Vodka behind pizza boxes: Health inspectors close 5 Lexington restaurants, cite 27 more
Lexington health inspectors were busy recently, closing five restaurants over the two months for failing inspections and putting more than 25 on probation.
But the good news is at least 40 restaurants came off the probation list in that time frame.
Sakura on Winchester Road, El Sabroso, Pro Shakes Nutrition, Swift 1 on Augusta Drive and China Kitchen were all closed at least temporarily. Here are the details, according to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department inspection reports:
▪ Sakura, 1015 Winchester Road, known for its half-price sushi, was closed on Oct. 11 after scoring 59 on inspection. There were multiple priority items that could not be remedied during the inspection, according to the health department. The restaurant has changed owners and reopened after scoring 94 on Oct. 17 but remains on probation.
▪ El Sabroso, 1445 Village Dr., was closed after an inspection found live roaches on Oct. 8. The restaurant reopened after a follow-up inspection on Oct. 17 that scored 97.
▪ Pro Shakes Nutrition, 340 E. New Circle Rd., was closed for not having their inspection placard posted (the establishment was cited with a Notice to Correct two weeks prior for the same violation.) They were re-opened following an application for re-instatement.
▪ At Swift 1, formerly the Valero at 1875 August Drive, the convenience store was first placed on probation then closed after it failed a follow-up inspection on Oct. 22. It reopened the next day after passing a reinspection, according to the health department.
▪ China Kitchen, 3094 Richmond Road, was closed Oct. 24 by the health department, according to Skip Castleman, environmental health coordinator. The restaurant, which was already on probation, scored 57, mandating closure. Among the issues the inspector noted last month were unhygienic practices, foods not kept hot or cold enough for safety, no hot water and the inspection placard was not posted. The establishment is required to attend a conference with the health department due to having a score below 60 and reopening will be discussed then, Castleman said. It remained closed as of mid-November.
Meanwhile, the health department placed at least 27 more restaurants and other food service establishments on probation between Aug. 26 and Oct. 24.
Since 2015, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has placed restaurants and food service providers on probation when they fail an inspection with a score of 84 or lower, or when they have a critical violation or priority item that cannot be immediately remedied.
Critical violations and priority items are those deemed by the Food & Drug Administration to have the highest potential to affect the public health adversely, such as a lack of hand-washing or improper dish sanitizing.
Restaurants on probation are inspected three times a year instead of two; the increased scrutiny is designed to catch potential health hazards, said Luke Mathis, team leader for environmental health.
Inspections are a snapshot of a restaurant or food-service establishment at a particular time but the health department uses the probation list to target those places most likely to pose a health risk.
Restaurants come off probation after they pass two consecutive regular inspections without any critical violations.
All of Lexington’s food service establishments, from daycares to hospitals to grocery stores to restaurants, are inspected at least twice a year and most pass without significant problems. More than 450 scored a perfect 100 in the last six months.
But there are currently more than 150 establishments, about 10 percent of the city’s 1,500, on the health department probation list. Here are the latest additions:
Lexington restaurants added to probation
▪ Bluegrass Catering, 903 Manchester Street, Suite 110, was placed on probation on Oct. 7 after scoring 83. The inspector found expired food; food stored uncovered; food not date marked; improper sanitizing; dirty surfaces; plumbing, floors and ceilings in poor repair with multiple leaks observed; and a “large number of flies” by laundry area and mop sink.
▪ Bluesky BP, 3334 Clays Mill Road, was placed on probation on Sept. 5 after scoring 75. The inspector found that employees couldn’t wash their hands; men’s toilet didn’t flush; there were rodent droppings on shelves under the drink machine; and there store was also selling expired over-the-counter medication and dented cans. The convenience store has since been demolished.
▪ D’s Cafe, 1818 Bryan Station Road, was placed on probation on Oct. 15 after scoring 89. The inspector found food not date marked; employee not wearing hair restraint in food prep area; dirty dishes stored with clean ones; dirty surfaces, including kitchen equipment, and more.
▪ El Sabroso, 1445 Village Drive, was closed briefly and placed on probation on Oct. 8 after scoring 84. The inspector found live roaches; food stored uncovered; improper sanitizing; plumbing in poor repair; and more.
▪ Embassy Suites Lexington, 1801 Newtown Pike, was placed on probation on Oct. 3 after scoring 77. The inspector found employees eating, drinking or smoking in unauthorized areas; personal items throughout the kitchen prep area; no way to dry hands at sink; expired dairy at the bar; food stored uncovered; improperly sanitizing; dirty surfaces and floors; food not date marked; eggs thawing in standing water; and clean utensils stored in dirty containers.
▪ Homewood Suites, 249 Ruccio Way, was placed on probation on Sept. 9 despite scoring 92. The inspector found employee drinks, cellphones and other items stored on food prep areas; dishwasher not sanitizing properly; dirty floors, walls and ceiling; and more.
▪ LaFayette at Country Place, 690 Mason Headley Road, was placed on probation on Sept. 16, after scoring 77. The inspector noted hands not washed properly; bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods; food stored uncovered; improper sanitizing; dirty surfaces and more.
▪ Lexington Country Club, 2550 Paris Pike, was placed on probation again on Sept. 10 after scoring 72. The inspector noted the person in charge was not knowledgeable of regulations; employee observed handling ready-to-eat food bare-handed; hand sinks blocked by brooms and dust pans and lacking paper towels; cloth napkins used to dry raw chicken; improper sanitizing of dishes and wiping cloths; imitation crab thawing in standing water; beef stock in cooler not properly labeled; dirty equipment, including slicer; flies in the kitchen and more.
▪ McDonald’s, 1114 East New Circle Road, was placed on probation Sept. 3 after scoring 82. The inspector noted the dishwasher in disrepair and not properly sanitizing; a chemical spray bottle with no lid stored above hamburger buns; an employee headset stored on a serving tray; managers not wearing hair restraints in kitchen; spoons stored dirty; dirty surfaces including microwaves, dairy machines, floor in kitchen and cooler; and multiple flies throughout the kitchen.
▪ McDonald’s, 2359 Richmond Road, was placed on probation Oct. 3 despite scoring 96. But the inspector found flies and gnats in the food prep area; and dirty kitchen equipment and floors.
▪ Mini Mart & Deli Grocery, 3527 Lansdowne Drive, was placed on probation on Oct. 18 after scoring 83 for food service and for retail. The inspector found the handwashing sink used to wash drink nozzles; expired milk and bacon; eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods; and improper sanitizing. Expired food was destroyed.
▪ Minit Mart, 2300 Versailles Road, was placed on probation on Sept. 18 after scoring 88 for food service and 98 for retail. The food contact surfaces not properly sanitized; foods not held at hot enough temperatures for safety and more.
▪ Pro Shakes Nutrition, 340 East New Circle Road, was closed briefly and placed on probation on Sept. 3 after scoring 80. The inspector noted that the food manager did not demonstrate knowledge of proper food safety principles; they did not have their inspection placard posted; food service employee observed multiple times not washing hands before prepping food and there were no gloves to use; employee observed rinsing hands in three-compartment sink (meant for washing dishes); employee observed slicing fruit with bare hands; no paper towels at the hand sink in prep area; food stored uncovered in refrigerator or not properly labeled; and produce not washed prior to slicing, among other things.
▪ Rally’s, 4171 Tates Creek Centre Drive, was placed on probation on Oct. 23 after scoring 85. Multiple employees not washing hands between tasks or regloving; improper sanitizing; chemical bottles not labeled; dirty equipment, including the grill, which had a build-up of grease, and more.
▪ Sakura, 1015 Winchester Road, was closed and placed on probation again on Oct. 11 after scoring 59. The inspector found the certified food manager didn’t demonstrate proper food safety knowledge; no employee health policy provided; multiple personal devices and employee food on food prep surfaces; a cigarette butt with produce in storage area; employee not washing hands after smoking and handling personal drinks; improper gloving; multiple dented cans; improper sanitizing; cooked chicken not kept cold enough; refrigerator not cold enough; dirty kitchen equipment; salvage grease on the ground; stagnant water on floor in the kitchen, and more.
▪ Sakura Japanese at 3695 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on probation on Sept. 19 after scoring 88. The inspector noted food not properly covered in the kitchen and cooling unit; raw fish and other meats stored above ready-to-eat vegetables; consumer advisory not properly displayed for dine-in patrons; food no labeled; wiping cloths improperly stored on food contact surfaces; knives wedged between wall and equipment; and equipment dirty.
▪ Sir Pizza, 131 East Reynolds Rd., was placed on probation on Sept. 9 after scoring 80. The inspector found vodka hidden behind pizza box liners; no paper towels at the hand sink; moldy and broken raw eggs and dented cans; thawed ham not date marked; food not in original containers; employees without hair restraints; duct tape on a spatula; a can opener with excessive build-up; dirty microwave, beverage nozzles, equipment, shelves and men’s toilet; and flying insects observed by soda boxes and mop sink.
▪ Sonic, 1026 South Broadway, was placed on probation on Sept. 30 after scoring 84. Food had to be discarded because ice from condensate had formed on uncovered items. The inspector also found improper sanitizing; dirty three-compartment sink, equipment, freezers and toilet facilities; employee backpack improperly stored on single service boxes, and more.
▪ Speedway, 515 Euclid Ave., was placed on probation on Oct. 17 after scoring 86 for food service and 88 for retail. The inspector found personal food, drinks and keys stored above food prep; employee eating at cash register near food prep; employee observed not washing hands between tasks or between changing gloves; lack of hair restraints; dirty microwave; and flying insects throughout the store and in the men’s bathroom.
▪ Super Mario’s Ice Cream, 340 East New Circle Road, was placed on probation on Sept. 30 despite scoring 94. But the inspector found no hot running water in the restroom; restroom door is not self-closing/latching; and personal items stored on a prep surface.
▪ Swift 1 (former Valero), 1875 August Drive, was placed on probation on Sept. 30 after scoring 79 for food service and for retail. The inspector noted flies, both dead and alive; unlabeled sausage; expired eggs; improperly cooled jambalaya; raw meats improperly stored; employee not wearing hair/beard restraint in food prep area; employee drinks and food stored improperly on shelves and in reach-in coolers; no trash cans by handwashing stations; dirty surfaces, floors, walls and equipment. On the retail side, the inspector also found expired over-the-counter medications for sale. It was shortly closed after it failed a follow-up inspection on Oct. 22.
▪ T.G.I.Friday’s, 1916 Pavilion Way, was placed on probation on Oct. 16 after scoring 84. The inspector noted a dirty hand sink; expired “liquid egg product;” food not date marked; dirty dishes stored with clean; dirty surfaces, ovens, microwaves, floors and equipment, and more.
▪ Veterans Park Elementary, 4351 Clearwater Way, was placed on probation on Oct. 7 after scoring 84. The inspector found an employee bottled drink and lotion stored on food prep area; multiple employees seen not washing hands between tasks or re-gloving; hand sink without paper towels; turkey thawing at room temperature; multiple bags in the walk-in cooler unlabeled; multiple food trays unclean; and cracks in walls and the wall behind the sink near the dishwasher unclean and in poor repair.
▪ Wendy’s, 2296 Thunderstick Dr., was placed on probation on Sept. 20 despite scoring 92. The inspector found the dish machine not sanitizing; sanitizer buckets not labeled; and food not covered, among other things.
▪ Wildcat Market, 552 Columbia Ave., was placed on probation on Oct. 7 after scoring 82 for food service and 93 for retail. The inspector found food stored in oven cleaner bucket; cookies in unmarked bucket; personal drinks stored near cooking utensils; hand sink not easily accessible, or with paper towels; raw beef and eggs on same shelf over ready-to-eat foods; food not labeled and date marked; dirty microwave, toilet, floors; and more.
▪ Wow, formerly Skyline BP, 1065 Newtown Pike, was placed on probation on Sept. 12 after scoring 79 for food service and 87 for retail. The inspector found employee items stored on food prep surfaces; hands not washed properly; food stored uncovered; food not date-marked; lack of accurate thermometers; no hair/beard restraints; improper sanitizing; dirty shelves, containers and utensils; and dirty floors, walls and ceiling.
▪ Zen Sushi, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, was placed on probation on Sept. 25 despite scoring 92. The inspector noted food not clearly date marked; rice at room temperature; and more.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Vodka behind pizza boxes: Health inspectors close 5 Lexington restaurants, cite 27 more."
