Inspections: Vomiting McDonald’s worker, roaches at Fayette Mall food court restaurant
Food safety never takes a holiday: Lexington’s restaurant inspectors placed more than 50 restaurants on probation just before Halloween and Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a variety of priority violations.
Common violations, according to the reports, were:
▪ Not demonstrating food safety knowledge, which should include having a policy for employees to report food-borne illnesses and to stay home when infectious;
▪ No certified food manager on duty;
▪ Improperly sanitizing surfaces, dishes and cooking equipment;
▪ Not using proper hand-washing and gloving techniques;
▪ Not date-marking food so restaurants can know when it is no longer safe;
▪ And not keeping hot foods hot enough and cold foods cold enough.
The inspectors call 41 degrees to 135 degrees “the danger zone” that allows pathogens to flourish, so restaurants must be vigilant with checking temperatures, said Skip Castleman, environmental health coordinator for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Among the 54 restaurants added to the probation list was the McDonald’s near the intersection of Nicholasville Rd. and Man o’War Boulevard for a vomiting incident by an employee witnessed by the inspector.
Evidence of roaches and rodents were cited at several Lexington restaurants as well, including the Fayette Mall food court and an ice cream store in Hamburg.
Luke Mathis, environmental health team leader, said that restaurants on probation are still safe to eat at “or we would have closed them.”
No restaurants were closed from Oct. 23 and Jan. 24, although one has been shut down since then for mice: Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, 2500 Polo Club Boulevard, was shut down on Feb. 4 for eradication and decontamination. It has since reopened.
During the same time period 38 dining establishments were taken off the probation list.
Inspections are a snapshot of a restaurant or food-service establishment at a particular time but Mathis said the probation list allows inspectors to target places most likely to be a risk for public health.
“We’ve identified things of concern to watch,” he said. Most restaurants that land on the list move quickly to address concerns and then come off, he said.
As of late last month, there were 172 restaurants or food service providers on the health department’s probation list.
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, Mathis said.
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. Last year, hundreds scored a perfect 100, many more than once.
But currently more than 10 percent of the city’s 1,500 restaurants or food service establishments are on the health department probation list. Here are the latest additions:
Lexington restaurants added to probation
▪ AFC Sushi at Kroger, 1650 Bryan Station Rd., was placed on probation on Dec. 12 despite scoring 93. The inspector noted the person in charge did not demonstrate food safety knowledge; food was not time stamped; and in-use food dispensing utensils were handle-down in product, among other things.
▪ Athenian Grill, 313 South Ashland Ave., was placed on probation on Nov. 11 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted personal items were stored on food storage shelf; medicine was stored above food prep area; paper towels were not accessible at handwashing sink; multiple food items were stored over 24 hours not date marked; unlabeled cleaner spray in bathroom; and employee not washing hands before donning gloves, among other things.
▪ Athenian Grill, 115 North Locust Hill Dr., was placed on probation on Dec. 5 despite scoring 91. The inspector noted there was no certified food manager on duty; unlabeled spray bottles; sanitizer bucket was stored on food prep surface; clean utensils were in unclean bins; faucet of three-compartment sink was in poor repair and a floor drain cover was missing.
▪ Beaumont Shell, 961 Midnight Pass, was placed on probation on Jan. 14 despite scoring 89 for food service and 92 for retail. The inspector noted person in charge didn’t demonstrate food safety knowledge; improper sanitizing; no hair/beard restraints where required; utensils were stored in dirty containers; and dirty surfaces, floors, walls and ceiling.
▪ Blue Reef Sushi & Grill, 1080 South Broadway, was placed on probation on Jan. 15 after scoring 88. The inspector noted expired dairy; improper thawing of beef and shrimp; improper sanitizing; multiple utensils were in stagnant water; single service items were being re-used; and dirty kitchen walls, among other things.
▪ Campus Pub, 393 Waller Ave., was placed on probation on Dec. 16 despite scoring 93. The inspector noted the dishwasher was not sanitizing dishes; and equipment, shelves, floors and walls were dirty, among other things.
▪ Cocktails TOO, or Cocktails of Lexington II, 130 West Tiverton Way, was placed on probation on Oct. 31 despite scoring 95. The inspector found the warewashing machine improperly sanitizing.
▪ Coldstone Creamery, 2337 Sir Barton Way, was placed on probation on Oct. 29 after scoring 88. The inspector found roaches; food improperly stored, including on the floor; no hair restraints; equipment in poor repair; dirty surfaces; and employee clothing or possessions not stored properly, among other things.
▪ Creaux, 310 West Short St., was placed on probation on Dec. 5 after scoring 85. The inspector noted improper handwashing; no soap at lavatory or hand washing sink, and hand washing sink was not accessible; expired dairy; ready-to-eat food was subject to contamination by raw meat; thermometers were missing from deep freezers in basements; no hair/beard restraints where required; and dirty surfaces and floors.
▪ Dixie Magnet Elementary School, 1940 Eastland Parkway, was placed on probation on Oct. 24 despite scoring 94. The inspector noted wiping cloths were not stored in sanitizer; a cucumber slicer was not properly cleaned and sanitized; an electrical outlet was hanging off the wall; and the dishwasher was malfunctioning, not reaching 180 degrees consistently, and therefore not properly sanitizing the dishes.
▪ Domino’s Pizza, 3101 Clays Mill Rd., was placed on probation on Jan. 8 after scoring 89. The inspector noted no certified food manager; unsanitary practices including employee food and beverage were stored on food prep surface; no disposable hand towels at sink in restroom; and dirty shelves and floor, among other issues.
▪ El Gran Tako, 1801 Alexandria Dr., was placed on probation on Jan. 13 after socring 87. The inspector noted dated paperwork for oysters was missing; cooked beef and bulk rice were not properly covered; improper sanitizing; knives were stored in standing water; many glasses were stored dirty and in contact with soiled cardboard; and the floors were dirty.
▪ El Malecon Restaurant, 481 West New Circle Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 25 despite scoring 93. The inspector noted improper sanitizing, among other things.
▪ El Sabor De Mexico Restaurant, 1505 Russell Cave Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 22 after scoring 79. The inspector noted no employee health policy; unsanitary practices including employees eating, drinking and smoking in unaurthorized areas and employee drinks on food prep tables; improper sanitizing of dishes; potentially unsafe foods; gloves not properly used and hands not washed when changing gloves; and surfaces and floors were dirty, among other things.
▪ F&D Market, 573 Elm Tree Ln., was placed on probation on Jan. 17 after scoring 71 for food service and 94 for retail. The inspector noted unhygienic practices including personal items (cell phones and a recorder musical instrument) stored on the same shelf as food; employees not properly washing hands; hand sink without paper towels or soap; a spoiled basket of peppers and tomatoes; open raw bacon near ready-to-eat food; soiled single-service items contaminated with food; food improperly stored; lemon-scented bleach improperly used for sanitizing; potentially unsafe food; and dirty surfaces, among other things.
▪ Freshii, 680 Rose St., was placed on probation on Nov. 7 despite scoring 97. The inspector found flies in the kitchen near the mop sink and food prep area.
▪ Garden Springs Child Development Center, 2033 Garden Springs Dr., was placed on probation on Nov. 15 despite scoring 94. The inspector noted the hand washing sink was not accessible because dishes and toys were stored there; surfaces were dirty; sewage and waste water not disposed of in an approved manner; no mop sink in facility; and there was litter on premises.
▪ Good Foods Market & Cafe, 455 Southland Dr., was placed on probation on Dec. 6 despite scoring 88 on food service and 95 on retail. The inspector noted there were rodent droppings in back storage area near bulk bags of food (food items not compromised at time of inspection); sanitizer buckets were stored next to single-service/bulk items; bulk food items and oil bottles were not labeled; clean items were stored in unclean containers; and dirty equipment, shelves, floors and walls.
▪ Griffith Supermarket, 427 East Sixth St., was placed on probation on Oct. 29 after scoring 78. The inspector noted that the person in charge did not demonstrate food safety knowledge; there were no paper towels for the lavatory hand sink; meats were not separated by type based on minimum cook temperature; food contact surfaces were not cleaned and sanitized; lack of accurate thermometers in refrigeration/freezer units storing food; meats cut at the facility for retail sale lacked appropriate labels; dirty linen was improperly stored in the three-compartment sink; equipment was in poor repair; dirty surfaces, equipment, floors, walls, ceilings; litter on premises; and flies in and around the mop sink, among other issues.
▪ Hilton Lexington Downtown, 369 West Vine St., was placed on probation on Dec. 30 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted that ready-to-eat food was subject to contamination by raw animal product; dishwasher in bar was not sanitizing; in-use-food dispensing utensils were not properly stored; and there were dirty surfaces, floors, walls and ceiling.
▪ Jasmine Rice Thai Restaurant, 911 Winchester Rd., was placed on probation on Dec. 6 after scoring 82. The inspector noted a personal drink stored next to food in kitchen; food improperly stored on floor and uncovered; lack of accurate thermometers; hair restraint were not worn in kitchen; improper sanitizing; dirty utensils were stored with clean; there dirty surfaces throughout, including floors; and mop sink had no faucet or running water.
▪ Horseshoes Saloon & Steakhouse, 1987 North Broadway, was placed on probation on Jan. 8 after scoring 88. The inspector found rodent droppings throughout the establishment on shelving and on floors; there were drain flies in the bar area; no paper towels at the hand sink in bar; unsanitary practices including employees handling food without hair restraints and an employee leaving while wearing an apron; single-use containers were being re-used; and equipment, shelves, floors, walls and toilet in employee restroom unclean.
▪ Jet’s Pizza, 1030 South Broadway, was placed on probation on Jan. 14 after scoring 74. The inspector noted there was no certified food manager present; no employee health reporting agreement; unhygienic practices including employee personal food and drinks on prep sink and employee clothing on pizza boxes; an employee was observed coughing into wiping cloth and placing it on prep sink and prep table; the employee did not wash hands after covering mouth with hands while coughing; improper sanitizing; dirty equipment and more.
▪ Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant, 1060 Chinoe Road Plaza, was placed on probation on Oct. 31 after scoring 85. The inspector noted the person in charge did not demonstrate food safety knowledge; there were dented cans; dishes were not sanitized properly; wiping clothswere not stored in sanitizer; dirty shelves and hood; and employee drinks stored improperly.
▪ King of Food, 208 Legends Ln., was placed on probation on Jan. 8 after scoring 83. The inspector noted there was no certified food manager present; food including raw chicken, beef and pork improperly stored above vegetables; food stored uncovered in freezer; improper sanitizing; employee working without hair restraint in food prep area; equipment, including bulk food bins, dirty, among other things.
▪ King Tut International Grocery & Market, 198 Moore Dr., was placed on probation on Dec. 4 after scoring 87. The inspector noted food stored on the floor; cutting bands and bandsaw were not cleaned and sanitized; three-compartment sink not properly maintained and dirty; no toilet paper in restroom; floors and walls dirty, among other things.
▪ La Princesa Super Marcado, 1430 Village Dr., was placed on probation on Dec. 10 after scoring 88. The inspector noted no food manager was present; no hand towels or dryer at lavatory or hand sink; raw animal foods not separated by type based on minimum cook temperatures; food not properly date marked; improper sanitizing; in-use food dispensing utensils not properly stored; surfaces dirty; and ready-to-eat food subject to contamination by raw.
▪ Lexington Tennis Club snackbar, 410 Redding Rd., was placed on probation despite scoring 93. The inspector found no food manager certificate and the person in charge not present; personal items were on same shelf as cut fruit for the bar; the pizza slicer was stored dirty and more.
▪ McDonald’s, 100 Market Place Dr., was placed on probation on Oct. 23 despite scoring 89. The inspector noted the restaurant did not have response procedures for employees with vomiting and/or diarrheal events. While there, the inspector saw an employee vomiting into the trash can beside the three-compartment sink. Also there was no sanitizer in the wiping cloth buckets; not all food service employees were wearing hair restraints; cups, lids and other single-service items were stored on the floor; and the walls above the three-compartment sink were unclean, as were the floors behind the drink station.
▪ Marriott Residence Inn, 2688 Pink Pigeon Way, was placed on probation on Oct. 31 despite scoring 91. The inspector noted there was no food manager on duty; strawberries were contaminated by condensation was dripping onto them; and employee items were improperly stored, among other things.
▪ Nefertiti, 1301 Winchester Rd., was placed on probation on Dec. 9 despite scoring 87. The inspector noted food, including lamb, chicken and beef, not date/time marked; there was a lack of accurate thermometers; improper food storage; improper sanitizing; dirty surfaces, and walls; and employee clothing and possessions not properly stored.
▪ Orange Leaf, 3090 Helmsdale Place, was placed on probation on Dec. 6 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted no certified food manager was present; there no employee health policy; no hair restraints where required; equipment in poor repair, including the seals on the frozen yogurt machines; surfaces and floors dirty. (The restaurant has since closed.)
▪ New Sushi Express, 455 Southland Dr., inside Good Foods Co-op, was placed on probation on Dec. 6 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted improper gloving; chemical sanitizer buckets stored near single service items; raw food stored in a grocery bag, among other items.
▪ Papa John’s, 3735 Harrodsburg Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 12 after scoring 88. The inspector noted no food manager was present; personal items were stored next to food product; no paper towels at hand sink; improper sanitizing; lack of accurate thermometers in food refrigeration/freezer units; and litter on premises.
▪ Papa John’s, 400 Hilltop, was placed on probation on Nov. 13 despite scoring 97. The inspector noted a dirty pizza slicer and “excessive drain flies” in the kitchen.
▪ P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, 3405 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on probation on Jan. 9 after scoring 83. The inspector noted an employee not washing hands after using a personal phone; there was potentially unsafe food, including produce, eggs and cooked chicken not at proper temperatures; no hair/beard restraints where required; improper sanitizing; a dirty wiping cloth was stored in a rice cooker; in-use food utensils were stored in stagnant water; dirty surfaces, including interior of cooking equipment, among other issues.
▪ Puccini’s Pizza, 833 Chevy Chase, was placed on probation on Nov. 7 after scoring 83. The inspector noted personal items were on a food prep surface and above food prep; an employee handled cut tomatoes on salad with bare hands; the employee did not wash hands after bare hand contact with food and before putting on gloves; and shelves and equipment dirty.
▪ Revive Life House, 185 Elm Tree Ln., was placed on probation on Nov. 19 after scoring 87. The inspector noted there was no certified food manager; personal food was stored improperly in refrigerator; expired dairy; leftovers kept longer than seven days; food not kept cold enough; food not date marked; and food improperly thawed.
▪ Santa Fe Taqueria, 2350 Woodhill Dr., was placed on probation on Nov. 21 despite scoring 92. The inspector noted evidence of rodents; hand washing sink was not accessible; potentially unsafe food was not kept cold enough; and hair restraints were not worn while preparing food, among other things.
▪ Sbarro’s Italian Eatery at Fayette Mall, 3473 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 20 after scoring 91. The inspector saw live roaches in the front serving area under hot holding units; there was no certified food manager on duty; and there was dirty equipment, shelves, ice bucket, floors and ceiling.
▪ The S.E.C., 4379 Old Harrodsburg Rd., was placed on probation on Dec. 18 after scoring 84. The inspector noted there was no food manager present; hands were not washed properly; raw meat was not separated by type based on minimum cook temperatures; food was stored uncovered and not date marked; there was a lack of accurate thermometers; gloves were not used properly; improper sanitizing; and dirty surfaces in kitchen.
▪ Smart Beez Learning Center, 435 Southland Dr., was placed on probation on Oct. 22 despite scoring 96. The inspector noted there were rodent droppings in the kitchen.
▪ Speedway, 1401 Leestown Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 25 after scoring 77 for food service and 88 for retail. The inspector noted burrito filling in the cooler was out of date; other food product was not properly date marked; paper towels were on the floor; surfaces were dirty; a cooler was dripping condensation on food; there were drain flies throughout establishment; and potentially unsafe food was not kept hot enough, among other things.
▪ Speedway, 803 South Broadway, was placed on probation on Jan. 14 after scoring 80 on food service and on retail. The inspector found rodent droppings throughout the establishment, especially in the storage area; there were roaches by the hand washing sink; there was no certified food manager present; employees were eating, drinking or smoking in unauthorized area; food and/or ice was adulterated or contaminated; food-contact surfaces were not cleaned and sanitized; food was stored on floor; clean utensils were in unclean containers; single-service items were on ground; and surfaces, floors, walls and ceiling were dirty.
▪ Speedway, 3660 Boston Rd., was placed on probation on Jan. 22 after scoring 88 for both food service and retail. The inspector noted there was no vomit and fecal clean-up kit; there was no illness reporting policy; the three-compartment sink was dirty and not properly maintained; shelves and walls were dirty, among other things. And window washing fluid and other chemicals were stored next to food product in the retail area.
▪ Super Mercado Aquacalientes, 2220 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on probation Nov. 12 after scoring 77 for food service and 79 for retail. The inspector noted the person in charge lacked food managers certificate; personal items (drinks and a lighter) were stored above food; an employee did not wash hands before putting on gloves; pork rinds were not covered; prepared food was not date marked, over 24 hours old; chemicals were stored above food and on food boxes; improper sanitizing; dirty equipment; and food stored in mop closet, among other things.
▪ Taco Bell, 1935 Plaudit Place, was placed on probation Jan. 14 after scoring 86. The inspector noted employee personal items over food prep area; bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food; hand washing sink was not accessible; unlabeled food; and employees working behind the counter without hair restraints, among other issues.
▪ Taza, 543 South Limestone, was placed on probation Jan. 13 after scoring 77. The inspector found mouse droppings in cabinets; the person in charge didn’t demonstrate food safety knowledge; there was an employee/manager smoking a cigarette in the kitchen and a personal drink was stored on a food prep surface; an employee did not wash hands prior to gloving; items were stored in hand washing sink; potentially unsafe food including ready-to-eat foods were stored below raw eggs and food stored in non-food-grade bags; improper sanitizing; in-use utensils were stored in stagnant water; and the shelves, cabinets, floor and wall dirty.
▪ Thriftway Food Mart, 299 Sherman Ave., was place on probation Nov. 13 despite scoring 93. The inspector noted that food was being prepared in the establishment without a permitted kitchen; personal food was improperly stored; and commercially canned or packaged products were improperly labeled, among other things.
▪ Thoroughbred Restaurant, 1483 Leestown Rd., was placed on probation Nov. 1 after scoring 82. The inspector noted the person in charge did not demonstrate food safety knowledge and there was no certified food manager present; personal cups and items were stored on food prep surfaces in the kitchen; there was no consumer advisory for raw/undercooked food; there was a lack of accurate thermometers in all refrigeration/freezer units; soiled wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer buckets; and equipment surfaces, floor, walls and ceiling not clean, among other things.
▪ Waffle House, 2203 North Broadway, was placed on probation on Dec. 6 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted there was no certified food manager present; personal items were in the kitchen prep area; food was not properly date marked; improper sanitizing; and dirty surfaces.
▪ White Castle, 307 East New Circle Rd., was placed on probation Dec. 5 after scoring 82. The inspector noted there was no employee health policy; open top drinks and food were stored improperly in walk-in coolers; improper sanitizing; no time stamp on room-temperature foods; no hair/beard restraints where required; dirty surfaces and floor; and there was no hot water at three-compartment or prep sink, among other things.
▪ The Willows at Hamburg (Legacy), 2531 Old Rosebud Rd., was placed on probation on Dec. 13 despite scoring 90. The inspector noted there were no trash cans by hand sinks; the dishwasher was not properly sanitizing; wiping cloths were not sanitized; and plumbing at three-compartment sink in poor repair.
▪ Zaxby’s, 531 West New Circle Rd., was placed on probation on Nov. 21 after scoring 81. The inspector noted there was no employee health policy; employee items (including a phone charger) were in the food prep area; employees were not washing hands between tasks and regloving; there were no hand towels at the hand washing sink in fry area; food product was stored on floor in freezer; knives were improperly stored under cooking equipment between uses; employees were not changing gloves between tasks, including touching personal items; surfaces were dirty throughout; there was mold on thawing racks; and fly strips at the drive-through are above tea brewing equipment, among other things.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
