5 failed food inspections at Tri-Cities area restaurants and a school with mice

The Benton Franklin Health District gave five failing grades in safety inspections of restaurants and other establishments selling food in the Tri-Cities area Oct. 25-31.

The health district’s food safety team gave passing marks on 34 inspections, with 20 of those earning perfect scores.

Among failed inspections was the Kahlotus School District, which stored potatoes on the floor where mice were active, according to an inspection report.

At the Pizza Station in Connell, a worker was preparing salad served raw without wearing gloves.

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 follow-up 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, bare-hand contact with foods or refrigerating meat in a way that could contaminate other food.

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

Gangnam Style Korean BBQ, 7903 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick, Follow-up Oct. 27 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Raw meat improperly stored (raw chicken juice had dripped onto shelves below it in refrigerator); improper cold holding (>45°F).

Kahlotus School District, 100 W. Martin St., Kahlotus, Routine Oct. 30 (60 Red, 5 Blue)

Notes: Improper handwashing (food worker washed hands for only seven seconds); improper cooling procedures (potato salad discarded); food not in good condition (large mesh bag of potatoes sitting on the floor in area with mouse droppings – potatoes were used for potato salad that was already discarded during inspection due to improper cooling).

Pizza Station, 238 N. Columbia Ave., Connell, Routine Oct. 30 (75 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control; bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (worker handling and cutting lettuce for the salad bar with bare hands – lettuce voluntarily discarded); improper produce washing (lettuce leaves not washed); not properly disposing of potentially unsafe food (no date marked on diced ham – voluntarily discarded); raw meat improperly stored; improper cold holding (>45°F); improper chemical use (squeeze bottle of dish soap not labeled).

Smoky Tacos, 4525 Road 68, Pasco, Routine Oct. 29 (80 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Lack of active managerial control; food worker cards not 100%; inadequate handwashing facilities (one restroom without hot water); unattended cooking and hot holding (birria was boiling when employees left at night, and it was not hot enough the next morning to discourage bacterial growth); room temperature storage (birria stored on counter to allow fat to solidify for removal); lack of conformance with approved procedures.

Viera’s Bakery & Espresso, 430 W. Lewis St., Pasco, Routine Oct. 28 (45 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Food worker cards not 100%; room temperature storage or improper use of time as a control (repeat violations may require restrictions on food served to protect public safety); accurate thermometer not used; lack of conformance with approved procedures.

Passed inspections

Badger Mountain Elementary School, 1515 Elementary St., Richland, Routine Oct. 28 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Basin City Child Development Center, 281 First Ave., Mesa, Routine Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Basin City Elementary School, 303 Bailie Blvd., Mesa, Routine Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Best Pizza Ever, 110 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco, Routine Oct. 28 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Café Magnolia (Restaurant), 4309 W. 27th Place Kennewick, Follow-up Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Dollar General (Store), 182 Hawthorne St., Connell, Routine Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Dollar Tree (Store), 5710 N. Road 68, Pasco, Routine Oct. 27 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Eagle Lakes Ranch Lodge, 903 Eagle Road, Othello, Routine Oct. 30 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Grocery Outlet (Store), 5710 N. Road 68, Pasco, Routine Oct. 27 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Hampton Inn, 3715 Plaza Way, Kennewick, Routine Oct. 29 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Jack In The Box, 7214 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine Oct. 27 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Jamba Juice, 7425 Sandifur Parkway, Pasco, Routine Oct. 27 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

The Kozy Kup, 2250 Keene Road, Richland, Routine Oct. 29 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Layered Cake Artistry, 117 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, Routine Oct. 25 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Maverik, 3520 Keene Road, Richland, Routine Oct. 29 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Mesa Grocery Store, 102 First Ave., Mesa, Routine Oct. 30 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Milbrandt Vineyards, 158 Cabernet Court, Prosser, Routine Oct. 27 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Paterson Elementary School, 51409 W. Prior Ave., Paterson, Routine Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Paterson Store/Restaurant, 48905 Paterson Ave., Paterson, Routine Oct. 30 (10 Red, 5 Blue)

Pepsi-Cola Tri-Cities – Benton County Health Department, 7102 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick, Routine Oct. 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Proof, 6627 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Follow-up Oct. 29 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Shakey’s, 4525 Road 68, Pasco, Routine Oct. 29 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Sister To Sister, 10 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Routine Oct. 31 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Sushi Ranch, 10 Merlot Drive, Prosser, Routine Oct. 31 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Tirriddis Sparkling Wines, 2140-B Wine Country Road, Prosser, Routine Oct. 27 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Tri-Cities Afghan Food (Limited service), 110 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco, Routine Oct. 28 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Vega’s Mexican Grill & Market, 190504 Highway 221, Paterson, Routine Oct. 30 (5 Red, 5 Blue)

VFW Post #3207, 1101 Wine Country Road, Prosser, Routine Oct. 27 (15 Red, 5 Blue)

Walmart, 2801 Duportail St., Richland, Routine Oct. 28 (Bakery 0 Red, 0 Blue) (Deli 0 Red, 0 Blue) (Store 10 Red, 0 Blue)

White Bluffs Elementary School, 1250 Kensington Way, Richland, Routine Oct. 28 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Wine O’ Clock, 548 Cabernet Court, Prosser, Routine Oct. 31 (15 Red, 0 Blue) (Commissary 0 Red, 0 Blue)