5 failed food inspections at Tri-Cities restaurants and a hotel

The Benton Franklin Health District gave five failing grades in safety inspections of restaurants and other establishments selling food in the Tri-Cities area Sept. 20-26.

The health district’s food safety team gave passing marks on 41 inspections, with 21 of those earning perfect scores.

In the district’s routine inspections, businesses or organizations that receive at least 35 points for the more serious red violations are required to have additional inspections and must meet a tougher standard on those.

To pass followup inspections, they must have fewer than 25 red points and fewer than 10 repeat red points for previous issues.

Scores of 85 or more red points result in establishments remaining on probation until they pass two follow-up inspections, the first one within 72 hours.

Red violations are those most likely to cause food-borne illnesses, such as not keeping hot food hot enough or cold food cold enough, inadequate handwashing or bare-hand contact with foods.

Blue violations are low risk factors related to the cleanliness and physical condition of an establishment.

No notice is given before the inspections.

Businesses may have separate inspections of business lines with different health safety risks, such as grocery sales and a deli that prepares food.

Inspection results are posted online so residents can look up the status and the details of any violations of individual restaurants or check other businesses.

Go to bit.ly/BFHDinspections. Click on the business name and then on the date of the inspection on the right half of the next page. Look for the “Violations” tab.

For questions or complaints about food safety in Benton or Franklin counties, email contactusfoodsafety@BFHD.WA.GOV.

To participate in the health district’s food safety topics survey, go to bit.ly/BFHDfoodsafetysurvey.

Failed inspections

Hae Ha Thai, 1407 N. Young St., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (35 Red, 3 Blue)

Notes: Improper cooling procedures (garlic sauce voluntarily discarded); lack of conformance with approved procedures.

Mexa Mexamerican Kitchen, 404 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 26 (15 Red, 5 Blue)

Notes: No certified food protection manager on staff; raw meat improperly stored; lacking a proper consumer advisory (menu lacks disclaimer for raw or undercooked food).

Monarca, 1408 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 25 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: No certified food protection manager on staff; improper hot holding (130°F-134°F).

Muchas Gracias Mexican Food, 894 Stevens Drive, Richland, Routine Sept. 23 (105 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control; improper handwashing (worker wore same gloves to handle raw eggs in shells and ready-to-eat cheese); inadequate handwashing facilities (one handwashing sink not easily accessible); improper raw meat handling procedures; improper cooling procedures (cooked salsa discarded); improper reheating procedures for hot holding; improper cold holding (42-45°F — cooked chicken, red meat and eggs in walk-in cooler too warm); accurate thermometer not provided.

Red Lion Hotel Columbia Center, 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (55 Red, 10 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control; food worker cards not 100%; inadequate handwashing facilities; food not in good condition (cooked prime rib from Aug. 7 was decomposing and had foul smell and pickled cauliflower from May had mold — both discarded); not properly disposing of potentially unsafe food (multiple foods were older than seven days, including ham, pico de gallo, noncommercial pickled cauliflower, prime rib, ribs and beef and were discarded); raw meat improperly stored; improper cold holding (>45°F — lettuce and salad too warm).

Passed inspections

Antojos 509, 10 E. Bruneau Blvd., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 26 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Bajwa C Store, 1504 W. Sylvester St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Blue Bridge Bar & Restaurant, 2724 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 22 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Brookdale Meadow Springs, 770 Gage Blvd., Richland, Routine Sept. 23 (20 Red, 0 Blue)

Burger King, 1001 S. Washington St., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Burger King, 7407 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Cap’n Dave’s Fish & Chips, 103 Keene Road, Richland, Routine Sept. 25 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Carniceria La Catrina, 2115 E. Lewis St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 22 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Chicken & Bowl, 570 Swift Blvd., Richland, Routine Sept. 23 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Chinook Middle School, 4891 W. 27th Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 24 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Comfort Suites, 3703 Plaza Way, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Cottonwood Elementary School, 16734 Cottonwood Creek Blvd., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

County Line Tasting Room, 500 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Routine Sept. 26 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Desert Hills Middle School, 1701 S. Clodfelter Road, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Dog Haus, 2601 N. Commercial Ave., Pasco, Routine Sept. 24 (20 Red, 5 Blue)

Domino’s Pizza, 4707 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

El Antojito Mexicano Restaurant, 1915 W. Court St., Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 25 (5 Red, 2 Blue)

Fiiz, 3159 Duportail St., Richland, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Finley Middle School, 37208 S. Finley Road, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Frutas Y Mas, 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 26 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Housel Middle School, 12001 Highland Drive, Prosser, Routine Sept. 26 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Jamdung Eats Jamaican Cuisine & Catering, 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 26 (25 Red, 5 Blue)

Jimmy John’s, 7530 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Keene-Riverview Elementary School, 832 Park Ave., Prosser, Routine Sept. 26 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Leonel’s Kitchen, 10 E. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 26 (25 Red, 5 Blue)

Magill’s Restaurant, 3214 Road 68, Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 20 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Muchas Gracias Mexican Food, 701 Vineyard Drive, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (30 Red, 0 Blue)

Perez Tacos, 4611 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Pizza Hut, 818 Vineyard Drive, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Porky’s Smoked Chicken and Ribs, 4611 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 25 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Riverview High School, 36509 S. Lemon Drive, Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Safeway (Bakery), 5204 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Sakura Restaurant, 130 Keene Road, Richland, Routine Sept. 25 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Southridge High School, 3520 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 24 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Subway, 7504 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Subway, 93 Gage Blvd., Richland, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Sweet Snack Attack, 212 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 26 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Taco Time, 7530 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Tap and Barrel, 112 Keene Road, Richland, Routine Sept. 25 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Vargas Taqueria, 6908 W. Argent Road, Pasco, Follow-up Sept. 20 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Westgate Elementary School, 2514 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick, Routine Sept. 23 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

This story was originally published October 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.