Cold food too warm, hot food too cool. Failed Tri-Cities area food inspections

The Benton Franklin Health District gave three failing grades for food safety inspections at restaurants and other establishments selling food in the Tri-Cities area from June 27 to July 3.

The health district’s food safety team gave passing marks on 27 inspections, with 13 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 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 to discourage bacteria growth, 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, with one business line passing and another failing.

Information about passed and failed inspections includes only licensed establishments. The health district also responds to complaints of unlicensed pop-up food vendors in Benton and Franklin counties.

To see more inspection results or details of the past week’s inspections, go to inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/bfhd.

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

Food customers may take a survey at bit.ly/FoodSafetyConsumerSurvey, and owners and employees of food establishments may take a survey at bit.ly/FoodSafetyIndustrySurvey.

Failed inspections

Amon Eatz, 702 George Washington Way, Richland, Routine June 29 (35 Red, 5 Blue)

Notes: Inadequate handwashing facilities (handwashing sink appeared to be used for purposes other than handwashing); raw eggs in shells stored above ready-to-eat food (no signs of cross contamination); cold holding temperatures too warm (multiple foods in prep cooler warmer than 41°F); toxic substances improperly used (bleach in sanitizing solution above allowable concentration).

El Chapala, 107 E. Columbia Drive, Kennewick, Follow-up July 2 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Inadequate hot holding temperatures (center of cooked beef in broth as cool as 116°F but required to be at least 135°F).

Metro Mart, 1 Eagle Crest Drive, Connell, Routine July 2 (75 Red, 0 Blue)

Notes: Improper cooling procedures; lack of adequate active managerial control; improper hot holding temperatures (sandwich in self-serve hot case as cool as 118°F rather than required 135°F or hotter); improper cold holding temperatures (large tubs of raw chicken and package of ham as warm a 58°F rather than 41°F or colder, likely because cooler door not closing completely); lack of compliance with permit (higher risk food preparation and cooling being done than allowed by store’s Level 2 permit).

Passed inspections

Ahava Coffee Co., 3012 Road 68, Pasco, Routine June 30 (15 Red, 13 Blue)

Andy’s Coffee Break, 1200 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, Routine June 30 (10 Red, 0 Blue)

Bills Speakeasy, 1205 Meade Ave., Prosser, Routine July 1 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Boys & Girls Clubs, 999 Seventh St., Prosser, Routine July 1 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

El Padrino Bakery, 615 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick, Follow-up July 2 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Habit Burger & Grill, 7415 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, Routine June 30 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Knots and Grounds Espresso, 504 E. First Ave., Kennewick, Routine June 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Kona Ice, 110 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco, Routine July 1 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

La Casita, 6418 W. Skagit Ave., Kennewick, Follow-up July 2 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

La Fonda Colima, 1515 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco, Routine July 1 (25 Red, 0 Blue)

Miss Tamale, 6447 Keene Road, West Richland, Routine July 2 (25 Red, 10 Blue)

Ohana’s Sweet Spot, 2250 Buffalo Road, Mesa, Routine June 30 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Papa Ray’s, 245 N. Columbia Ave., Connell, Follow-up July 2 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

The Pick Me Up Coffee Co, 5151 Trowbridge Blvd., Richland, Follow-up July 2 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Pizza Station, 238 N. Columbia Ave., Connell, Routine July 2 (0 Red, 3 Blue)

Shy’s Pizza Connection, 1306 Meade Ave., Prosser, Routine July 1 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Starmoney’z Taco City (Mobile), 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco, Routine June 27 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Still Sneakers, 1318 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco, Routine July 1 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Subway, 2720 S. Quillan St., Kennewick, Routine June 30 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Taco Chavez Brothers, 5651 W. 36th Place, Kennewick, Routine June 29 (15 Red, 0 Blue)

Tacos 24 Hrs, 528 S. Ely St., Kennewick, Follow-up July 2 (5 Red, 0 Blue)

Tease-N-Tan & Espresso, 316 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, Routine July 1 (10 Red, 3 Blue)

Tri-Cities Food Bank, 424 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick, Routine June 30 (10 Red, 5 Blue)

Wake Up Call, 3205 Kennedy Road, Richland, Routine July 2 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Walmart (Deli), 2720 S. Quillan St., Kennewick, Routine June 30 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Whitstran Elementary School, 102101 W. Foisy Road, Prosser, Routine July 1 (0 Red, 0 Blue)

Xpress Mart, 1724 W. Clark St., Pasco, Routine June 30 (30 Red, 0 Blue)