Oh, but the rooftop deck is so nice… Mas and 13 other West Chester restaurants and groceries are out of compliance with the Chester County Health Department this month.  

Mas Mexicali Cantina, 102 E. Market St., out, 26 violations including, ok, it’s kind of hard to know where to start with 26 violations but here goes—cooked rice stored in a grocery bag, ice cream and other freezer items stored open without a lid or cover, several prepared items were found to have not been cooled properly, a number more including milk, sauces, Chorizo, and chicken in broth were found stored beyond their use-by dates, dirty dishes were found in the clean dish rack, oil was stored in a container intended for chemicals, all shelves and equipment in the kitchen needs to be cleaned, and so does the mold-like growth found behind the walk-in cooler.

Smoothie King, 1011 West Chester Pike, out, 2 violations including a poorly executed tile repair job in the kitchen and no Chester County Certified Food Manager on staff.

FarmerJawn Produce and Kitchen, 1225 E. Street Rd, out, 4 violations including outside tomatoes and sauces without proper labeling, chocolate milk kept beyond its sell-by date, and salad greens missing the direction: “keep refrigerated.”  

So Sabroso, 105 Westtown Rd., out, 5 violations including open jars of pickles and peppers stored at room temperature, raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods, floors in need of a good scrubbing, and open rodent traps found in the food service area. Fortunately, no rodents were observed in them.

Jaco Juice & Taco, 8 W. Gay St., out, 4 violations including fruit pans being washed but not properly sanitized and raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods.

Aldo’s Restaurant & Grill, 104 Turner Ln., out, 8 violations including dented canned foods stored and intended for use, squeeze bottles without labels, and a tray of utensils in need of cleaning.

D.F. Grocery and Deli, 323 E. Gay St., out, 10 violations including raw chorizo stored above produce, prepackaged goods not labeled correctly, and having too much stuff. “Discard unneeded items, reorganize stock and do not over-order replenishment supply,” the inspector’s comments read.

St. Agnes Parish Center, 233 W. Gay St., out, 9 violations including food handlers not wearing hair restraints or washing hands between tasks, cooked eggs not kept hot enough, and prepared foods being offered from an unapproved private facility. So much for neighbors helping neighbors.

Gramm’s Kitchen, 557 E. Gay St., out, 20 violations including bacon being stored in a grocery bag (what is up with all the grocery bags??), numerous foods stored without labels or lids, cold items not being reheated properly, refrigerators not keeping items cold enough (all items were discarded onsite), prepared foods stored without date markings, and the deli slicer, table-top can opener, interior and exterior of all freezers and refrigerators, all shelves, tables, sinks, floors, walls, and the mop sink room in need of a good cleaning.

Saxbys Coffee, 701 S. High St., out, 8 violations including cans of pumpkin being used as doorstops (fortunately, there were no plans to use these cans for anything else), chemical spray bottles without labels, and floors throughout needing washing.

Piatto Piazza, 1105 West Chester Pike, out, 3 violations including ceiling fans, plastic pizza dough proofing trays, and the wall under the exhaust hood all requiring a deep cleaning.  

Mae’s, 39 W. Gay St., out, 17 violations including dented cans stored among the dry goods, prepared foods stored without proper date markings, a 3-compartment sink in need of cleaning, cans of Raid left by the back door, no soap at the handwash sink, no paper towels in the women’s restroom, and no restroom sign reminding employees to wash their hands.

Saloon 151, out, 8 violations including an employee handling raw foods then ready-to-eat foods without washing their hands in-between, raw shrimp stored above ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-eat foods stored beyond their use by dates, soda guns in need of sanitizing, and fruit flies found in both bars. “Deep clean bars and limit moisture in these areas,” the report advises.  

On the positive side, Amore Pizza, Spaz Beverage, Wayback Burger, Benny’s, West Chester Golf & Country Club snack bar, the Elk’s Lodge, and Popeyes’ Louisiana Kitchen are all back in compliance.  

You can find all the inspection reports or check the latest status of your favorite restaurants here. Search by location for more details.

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Originally published on Sept. 6, 2024

This story was part of a longer West Chester newsletter featuring all the news and events of the week. Curious what else is going on? Subscribe now to get the full story. New issues come out on Fridays!