Mexican eatery gets 50 red points. Here are Pierce Co. food scores for June 15
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department usually inspects over 100 establishments each week, whether that be a restaurant, coffee stand, grocery store or school cafeteria.
While most of those establishments pass the inspection, some need extra help.
During a routine inspection, each establishment is evaluated using a points system. Red points are tacked on for critical violations, which are likely to cause foodborne illness, according to the Health Department. Examples include improper handwashing and poor temperature control. Most critical violations are corrected onsite during the inspection, according to the Health Department.
Blue points are tacked on for non-critical violations, which could lead to critical violations if they’re not corrected. Examples include improper cleaning of equipment or some maintenance issues.
Most establishments are inspected between one and four times a year.
Establishments that receive between 0 and 30 points get a passing score, while establishments that receive 35 or more red points are required to be reinspected by the Health Department.
If establishments have repeated critical violations, they could be closed down by the Health Department. Establishments can also be closed for an imminent health hazard, like a fire, a floor or a loss of power.
The Health Department also gives each establishment an inspection grade. Even if establishments have more than 35 red points, they might still have a good inspection grade, since grades based on the past four inspections. Great = very few or no concerns. Okay = some concerns. Needs to improve = many or repeated concerns.
Here are the establishments that received 35 or more red points the week of June 15. Comments are taken directly from Health Department inspection reports.
La Ilusion Al Carbon
- 5013 S 56th St. Suite C-D, Tacoma
- Inspection score on June 16: 50 red points, 5 blue points
- Grade: Great
Violations and comments
- Proper cooling procedures: Observed the following; Walk-in cooler: Beef 39F 4” covered with fat ring at 6”, rice 41F 2” covered with condensation. Per PIC (person in charge) both items were cooked more than a day prior. Per PIC foods are cooled at a 2” depth to 41F before being covered or combined to a deeper depth. Cool all Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) at a food depth of 2 inches or less, uncovered, in a walk-in refrigerator. Do not cover or transfer food to a greater food depth until it is 41°F or below. Items discarded for safety.
- Proper hot holding temperatures (25 pts if less than 130F): Observed the following: Steam table: Chicken 96F, sausage 95F, steak 110, pork 96F. Per PIC all items were cooked and placed in the steam table within the last hour. Hot hold Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) at 135°F or above. All items reheated to 165F or above.
- Insects, rodents, animals not present; entrance controlled: Observed rodent droppings in the following locations: Around hot water heated by food preparation sinks, on shelving in storage area, on floor in storage area, especially in corners and below shelving. Facility must be maintained to limit pest entry. Clean rodent droppings throughout facility.
Applebee’s Grill + Bar
- 4827 Point Fosdick Drive, Gig Harbor
- Inspection score on June 18: 45 red points
- Grade: Great
Violations and comments
- Food in good condition, safe and unadulterated; approved additives: Observed in Fry station Randall 2-drawer cooler (bottom) packaged salad mix soggy and past best use date. Ensure all foods are wholesome and free from spoilage. Foods past the expiration date must be removed from sale. Foods past the best if use by date must be clearly labeled as outdated. The salad was discarded.
- Proper hot holding temperatures (25 pts if less than 130F): Observed in Grill station steam table: French onion soup 98F. PIC (person in charge) stated that they turn on the steam table while the soup is warming in individual pots on the stove. They reheat the soup to 165F or above and then place into the steam table. The soup was reheated less than 1 hour ago. Hot hold Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) at 135°F or above. The soup was placed on the stove to reheat to 165F, then placed back in the steam table.
- Proper cold holding temperatures (10 pts if more than 45F): Observed in the following: Flat top station Randall 2-door prep top cooler (middle): (top)Pico 42F-46F, sliced tomato 43F. Fry station Randall 2-drawer cooler (left): (top)yogurt 49F, guacamole 50F, diced tomatoes 49F, Pico 48F. Grill station Randall 2-door prep top cooler (right): (top) diced tomatoes 44F-48F. PIC (person in charge) stated that all of the prep coolers were stocked less than 2 hours ago. Ensure all Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) are cold held at 41°F or below at all times. All of the TCS foods were replaced with already cold ones from the walk in cooler.
Yummi Teriyaki & Pho
- 5160 Point Fosdick NW Suite C101, Gig Harbor
- Inspection score on June 18: 35 red points
- Grade: Okay
Violations and comments
- Proper hot holding temperatures (25 pts if less than 130F): Observed in the steam table: Chicken 145F pork 93F. PIC (person in charge) stated the pork was placed in the steam table less than an hour ago. Hot hold Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) at 135°F or above. Pork was reheated to 170F and placed back in the steam table.
- Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used: Sanitizer greater than 200 parts per million chlorine. Be sure to change sanitizer when solution becomes cloudy. Sanitizer remixed.
1894 Grill at Tacoma Country and Golf Club
- 13204 Country Club Drive SW, Lakewood
- Inspection score on June 17: 35 red points, 5 blue points
- Grade: Great
Violations and comments
- Proper cooling procedures: Observed the following: Indoor Walk-in cooler: chowder 37F (5in, uncovered, congealed layer on top). PIC (person in charge) could not confirm when the chowder was cooked and cooled. Keg walk-in cooler: whipped butter 63F (recent use, within 1 hour, 8in, covered). PIC stated butter was warmed within the hour so that some of it could be put in a piping bag, and then placed back in the walk-in to cool back down. Cool all Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food (TCS) at a food depth of 2 inches or less, uncovered, in a walk-in refrigerator. Do not cover or transfer food to a greater food depth until it is 41°F or below. Chowder discarded. Whipped butter moved to a 2 inch tray, uncovered, and left in the walk-in cooler to cool back to 41F or below.
- Compliance with variance; specialized processes; HACCP plan: Observed reduced oxygen packaged beef in the 2 door reach in cooler. Per PIC, beef is sealed on site to extend shelf life and is usually used within 7 days of sealing. Facility does not have a vacuum sealer on the approved floor plan/equipment list. Beef removed from packaging. Remove the vacuum sealer from the facility.
- Potential food contamination prevented during delivery, preparation, storage, display: Observed residue buildup in the ice machine. PIC stated machine is cleaned quarterly and is only wiped with a sanitizer rag. Soap is not used. Be sure to wash with soap, rinse, and sanitize the ice machine at a frequency that prevents the buildup of residue and mold.
