Local

Health inspectors cite Modesto restaurant for child running around in kitchen

Restaurant 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.

Stanislaus County inspectors found major violations in late April, including a child running around in a Modesto restaurant’s kitchen.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county get 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.

Read Next

Of the 114 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Monday, 16 were not updated on the site as of Friday morning.

Child running in kitchen among major violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of April 20–May 3. 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.

Read Next

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 1633 Hatch Road, Suite B, in Ceres, had three violations during an inspection on April 20, which was the result of a complaint. The complaint alleged that multiple employees did not possess current and valid food handler certifications, the drain pipes to the two-compartment sink and dishwasher are inside the floor sink, employees are not washing their hands, and that food is dropped on the floor and placed back into a plastic bucket.

Multiple employee food handler certificates and food safety certifications were unavailable at the time of inspection. An employee was observed not washing their hands between tasks. The drain pipes to the two-compartment sink and dishwasher were observed inside the floor sink without an appropriate air gap. However, food was not observed being picked up off of the ground and placed in a plastic bucket during the inspection. The complaint was partially verified.

Bob’s Coffee Shop, 6900 Hughson Ave. in Hughson, had five violations on April 21 — one of them major. Raw meat was being prepared where utensils were placed on racks to be cleaned and sanitized. The interior panel of an ice machine had grime stain buildup. An ice scoop was stored directly in the ice. The walk-in freezer had ice buildup. The facility lacked a valid Environmental Health permit.

All violations were noted as corrected on April 28.

Poke Bowl, 1015 Sperry Ave., Suite E, in Patterson, had seven violations on April 21 — three of them major. Rice in a cooker was at 131 degrees (must be 135 degrees). Eel in a walk-in refrigerator measured an internal temperature of 43 degrees (must be 41 degrees) and the fridge’s temperature was also 43 degrees. Paper towels were lacking at the front-end handwashing facility.

The cloth divider from the front-end of the facility to the back area was soiled and stained. The surface of the counter where the fryer is held was heavily soiled. The water at the three-compartment sink and preparation sink measured a maximum water temperature of 117 degrees (must be a minimum of 120 degrees). Food handler cards for all applicable employees could not be shown to the inspector.

Newman Liquor, 1361 Main St. in Newman, had four violations at the time of inspection. Pre-packaged beverages in the outside storage had dust/dirt accumulation. Shelving within both walk-in refrigerators was soiled in dust/debris. Several soiled cardboard boxes were in front of a sink. The facility lacked sanitizer test strips.

Tandoori Flame, 2345 Sperry Ave. in Patterson, had six violations on April 23 — one of them major. Raw shrimp was stored above pre-packaged fries in the walk-in freezer. Raw chicken was stored above prepackaged vegetables in the walk-in freezer. Several equipment surfaces, including the can opener, were soiled with a black substance. A sink was installed that was not disposing of liquid waste adequately. The food safety certificate and food handler cards were expired.

Salida Petro, 4530 Kiernan Ave. in Salida, had five violations on April 24 — one of them major. An employee was observed serving customers at the register and then plating a container of hot chicken for a customer, without washing their hands between tasks. A large amount of grease and food debris had accumulated on, around, and beneath the deep fryer in the kitchen. The women’s bathroom and employee bathroom lacked toilet paper in dispensers. Loose toilet paper rolls were on top of the built-in dispenser. The handwashing station in the kitchen/food preparation area lacked paper towels.

Ruby Thai Kitchen, 3401 Dale Road, Suite 435, in Modesto, had four violations on April 24. Containers of chicken were stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler. Some containers had heavy buildup and some single-use containers were re-used for other foods. The handwashing sink was obstructed.

Chevron, 1821 Mitchell Road in Ceres, had two violations — one of them major. Warm water in the bathroom was at 59 degrees (must be a minimum of 100 degrees). The facility did not possess a current health permit. The inspector wrote in the report that the facility must cease operation immediately until it obtains a current health permit.

Mandarin House Chinese Restaurant, 36 S. Third St. in Patterson, had five violations on April 28 — two of them major. Several pieces of cooked chicken were left on the counter at room temperature for more than four hours. No sanitizer buckets were available or prepared for use. Food Handlers cards and a food safety certificate could not be presented to the inspector. The mechanical exhaust ventilation hood baffle blades were soiled with grease.

Guadalajara Market, 1601 Crows Landing Road in Modesto, had eight violations on April 28 — four of them major. Employees were using a preparation sink for handwashing. The prep sink measured a maximum water temperature of 85 degrees, the three-compartment sink measured 103 degrees and the mop sink measured 111 degrees (must be a minimum of 120 degrees). A box containing corn was stored below raw fish in the walk-in freezer. A refrigerator held agua de jamaica at an internal temperature of 44 degrees.

The walk-in refrigerator shelving was soiled with a gray/black substance and had soiled cardboard for shelving. The shield in the ice machine was soiled in a green/black substance. Food handler cards were lacking.

California Burrito, 1610 W. Main St. in Turlock, had three violations on April 28. An employee was observed switching tasks without washing their hands properly. They rinsed (not washed) their hands at the three-compartment sink (not handwashing sink) and then put on gloves. A couple of live flies were observed in the food preparation area. The emergency exit door was propped open.

China Gourmet, 2401 E. Orangeburg Ave., Suite 190, in Modesto, had two major violations on April 29. A little child was running around in the kitchen and in the facility. No infants, small children or pets are allowed in kitchen. The fried chicken was at 72 degrees and was stored at room temperature.

Round Table Pizza, 102 Ward Ave., Suite A, in Patterson, had six violations on April 30 — three of them major. The hot water in the woman’s bathroom measured a maximum temperature of 75 degrees. The soap and paper towel dispensers at one handwashing sink were not operative. Another handwashing sink lacked a soap dispenser. The prep sink measured a maximum water temperature of 108 degrees. The facility lacked sanitizer test strips, a food safety certification and a permit to operate.

Save Mart, 801 Oakdale Road in Modesto, had four major violations on May 1. Chicken was stored inside the three-compartment sink. The sink was filled with dirty utensils. Chicken tenders in the hot-holding unit were at 103 to 115 degrees (must be 135 minimum). The food prep sink had a hot water temperature of 108 degrees, and then it dropped to 103 degrees. The three-compartment sink had no sanitizer.

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

Minor violations

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

No violations

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

Facility closed upon inspection

The following food facilities were not open at the time inspectors attempted an unannounced visit (this may happen when posted business hours are no longer accurate or a facility has not notified the department it is no longer in business):

Related Stories from Modesto Bee
Profile Image of Dominique Williams
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.
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER