Lexington restaurant inspections: Rodents at strip club, sewage at fast food joint
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has released an updated list of nearly 90 restaurants that are under enhanced regulatory enforcement. That’s up from the 70 establishments on the list in February.
Since February, 36 food service establishments have been added to the health department’s list for heightened scrutiny designed to protect the dining public from food-borne illness.
Restaurants come off the list once they have twice passed inspections with no significant issues.
At least 19 establishments came off the list after successful passing repeated inspections.
Restaurants that came off the watch list since February include Bandido Taqueria Mexicana, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cajun Oasis, Caramanda’s Bake Shoppe on Richmond Road, Cattle Drive, Cinco de Mayo on Richmond Road, Common Grounds on Hartland Parkway, Dairy Queen on Virginia Avenue, El Taquero, El Toro Restaurant, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Frank’s Donuts, Jalapeno’s Restaurant, La Cabana, Little Caesar’s Pizza on East New Circle Rd., Panaderia Aguacalientes on Alexandria, Subway at Tates Creek Center Dr., Taco Bell on Plaudit Place and Tylor Asian Market.
One other restaurant closed and has been removed from the list: Loudon Square Buffet, which closed permanently in April. Owner Max Flannery died in May.
All of Lexington’s nearly 1,500 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.
Restaurants and food service establishments are required to post their most recent scores at the front door. All inspection scores are available online at the Lexington health department’s web site.
How Lexington restaurants are inspected by the Health Department
After a pause at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department in 2021 resumed the key public health measure.
Restaurant inspectors place restaurants that fail on critical points on a watch list. The “enhanced regulatory enforcement” comes with a stepped-up inspection schedule designed to catch potential problems earlier.
The measure, previously known as the probation list, restarted in August 2020. The Board of Health voted in September 2021 to update food service regulations to formally include the program.
Restaurants are placed on the list when they score below 85, “failed” a significant inspection point or if they are required to be closed due to imminent health hazard such as raw sewage, evidence of rodent or insect infestations or a lack of electricity.
Problems that constitute a failure are those deemed by the Food & Drug Administration to have the highest potential to affect the public health adversely, such as a improper food handling, lack of hand-washing or improper dish sanitizing.
Luke Mathis, environmental health team leader, said last year that the intent of enhanced regulatory enforcement is “identifying establishments that are struggling with food safety compliance and providing additional monitoring.”
The hope, he said, is that the more inspectors are there, the quicker they will spot things that need to be changed “and through education help them get into compliance.”
“The overall goal of the program is to improve public safety, sanitary and hygiene practices within these establishments, so the public will feel safe eating out,” said Skip Castleman, Environmental Health and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. “All of our placards are still posted at these establishments, so they have a means of looking to see if a restaurant has passed or failed. With a green placard, they’ve passed; with a red placard, they’ve failed. And they can also look on our website too, before they go out to eat.”
Typically, food service establishments are inspected every six months. With enhanced enforcement, inspectors come every four months, Mathis said. Restaurants come off the enhanced enforcement when they pass regular inspections without significant issues twice in a row.
Generally, restaurants that are in the enhanced enforcement program are safe to eat at or the health department would have closed them down.
Lexington restaurant shut down by the health department
On June 10, the health department received an anonymous complaint about the Hardee’s at 202 W. New Circle Rd. about a sewage leak. According to the health department, the fast food restaurant was closed when the complaint was verified. The restaurant recently opened after repairs.
Inspections highlight risk for public health
Inspections are a snapshot of a restaurant or food-service establishment at a particular time but Mathis said the watch list allows inspectors to target places most likely to be a risk for public health.
He said they hope the number of restaurants in the program stays low. In February 2020, before the pandemic, there were 172 restaurants or food service providers on the health department’s list.
This full watch list as of June 15, includes details of the 10 most recent inspections that landed restaurants on the list. Names in bold are new additions to the list. Inspection scores listed are the latest available on the health department’s database, which was last updated June 13, 2022.
The Fayette County Health Department does not flag which inspection scores are on the watch list or give inspection reports on its website. The Herald-Leader obtained the detailed list and individual reports through an open records request, but the health department limited the number of reports due to staffing constraints.
Restaurants on Lexington Health Department watch list (formerly probation)
▪ #1 China Buffet, 125 E. Reynolds Rd., was placed on the list on Sept. 7, 2021. Inspection on May 31, 2022, scored 82.
▪ Ali Baba, 412 Southland Dr., was placed on the list on March 23, 2022. Inspection on April 8, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Arby’s, 1228 S. Broadway, was placed on the list Oct. 11, 2021. Inspection on April 27, 2022, scored 93.
▪ Asian Bistro, 4224 Saron Dr., was placed on the list Jan. 13, 2022. Inspection on June 2, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Asian Wind Restaurant, 3735 Palomar Center Dr. Suite 40, was placed on the list on Jan. 21, 2022. Inspection on May 6, 2022, scored 88.
▪ Azur, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, Suite 550, was placed on the list on June 13 after scoring 78. The inspector found personal beverage stored over hand sink in bar area, hot water exceeding 120 degrees, no paper towels at hand sink, bar hand sink used as dump sink, food improperly stored, food not kept cold enough, among other things.
▪ Blessing From God daycare, 1202-A Versailles Rd., was placed on the list on Dec. 13, 2021.
▪ Bluefire Bar & Grill, 401 W. High St., was placed on the list on March 29, 2022. Inspection on April 18, 2022, scored 88.
▪ Bluegrass Catering, 903 Manchester St., was placed on the list on June 15, 2021. Inspection on April 7, 2022, scored 90.
▪ Bluegrass Ky Nutrition, 719 Allendale Dr., was placed on the list on Aug. 14, 2020. Inspection on April 1, scored 97.
▪ Bombay Palace, 1801 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list on March 24, 2021. Inspection on April 8, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Brick Oven Pizzeria, 4379 Old Harrodsburg Rd Suite 110, was placed on the list April 12, 2022. Inspection on April 26, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Cafe Rodriguez, 680 Lima Dr. Suite 140, was placed on the list March 3, 2022. Inspection on March 8, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, 2050 Versailles Rd., was placed on the list on Feb. 25, 2021. Inspection on June 7, 2022, scored 89.
▪ Centeno’s Munchiez, 1198 Winburn Dr., was placed on the list May 31, 2022, despite scoring 95. The inspector found hot food not kept at proper temperature and food not clearly marked to indicate the date to consume, sell or discard by. Inspection on June 7, 2022, scored 100.
▪ China King, 1497 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list Feb. 10, 2022. Inspection on June 8, 2022, scored 85.
▪ Chocolate Holler, 400 Old Vine St. Suite 104, was placed on the list Dec. 14, 2021. Inspection on March 16, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Clamato’s, 2304 Versailles Rd., was placed on the list March 18, 2022. Inspection on April 8, 2022, scored 98.
▪ Clarion Hotel, 1950 Newtown Pike, was placed on the list on Sept. 21, 2021. Inspection on March 30, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Clark’s Pump-N-Shop, 1419 Versailles Rd., was placed on the list on Feb. 8, 2022. Inspection on May 4, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Corelife Eatery, 4040 Finn Way Suite 110, was placed on the list April 5, 2022. Inspection on May 10, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Crestwood Christian Childcare Center, 1882 Bellefonte Dr., was placed on the list March 9, 2022. Inspection on March 16, 2022, scored 98.
▪ Crossroads IGA, 1803 Georgetown Rd., was placed on the list on Oct. 30, 2020. Inspection on April 7, 2022, scored 98.
▪ Dairy Queen, 464 W. New Circle Rd., was placed on the list on Sept. 9, 2020. Inspection on May 25, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Divas Gentlemens Club, 1318 Russell Cave Rd., was placed on the list June 6, 2022, despite scoring 97. The inspector found the presence of rodents as well as floors unclean and in poor repair. Inspection on June 6, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Dixie Value Mart, 1875 August Dr., was placed on the list May 13, 2021.
▪ Dollar Tree, 3101 Clays Mill Rd., was placed on the list Dec. 27, 2021.
▪ Domino’s Pizza, 3120 Pimlico Parkway Suite 116, was placed on the list March 25, 2022. Inspection on March 31, 2022, scored 98.
▪ El Gran Tako #2, 1801 Alexandria Dr. #156, was placed on the list Nov. 8, 2021. Inspection on March 15, 2022, scored 93.
▪ El Malecon Restaurant, 481 W. New Circle Rd. Suite 170, was placed on the list May 12, 2022, after scoring 83. Inspector found improperly stored food, raw chicken and fries left at room temperature, food improperly thawed, food stored where exposed to unclean dishes and under leaking water in walk-in cooler, employees without hair restraints, cooking utensils in poor repair, build-up of debris throughout establishment, among other things. Inspection on June 2, 2022, scored 96.
▪ El Patron Mexican Restaurant, 1765 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list June 15, 2022, after scoring 80. The inspector found personal items improperly stored, a mattress in a walk-in-cooler that wasn’t in use, no trash can by the hand sink, food stored uncovered, improper cleaning, eggs stored at room temperature, lack of thermometers for maintaining safe food temperature, multiple surfaces unclean and in poor repair.
▪ El Rey de-Los Pollos & El Rey de Mariscos, 1485-1 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list on April 6, 2022. Inspection on May 16, 2022, scored 97.
▪ El Sabor de Mexico Restaurant & Tayuena, 1505 Russell Cave Rd., was placed on the list May 1. Inspection on May 31, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Garden Springs Market, 2034 Garden Springs Dr., was placed on the list Feb. 10, 2022.
▪ The Goose Lexington, 170 Jefferson St., was placed on the list June 2, 2022, after scoring 79. The inspector found employee beverages improperly stored in kitchen, employees not washing hands before putting on gloves, no soap or disposable towels at kitchen hand sinks, meatloaf held beyond expiration, food improperly stored, unclean shelves and kitchen equipment and more.
▪ Grand Reserve, 903 Manchester St. Suite 190, was placed on the list Dec. 7, 2021. Inspection on April 7, 2022, scored 93.
▪ Hardee’s, 202 W. New Circle Rd., was placed on the list June 10, 2022. Closed for raw sewage.
▪ Hibachi Buffet, 180 E. New Circle Rd., was placed on the list Dec. 6, 2021. Inspection on April 11, 2022, scored 94.
▪ Idle Hour Country Club, 1815 Richmond Rd., was placed on the list on Sept. 21, 2021.
▪ JAP Gasoline, 2001 Versailles Rd., was placed on the list Feb. 25, 2022. Inspection on May 31, 2022, scored 91.
▪ Jason’s Deli, 134 Malabu Dr., was placed on the list Feb. 9, 2022. Inspection on March 2, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Kentucky Fried Chicken, 2401 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on the list on Oct. 4, 2021.
▪ King of Food, 208 Legends Lane Suite 105, was placed on the list May 12, 2022. Inspection on May 26, 2022, scored 92.
▪ La Michoacana de Lexington, 1801 Alexandria Dr. No. 176, was placed on the list Feb. 17, 2022. Inspection on March 16, 2022, scored 99.
▪ La Reference Restaurant, 2396 Woodhill Dr., was placed on the list on March 11, 2021.
▪ La Taquisa, 130 W. Tiverton Way #190, was placed on the list Oct. 25, 2021. Inspection on April 12, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Lexington Courtyard, 3100 Wall St., was placed on the list April 19, 2022. Inspection on April 26, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa, 1800 Newtown Pike, was placed on the list Dec. 3, 2021. Inspection on May 23, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Logan’s Roadhouse, 1908 Pavilion Way, was placed on the list Oct. 7, 2021.
▪ Longhorn Steak House, 2217 Harrodsburg Rd., was placed on the list on Aug. 18, 2021. Inspection on May 16, 2022, scored 91.
▪ Marathon Mart, 300 N. MLK Blvd., was placed on the list March 23, 2022. Inspection on March 23, 2022, scored 94.
▪ Masala Indian Cuisine, 3061 Fieldstone Way Suite 600, was placed on the list March 4, 2022. Inspection on March 24, 2022, scored 87.
▪ Minit Mart, 2297 Thunderstick Dr., was placed on the list on June 9, 2021. Inspection on March 1, 2022, scored 98.
▪ New Creation Childcare, 1037 Industry Rd., was placed on the list on May 24, 2021. Inspection on May 11, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Old Vine Bistro, 400 Old Vine St. Suite 108, was placed on the list June 2, 2022, despite scoring 88. The inspector found employee beverages on food prep surfaces, improperly stored food, among other things. Inspection on June 10, 2022, scored 98.
▪ Pan Casero Remys, 1426 Village Dr., was placed on the list Sept. 23, 2021.
▪ Panda Cuisine, 2358 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on the list on Aug. 18, 2021. Inspection on May 2, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Panda Garden, 3401 Southland Dr., was placed on the list on Aug. 14, 2020.
▪ Papa John’s Pizza, 3735 Harrodsburg Rd., #240, was placed on the list Dec. 10, 2021. Inspection on April 4, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Papi’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar, 818 Euclid Ave., was placed on the list on April 14, 2021. Inspection on April 5, 2022, scored 94.
▪ Papi’s Rapido, 1214 S. Broadway, was placed on the list on Nov. 20, 2020. Inspection on March 16, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Penn Station, 2220 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on the list Feb. 25, 2022. Inspection on March 18, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Penn Station, 3090 Todds Rd., was placed on the list on Nov. 4, 2020. Inspection on March 23, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Preferida Supermarket, 1801 Alexandria Dr. #172, was placed on the list Feb. 28, 2022. Inspection on March 24, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Sabor Latino Pupusas, 1479 Boardwalk, was placed on the list April 12, 2022. Inspection on April 26, 2022, scored 94.
▪ Sakura Japanese, 3695 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on the list on Oct. 28, 2020. Inspection on May 5, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Santa Fe Taqueria, 2350 Woodhill Dr., was placed on the list on June 21, 2021. Inspection on March 10, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Shell-Estepp’s Food Mart Deli, 1951 Stanton Way, was placed on the list May 20, 2022, despite scoring 95 on food service. The inspector found food improperly stored, not date marked, and vent system, floors, walls and ceiling unclean or in poor repair. Inspection on May 27, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Sir Pizza, 463 W. New Circle Rd., was placed on the list April 25, 2022. Inspection on May 9, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Subway, 4218 Saron Dr., was placed on the list Oct. 29, 2021.
▪ Sumo, 1030 S. Broadway Suite 2, was placed on the list Feb. 16, 2022. Inspection on May 9, 2022, scored 92.
▪ Super Mercado Aguacalientes, 459 W. New Circle, was placed on the list on Dec. 29, 2021.
▪ Super Mercado Aguacalientes, 2341 Woodhill Dr., was placed on the list on April 26, 2021. Inspection on April 13, 2022, scored 99.
▪ Super Mercado Aquacalientes, 2220 Nicholasville Rd., was placed on the list on Oct. 20, 2020. Inspection on June 8, 2022, scored 93.
▪ Super Mercado Aguascalientes, 1424 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list on Nov. 11, 2020. Inspection on April 27, 2022, scored 96.
▪ Sushi Blue, 185 Pasadena Dr., was placed on the list Dec. 9, 2021. Inspection on April 29, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Sweet Creations Bakery & Events, 2312 Palumbo Dr. #110, was placed on the list June 13, 2022, despite scoring 97. The inspector observed employees handling food without proper hair restraint and State Plumbing Inspector found illegal plumbing in several areas including the three-compartment sink, at washing machine and only one hand sink in establishment.
▪ Taj India Indian Restaurant, 154 Patchen Dr., was placed on the list on Oct. 16, 2020.
▪ Tandoor Indian, 3146 Maple Leaf Dr., was placed on the list on April 16, 2021. Inspection on April 20, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Taqueria San Marcos, 1858 Oxford Circle, was placed on the list Dec. 14, 2021. Inspection on April 11, 2022, scored 100.
▪ The Press Juice Bar & Cafe, 191 Kentucky Ave., was placed on the list March 7, 2022. Inspection on March 14, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Tortilleria Ramirez, 1429 Alexandria Dr., was placed on the list Feb. 14, 2022. Inspection on March 9, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Unique Food Mart, 1396 Leestown Rd., was placed on the list on Oct. 21, 2020.
▪ Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen, 3735 Palomar Center Dr. Suite 180, was placed on the list March 25, 2022. Inspection on April 1, 2022, scored 100.
▪ Waffle House, 859 S. Broadway, was placed on the list May 18, 2022, despite scoring 91. The inspector found dishes stored in the hand sink, improper dish sanitizing, reach-in cooler in poor repair with ice accumulation, kitchen equipment unclean and a leak at the dish machine. Inspection on June 1, 2022, scored 98.
▪ Walgreens, 101 E. Reynolds Rd., was placed on the list on Sept. 10, 2021.
▪ Winburn Cafe, 1100 Winburn Dr., was placed on the list April 29, 2022. Inspection on May 27, 2022, scored 95.
▪ Winburn Mini Mart, 1116 Winburn Dr., was placed on the list on Aug. 16, 2021. Inspection on March 18, 2022, scored 97.
▪ Yu Yu Asian Market, 393 Waller Ave., was placed on the list on April 20, 2021.
