Compared to the winter reports, April was pretty mild. Still, 15 institutions are out of compliance with the Chester County Health Department this month, with violations ranging from lettuce in the sanitizer and pans heavily caked with food debris to employees serving pizza and putting ice cubes in glasses without wearing gloves. If you are heading out for lunch, plan accordingly.

Health violations by restauarant, zip 19382

Wawa, 1501 West Chester Pike, out, 5 violations, including an employee touching his face then handling food without washing up first, and floors, ceiling tiles, and walls behind the pizza oven and Merry Chef ovens in need of cleaning.

Chester County Prison, 501 S. Wawaset Rd., out, 11 violations, including potatoes not cooled properly to prevent bacteria growth, no hot water at the handwash sink, fruit flies in the kitchen, and the walk-in freezer floor and area around the dishwasher in need of cleaning.

Care Center Foundation, 127 S. Matlack St., out, 3 violations, including missing sanitizer test strips and a hot water heater not providing enough hot water for all three sinks.

Primo Hoagies, 1149 West Chester Pike, out, 6 violations, including open packages of deli meats and cheeses not labeled with a date when opened, these were discarded and new packages opened during inspection; turbo chef oven pans were found “dented with heavily caked-on food debris;” and the table mounted can opener, wall mounted knife block and the knives inside all needed cleaning and sanitizing.

QDoba Mexican Eats, 1107 West Chester Pike, out, 7 violations, including a bearded employee working without a beard net, lettuce in the sanitizer solution, and floors in the walk-in refrigerator, ceiling tiles, lights, and vents all in need of cleaning.

Health violations by restauarant, zip 19380

King’s Garden Restaurant, 308 S. High St., out, 10 violations, including food items being stored in the refrigerator uncovered, employees changing tasks without washing hands in between, temperature controlled foods stored for more than 24 hours without a date indicating when they were made, wet wiping cloths in prep area not being stored in sanitizer solution and “extremely soiled.” Also, the blade of the can opener, meat grinder blade, knives, and deli slicer were all observed to have food residue on them and ordered cleaned immediately.

Sabatino’s Grille, 901 E. Boot Rd., out, 3 violations, including an employee touching the pizza with bare hands, foods on the pizza prep top with temps of 50 F, nearby garlic and oil were found at 78°F, all should be 41°F or lower, and a restricted use pesticide is being applied at the facility by a non-certified applicator. Foods and pesticides were all discarded during the inspection.

9 Prime, 9 N. High St., out, 15 violations including an employee putting ice in a glass with bare hands; hand wash sinks without soap or paper towels; a mandoline food slicer observed in use with food residue still on it; main bar soda nozzles that needed cleaning and sanitizing; and crab mix, lamb sausage mix, and homemade dressings stored past their seven-day expiration date. These were discarded during the inspection.

Fellini Cafe, 2 Waterview Rd., out, 2 violations, including a chemical cleaner stored in an unlabeled bottle; and cooked pasta, tomato sauce, and cooked meats held at 44°F rather than 41°F as required. Foods were discarded during inspection.

Opa Taverna, 40 E. Gay St., out 12 violations, including, an open employee beverage in the food prep area, desserts stored for more than 24 hours without a date indicating when they were made, knives being used and reused without being properly cleaned and sanitized first, and several temperature controlled foods stored at 45 F or above rather than 41°F or below as required. Foods were discarded during inspection. Also, floors, fan guards, and walk-in refrigerator racks needed cleaning.

Pepper Mill, 813 N. Chester Rd., out, 7 violations, including cooked spinach and meatballs held beyond date-marking; dented cans in storage intended for use; cheese, sausage, and pepperoni held at 48°F rather than 41°F as required; and cardboard used as a floor covering at the cook line. Cans and cardboard were removed, spinach and meatballs discarded, and the pizza prep top temperature was adjusted to keep foods at the correct temperature. Also, the can opener had food residue on it and was not clean to sight or touch; shelves, ceiling, steel racks, and floors throughout needed cleaning.

Bevan’s Cold Cuts, 551 E. Gay St., out, 7 violations, including personal food items stored with customer food items, several deli case items were held for more than 24 hours without a date indicating when they were made, and temperature-controlled foods were found at 48°F rather than 41°F or below as required. All questionable items were voluntarily discarded.

Papa John’s, 510 E. Gay St., out, 6 violations, including food-handling employees not following proper handwashing protocols, no poster at the handwash sink to remind employees to wash their hands, and no staff member with adequate food safety knowledge. “[Person in charge] should receive food manager handling education,” the report states.

Taqueria Los Poblanos, 445 Hannum Ave., out, 5 violations, including sauces stored without a covering, lingua held at 100°F rather than 135°F as required, and foods being held more than 24 hours without a date indicating when they were made.

Penn Oaks Country Club, 150 Penn Oaks Dr., out, 9 violations, including employees handling dirty equipment and then clean equipment without washing their hands in between. This is a contamination risk. Also, melted spatulas that needed discarding, and a pub sink, soda gun, and holster in need of cleaning.

Back in compliance

And in good news, Rai Rai Ramen on E. Market St. is back in compliance without a single health violation noted. Good for them, I can’t imagine that was easy. Also, back in this month are the Amish Market’s Fisher’s Salad and H&L Grill, Dolce Zola, Wendy’s, Barnaby’s, Starkweather Elementary School, Spence Cafe, Penn’s Table, High Street Cafe, Highland Orchards, Sedona Taphouse, Artillery Brewing Company, Hershey’s Mill Golf Club, Bravo Pizza, and Bierhaul Townhouse.

For more details and a complete list of reports, go to the PA Food Safety website and search by location.

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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!