Dangerous pork, signs of mice: More Lexington restaurants put on probation

Nine more Lexington restaurants were added to the health department’s probation list as of mid-September. The health issues ranged from pork stored at an unsafe temperature and signs of mice, to flies and dirty surfaces.

Proper restaurant hygiene practices are critical to preventing the spread of food-borne illness, such as norovirus, which sickened more than 300 people this summer in Lexington, according to the health department.

So the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department places food service establishments on probation if they score 84 or below on an inspection or have a critical violation that can’t be immediately remedied. Being on probation means a stepped-up inspection schedule, with three inspections a year instead of two. Restaurants come off probation after passing two regular inspections in a row with no critical violations.

Critical violations relate to issues with the greatest potential to harm public health, such as improper hand washing or sanitizing of dishes. With the number of hepatitis A cases in Lexington doubling in the last month, food safety has become a hot-button issue for many.

As of mid-September, there were 111 restaurants and food service establishments on the probation list, which has been updated to reflect that three places are no longer on probation: Critchfield Meats, Papa John’s Pizza on Harrodsburg and Sahara.

The Herald-Leader plans to update the list periodically with information provided by the health department inspectors. A database of restaurant inspection scores is available online.

Here are the restaurants placed on probation between mid-August and mid-September, with a summary of the inspection report:

A Taste of India, 2467 Nicholasville Road, was placed on probation after an Aug. 30 inspection that scored 92 but found a couple of critical violations and other issues, including:

Ceiling tiles unclean and in poor repair; dishwasher not properly sanitizing; and no certified food manager on duty at time of inspection.

Denny’s, 188 Newtown Pike, was put on probation after a Sept. 11 inspection that rated a 72, with at least three critical violations, and other issues, including:

Employee observed gloving and not washing hands prior; employees preparing food not wearing hair restraints; interior/exterior of equipment unclean (reach-in coolers, shelving, equipment handles); flies present in washroom and at mop sink; floors unclean (under equipment, freezers); walls and ceilings unclean and in poor repair; mop stored in dirty mop water.

Mad Mushroom of UK, 561 South Broadway, was placed on probation after a Sept. 6 inspection that scored 90 but had two critical violations and other issues, including;

An employee eating, drinking, and smoking in an unauthorized area; certified food manager not present; floors not clean; and walls and ceiling not clean.

Shell-Estepp’s Food Mart Deli, 1951 Stanton Way, was placed on probation after an Aug. 20 inspection that scored 84 noted:

Potentially hazardous pork stored at unsafe temperature (76 degrees); multiple unclean surfaces (countertops, interior of cabinets, ice dispensers, dairy machines, microwave); single-service items stored in unclean containers; restrooms unclean; multiple flies observed; floor unclean and in poor repair; walls unclean; fans with excessive dust build-up stored in kitchen.

Springhill Suites, 863 South Broadway, was placed on probation after a Sept. 10 inspection that scored a 96 but found a critical violation:

The dishwasher wasn’t sanitizing properly.

Thai Street Food Kitchen, 3340 Clays Mill Road, was placed on probation after an Aug. 21 inspection rated a score of 83 and found a couple of critical violations and other issues, including:

Food improperly stored; personal items stored on food prep surfaces (phones, medicine, keys, etc.); hair restraints not worn by food service employees; no sanitizer bucket set up; no sanitizer in dish machine; wiping cloths improperly stored; knives improperly stored; and outside dumpster doors not closed and secured against pests.

Thornton’s Food Stop, 2291 Elkhorn Road, was placed on probation after an Aug. 21 inspection that scored 92 but found a critical violation and several other issues including:

Interior of cabinet and drawers unclean; hand sink blocked by trash can; evidence of mice observed (interior of drawer with cappuccino mix); and the floor in poor repair in the kitchen.

Waffle House, 153 Patchen Drive, was placed on probation after an Aug. 31 inspection that scored 94 but found a critical violation and other issues, including:

Dishwasher not sanitizing properly; dishes not allowed to air dry prior to stacking; and cloths in use not stored in sanitizer solution.

Walker’s (aka Bozlie’s), 400 Old Vine Street, No. 108, was put on probation after an Aug. 15 inspection that scored 84, with several critical violations, including:

Potential unsafe food storage; flying insects in dry storage; no consumer advisory on brunch menu or front side of lunch menu (on raw or undercooked foods); personal drinks stored on food prep surface; personal food on food prep surface.

This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 11:38 AM with the headline "Dangerous pork, signs of mice: More Lexington restaurants put on probation."