Restaurant Inspections are out for October, and really it wasn’t as scary as it could have been. There were 10 institutions out of compliance this month including a couple of repeat offenders, a popular local diner, and a local middle school that is getting dangerously close to living up to school kitchen lore.

Ram’s Head Diner, 907 S. High St., out, 13 violations including open employee beverage containers scattered throughout the kitchen and BBQ sauce stored at room temp despite a label stating “refrigerate after opening.” The sauce was discarded. Also, the fryer, flat grill, floors, and can openers all needed cleaning. 

CVS Pharmacy, 760 Miles Rd, out 7 violations including Similac baby formula in the front register area beyond its sell-by date. Also, no soap in the men’s restrooms, floors, and walls in the walk-in cooler in need of thorough cleaning, ice build-up on the ice cream freezer, and loose trash and equipment on the ground around the dumpster.  

Kooma, 123 N. Church St, out, 6 violations. Kooma is out of compliance for a second month after they failed to adequately clean non-food contact areas such as behind the bar and cooking line. Inspectors also noted insect activity in the bar area and cited the sushi restaurant for not warning consumers against the dangers of eating raw or undercooked foods.   

Stetson Middle School, 1060 Wilmington Pk, out, 4 violations including cheeseburger wraps left at room temperature on a prep table without a notation of when they were made. Food must either be kept hot – greater than 135 degrees F – or cold – less than 41 degrees F. Also, mouse droppings were observed on the floor in the warewashing room and under the dish drop-off counter. The school was directed to clean the perimeter of the floors immediately and monitor for future rodent activity.

Great China, 929 S. High St., out, 4 violations including returning cleaned broccoli to the shipment box until use and an employee restroom in need of cleaning and repair. 

Country Bagel Bakery, 929 S. High St., out, 4 violations including hashbrowns found left out at room temperature and bulk food ingredient containers, the stove hood and ductwork, and ceiling vents in the lobby and kitchen in need of cleaning. 

Chester County Prison, 501 S. Wawaset Rd., out, 3 violations. While initially cited for 11 violations, the prison remains out of compliance on its third try largely due to a lack of hot water. Inspectors recommended the prison purchase an additional hot water heater or booster heater to ensure the main dishwasher is functioning properly. “Ensuring that trays are properly sanitized is critical. Install upgrades or new equipment within 14 days,” the report reads.  

Gobrands GoPuff, 211 Carter Dr., out, 2 violations including damaged floors in the main storage room that have left raw concrete exposed.

Hissho Sushi at Giant, 698 Bradford Ave., out, 2 violations. The Giant sushi counter remained out of compliance for a second month after inspectors found bowls and sushi platters at unsafe temperatures. Food temps of items in the refrigerated display case were observed at temps between 44 and 55 degrees F rather than at 37.5 degrees F as intended.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, 1107 West Chester Pike, out, 3 violations including soda lines wrapped in flaking and soiled black tape. The restaurant was directed to replace the tape. They were also told to clean the floors and drains. And to end on some happy news, back in compliance this month are Mas, Momo Sushi Cafe, Bella Cucina Foods, Philly Pretzel Factory, the Red Sombrero, Highland Orchards, America’s Pie, and Fusion Restaurant.

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 Nov. 1, 2024

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