I can’t this month. 17 local restaurants, gas stations, hotels – and an orchard were out of compliance this month. While some had it coming — Saucey’s, I’m looking at you — others just seemed to catch the inspectors in a bad mood.

King’s Garden, 308 S. High St, out, 24 violations including food being stored in grocery bags, raw meat stored incorrectly, raw chicken left out on the counter, dirty rags air drying in the kitchen, an employee rinsing and reusing a bowl without washing it and several cleaning tasks.

Carlino’s, 128 W. Market St., out, 24 violations including a tomato pie with mozzarella stored at room temperature; a deli case not keeping items cold enough (the items were discarded); ready-to-eat foods without a date indicating when they were made; and carts, walk-in coolers, and a table-top can opener in need of a good cleaning.  

Fellini Cafe, 2 Waterview Rd, out, 19 violations including employees not wearing proper hair restraints, vegetables cooked inside plastic wrap with the plastic twist tie still on, raw foods stored above prepared foods in the kitchen coolers, open items stored uncovered, cooked vegetables left out at room temperature, and the tabletop can opener covered in food residue that was washed, rinsed, and sanitized during inspection.

Saucey’s Pizza, 12 E. Market St, out, 18 violations including a horror movie-esq situation in the basement. “Live and pupated large flies observed in back room of basement, apparently growing in grease that had spilled from the grease interceptor,” the report reads. Also, found in the basement, an air conditioner “observed to be growing a mold-like substance” and grain moths. “Flour building up in basement in dough prep area, contributing to grain moth harborage.” Bleh. I don’t envy the employees that have to go down there. Also, it’s where they prep the dough and store the pizza boxes.  

Highland Orchards, 1000 Marshallton Thorndale Rd, out, 18 violations including potted flowers in the prep sink, cut melons not kept cool enough, bagged greens not labeled with use instructions, and several dairy bomb sprays found in the facility. These items were removed.

Penn’s Table, 100 W. Gay St, out, 15 violations including the main kitchen worktop not keeping ready-to-eat foods cold enough – hard-boiled eggs, tuna salad, and some dressing all had to be discarded. Also, prepared foods were found without labels or preparation dates, and mold was noticed around the ice maker and bin.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites, out, 11 violations including raw eggs stored above prepared foods, cleaned equipment was put away wet, and canned goods stored directly on the floor.

Sabatino’s Grille, 901 E. Boot Rd, out, 11 violations including ketchup being stored in an open metal can, an employee handling pizza with bare hands, and uncooked chicken and bacon stored at unsafe temps. Both were discarded during the inspection.

Primo Hoagies, 1149 West Chester Pike, out, 10 violations including a glass-front refrigerator not keeping things nearly cold enough; open packages of meats and cheeses without date markings; and an order to clean the can opener, spice shakers, baking sheets, food prep sinks, table top oven, bain maries, and all the floors in the food service areas.

Spence Cafe, 131 N. High St, out, 8 violations, including an employee washing his hands in the 3-compartment sink rather than the handwash sink, multiple sauce bottles without labels identifying the food, and a buildup of mold on the food storage racks in the walk-in refrigerator. “Clean immediately,” the report reads.

7-Eleven, 1165 West Chester Pike, out, 7 violations mostly for being dirty and not knowing why it’s important for the store not to be dirty. Among the areas needing cleaning were the hot dog tongs, caddy, and roller unit, pizza area, all beverage dispensers, sinks, countertops, and floors.  

Qdoba Mexican Eats, 1107 West Chester Pike, out, 7 violations including bags of chicken thawing at room temperature and lots of cleaning infractions. Staff was directed to clean and sanitize tortilla presses, bulk ingredient containers, range, fryer, charbroilers, thermometers, floors, ceiling, and “soiled walls in the food service areas.”

Mike’s Pizza, 1502 West Chester Pike, out, 7 violations including first aid and personal belongings stored near food items, ice accumulation in the walk-in freezer, and cases of food stored directly on the floor. A no-no, in the food safety world.

Giant, 1375 Boot Rd, out, 5 violations, including a spot case not keeping the kale and spinach cool enough and the hot food holding area not keeping the fried chicken hot enough.

Taco Maya 2, 66 E. Street Rd, out 4 violations including raw beef stored above the shredded cheese, unlabeled squeeze bottles, and utensils stored in sanitizing solution.

BP, 1594 West Chester Pike, out, 3 violations including not cleaning the back storage area and holding on to unused equipment from the previous Dunkin’ Donuts.

D-K Diner, 609 E. Gay St., out, 3 violations including the coffee station cooler not staying cold enough, and a paper towel holder and some wire shelves in need of cleaning.

From last month, Lopiccolo’s Farmers Market and Grill, Mercato, Taco Mar, Jersey Mike’s, McDonald’s, Jumbo Pizza, Twin Valley Coffee, Hershey Mill Golf Club, and Lukoil are all back in the inspector’s good graces.  

You can find all the restaurant inspection reports here. Search by location for more details.

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Originally published on May 4, 2024

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