Notes to operator: work on proper cooling of hot foods. Develop a system of cooling, using shallow pans not greater than 2" depth, do not cover until cooled, write on the container what time the food started cooling (when it dropped below 135F), and use walk-in freezer to speed-cool the foods. Do not move a cooling food into deep pans or 5 gallon buckets until the food is 41F or less.
Repair the broken door hinges on the prep table. Doors fall off when unit is opened, which is probably part of the problem with the prep table being out of temperature control.
- Critical: Hands - Preventing Contamination from Hands* (corrected on site)
Observation: Employees observed handling ready-to-eat (RTE) food with their bare hands. Waitstaff was scooping chips into the basket with his bare hands.
Correction: Provide suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment to handle RTE food to prevent contamination from hands.
- Critical: Cooling* (corrected on site) (repeated violation)
Observation: Five pans of refried beans and one pan of cooked chicken noted not being adequately cooled to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Refried beans had been prepared at 9 pm the previous night, and at 2:15 pm on the day of the inspection, beans were still 60-65F. Chicken had been cooked the day of the inspection around 12 noon, and was 103F at 2:15 pm. It is believed the chicken fell under 135F around 1:30pm, but cooling was not being monitored, and the chicken would not have reached 70F within the required 2 hours.
Correction: Cool potentially hazardous foods from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours and within a total of 6 hours from 135°F to 41°F. A longer time for cooling allows an ideal situation for bacterial growth. This has been shown to be the major contributing factor in many foodborne illnesses. All pans of refried beans were voluntarily disposed at inspection. Chicken was rapidly cooled in shallow pans placed in the walk-in freezer.
- Critical: Food - Potentially Hazardous Food - Cold Holding* (corrected on site)
Observation: Pico de gaillo, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded lettuce in prep table cold holding at improper temperatures (46F). Entire prep table was 46F.
Correction: Relocate food to a refrigeration unit that is capable of maintaining food storage at 41°F or below. Unit was turned down at inspection.
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11/16/2015 | Routine | |
Management is knowledgeable and responsive. Facility is spacious, clean, and well-run. Attention to cooling is recommended, as cooling thick masses of foods like cheese sauce and refried beans is difficult. Refrain from allowing non-working family or staff from entering kitchen.
- Critical: Cooling* (corrected on site)
Observation: Chicken broth noted not being adequately cooled to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Correction: Cool potentially hazardous foods from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours and within a total of 6 hours from 135°F to 41°F. A longer time for cooling allows an ideal situation for bacterial growth. This has been shown to be the major contributing factor in many foodborne illnesses.
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04/29/2015 | Routine | |
Kitchen areas are spacious, clean, maintained. Cooling for reuse of steam table foods at the end of the day by rapidly chilling pans in an ice bath, then covering and placing under refrigeration. Rice is disposed at days' end and is not held over. Time (4 hour max) as PHC for salsa. Owner and employees are responsive and well-versed in daily procedures. Reminder to ensure twice daily monitoring of all refrigeration units, and to check receiving temperatures of fresh, perishable products.
- Critical: Hands - Preventing Contamination from Hands* (corrected on site)
Observation: Employees observed handling ready-to-eat (RTE) food with their bare hands. Staff were plating without gloves.
Correction: Provide suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment to handle RTE food to prevent contamination from hands.
- Critical: Date Marking - Ready-to-Eat - Potentially Hazardous Food - Date Marking* (corrected on site)
Observation: The prepared ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in the prep-table cooler (sauces, sliced tomatoes) not properly dated for disposition.
Correction: Mark the name and "consume by" date on the container of RTE foods at the time of preparation if the food is to be held for more than 24 hours. If the food is held at 41°F or below the food shall be served or sold within 7 calendar days. Some harmful bacteria continue to grow even at refrigeration temperatures so limiting the amount of time in storage limits the amount of growth allowed for these bacteria.
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04/07/2014 | Routine | |
- Warewashing Machines, Sanitizer Level Indicator
Observation: The warewashing machine is not equipped with a working device to warn of low sanitizer level.
Correction: Alter or replace the warewashing machine so that an audible or visual warning is given when more chemical sanitizer needs to be added.
- Critical: Warewashing - Manual & Mechanical Warewashing Equipment, Chemical Sanitization - Temperature, pH, Concentration & Hardness* (corrected on site)
Observation: Chlorine sanitizing solution used was not at an acceptable concentration.
Correction: Adjust the chlorine sanitizing solution to a level of at least 25 parts per million when the pH is at 10 or less and the water temperature is at 120°F.
- Kitchenware and Tableware (corrected on site)
Observation: Single-service or single-use articles not handled, displayed, or dispensed so that the food- or lip-contact surfaces are protected from contamination
Correction: Handle, display, or dispense single-service and single-use articles so the food- or lip-contact surface are protected from contamination.
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03/05/2013 | Routine | |
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