The prep table cold-holding unit’s temperature was at 53 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower).
One major violation remained during a reinspection on Oct. 10.
Aqua Blue Store, 411 H St. in Modesto, had one major violation on Oct. 3. Tilapia and golden pompano fish were stored directly in the freezer, exposed to air contaminants and ice buildup.
Bonanza Tortilleria, 315 H St. in Modesto, had 12 violations on Oct. 4 — seven of them major. There were “a lot of” flies noted throughout the facility, especially in the kitchen area. The two back doors were propped open and flies were entering the facility. There was a blue light zapper in the kitchen area. Meat was observed thawing at room temperature with no running water. Proper thawing procedures include inside a refrigerator, under cold running water at 70 degrees or less for less than 2 hours, in a microwave or during cooking. A container with beans was noted at room temperature at 70 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). Raw meat was stored in close proximity to masa and tortillas in the walk-in refrigerator.
There was a hole in the wall behind the cash register and a hole in the ceiling of the tortilleria. The ice machine was draining into a pan. The kitchen ceiling had heavy grease accumulation and the fan cover had heavy dust buildup. The kitchen mechanical hood system was heavily soiled with grease buildup. The fryer equipment was not completely under the mechanical hood system. A stove was observed in use in the kitchen without a mechanical hood ventilation system. The women’s bathroom was out of toilet paper. The men’s bathroom was out of paper towels and toilet paper was not provided inside the dispenser.
Sanitizer bucket had a concentration of 0ppm chlorine. The solution was observed with a milky cloudy color.
The Chicken Barn, 1700 McHenry Ave. Suite J in Modesto, had four violations on Oct. 4 — two of them major. The display refrigerator had an ambient temperature of 63 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). The refrigerator contained potentially hazardous foods including cooked chicken, macaroni and potato salads, sauces and milk. The foods in the display refrigerator had temperatures between 56°F-66°F. The employees were the leaving walk-in refrigerator door open and back door was open by the refrigerator.
All violations were noted as corrected during a reinspection on Oct. 9.
Johnny’s Market, 229 H St. in Modesto, had six violation on Oct. 4 — four of them major. The three-compartment sink was heavily soiled and obstructed with a container of paint and other products. Hand soap and paper towels were lacking in the ware-washing area. Both bathrooms were out of hand soap, paper towels and toilet paper. The two ice machines were noted with dust accumulation. They were both missing fan covers, exposing the ice to dust and air contaminants. The beverage walk-in refrigerator was missing a condenser fan cover. It had dust accumulation in the fans.
Quik Serve Mart, 22025 Highway 33 in Crows Landing, had four violations on Oct. 4. The interior surfaces of the ice machine appeared to have mold-like growth. The counter tops in the self-serve soda area was soiled with dried residue. The employee bathroom had no paper towels in its wall-mounted dispenser. This bathroom door did not have a self-closing apparatus. This is a repeat violation.
Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:
- Culichi Town (two of three violations corrected at time of inspection)
- In-Shape Smoothie Bar
- La Oficina Bar & Restaurant (four of seven violations corrected by Oct. 8)
- Red Lobster (all violations corrected by Oct. 15)
- Taqueria Carolina
Taqueria El Maguey, 2401 E. Orangeburg Ave. Suite 260, Modesto
One to two non-major violations
According to Stanislaus County, food facilities that had one to two violations, none of them major, are:
- Dollar Tree, 2425 McHenry Ave., Modesto
- El Campestre Dos
- Indian Bazaar
- Las Palmas Market & Deli
- Newman Food Store
- O’Brien’s Market/Starbucks (corrected at time of inspection)
- Sizzler, 3416 Dale Road, Modesto (corrected at time of inspection)
No violations for these Stanislaus County food facilities
These food facilities had no violations, according to the county:
- AFC Sushi at Nob Hill
- Burger King, 1955 N St., Newman
- Carniceria Dos Aguas Mini Mart
- China Gourmet
El Pollo Loco, 2225 Plaza Parkway Suite B, Modesto
- Funworks
- Good Times Restaurant
- Hurd Barrington Elementary School
- Konfucious Eats
- Little Caesar’s Pizza, 1925 N St., Newman
- Nob Hill Foods
- Palermo Restaurant
- Pizza Plus, 1420 Main St., Newman
- Prime Time Nutrition, 25 N. Circulo Ave., Patterson
- Rite Aid, 1935 N St., Newman
- Taco Bell, 2005 N St., Newman
- The Frontier
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 12:30 PM.
.jpg)