Restaurant inspection update: Bugs in liquor, rodent droppings and moldy food

[RicoSuave102954]

State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past six weeks, including expired food, not-for-sale meat, rodent droppings, bugs floating in liquor bottles and moldy fruit, cheese and sausage.

One eatery was operating without a license, and another was shut down when the inspector saw the grease trap and a drain were backing up into the building.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing’s website.

I'm not surprised that about half the people on this board frequently eat at these places.


Taco Depot / La Taqueria, 3801 1st Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids –

Hong Kong Buffet, 2406 Park Ave., Muscatine –

Crouse Café, 115 Salem St., Indianola –

Samurai Sushi & Hibachi Restaurant, 7125 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines —

Hy-Vee Foods, 1300 W. Burlington St., Fairfield –

McDonald’s, 3402 S. Center St., Marshalltown –

The Palms/Fridley Theaters, 200 NE Westgate Drive, Waukee –

Great Wok/Great Teriyaki, 101 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines –

Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, 4919 Walleye Drive SE, Iowa City –

Lakeside Hotel & Casino, 777 Casino Drive, Osceola –

Pint’s River Bar, 36835 Noble Road, Guttenberg —

The Tequila Grill, 112 N. Market St., Ottumwa –

Bickford Cottage Assisted Living, 5915 Sutton Place, Urbandale –

Los Portales No. 2, 1012 E. Kimberly Road, Davenport –

Hy-Vee Foods, 1843 Johnson Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids –

Monterey Mexican Restaurant, 3138 Singing Hills Blvd., Sioux City –

A & W Drive-In, 109 E. 2nd Ave., Indianola –

Lotus Asian Bistro, 589 E. 53rd St., Davenport –

El Viejo Mexican Restaurant, 90 Twixt Town Road, Marion –

La Tapatia III, 4007 S.E. 13th St. Des Moines –

Riverside Family Restaurant No. 2, 1802 A Ave. East, Oskaloosa -

Jimmy John’s, 812 6th Ave., Grinnell –

Bickford Cottage, 3500 Lower West Branch Road, Iowa City -

Izumi Japanese Steak House, 4901 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport –

Tanganyika Grocery Store, 1217 Forest Ave., Des Moines –

Crossroads Bistro, 232 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids –

Pizza Shack, 6616 Northwest Boulevard, Davenport –

El Toreado Mexican Bar & Grill, 3751 E.P. True Parkway, West Des Moines –


Explanation of the findings for each inspection contained in the link below:

Restaurant inspection update: Bugs in liquor, rodent droppings and moldy food • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa restaurants were cited for hundreds of violations in recent weeks, including moldy food, not-for-sale meat and bugs in liquor bottles.

iowacapitaldispatch.com

 

[QChawks]

Meh

As long the food taste good

 

[RicoSuave102954]

Meh

As long the food taste good

Which is your favorite in the Quad Cities?

Los Portales No. 2, 1012 E. Kimberly Road, Davenport – During a Nov. 27 visit, a Scott County inspector found multiple food products sitting uncovered in the kitchen. In addition, guacamole was being held at 48 degrees and lettuce at 53 degrees, rather than 41 degrees or colder, and had to be discarded. Also, the inspector reported that the chile verde, prepared 20 days prior to the inspection, showed “signs of spoilage,” and that the ice machine and fountain-drink dispenser “each contained debris and gunk.”

The visit was in response to a complaint “regarding an unknown substance in the beverages that were purchased and potentially came from the ice machine and/or the fountain drink machine.” Upon investigation, the ice machine and the fountain-drink machine were found to be soiled and in need of cleaning and sanitizing. The complaint was deemed verified.


Lotus Asian Bistro, 589 E. 53rd St., Davenport – During a Dec. 5 visit, a Scott County inspector found bottles of tequila with fruit flies in them. Also, multiple sauces in the kitchen were being held at room temperature despite labels that said, “refrigerate after opening.” An employee cooking shrimp was seen touching the shrimp with their bare hands after it had been cooked and there were several issues related to improper food storage that posed a risk of cross-contamination.

In the kitchen, some food items were stored on the floor; the ice machine contained “debris and gunk,” as did the bar cooler and a draft-beer tap; a can of Raid pesticide was being stored in the waitstaff area with the fountain-drink machine; and raw chicken was left to thaw on the floor in the back room.


Izumi Japanese Steak House, 4901 Utica Ridge Road, Davenport – During a Dec. 11 visit, a Scott County inspector concluded the person in charge was unable to demonstrate knowledge of food safety principles. The inspector reported finding sauce held at room temperature when the label stated it was to be refrigerated after opening; there was a bottle of liquor in the bar that had “floating fruit flies” inside of it; and a kitchen employee was handling ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands.

Also, one cooler in the kitchen was keeping food at 47 degrees, necessitating the disposal of all the food within it. The cooler was also marred by “excessive debris and gunk,” as were the ice machine and the knives that were stored on knife racks. Fryer cabinets, the floor below the fryers, the fans in the walk-in cooler and the ventilation hoods were all marred by “dust, debris and gunk,” the inspector reported.

Pizza Shack, 6616 Northwest Boulevard, Davenport – During a Nov. 21 visit, a Scott County inspector cited this establishment for 10 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. Among the issues: The restaurant had no certified food protection manager on staff; the person in charge was not monitoring food temperatures or ensuring that food-contact surfaces were kept clean, and various food items in the walk-in cooler were measured at 45 to 46 degrees, which resulted in some items being discarded.

Also, there was no solution on hand to sanitize food-contact surfaces; the shelving inside the walk-in cooler was marred by an excess buildup of grime, and buckets that were being used to contain food products in the walk-in cooler were “soiled with mold-like spots,” the inspector reported.

The inspector also observed that the restaurant had no thermometer on the premises to measure the internal temperature of food, and there were “mouse-like droppings found throughout the facility.” The walls were marred by several holes and by an “excess buildup of gunk and grime,” the inspector added.

The last routine inspection of the restaurant was conducted in July 2022.