Kitchen Cops: Summertime brings pests into the kitchen

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Summertime means bugs, and any restaurant worker or manager will tell you - that means they’ve got to step up their pest control game.

The kitchen cops found plenty of pest problems all across north Alabama during their routine inspections this week. Plus - one donut shop in the Shoals had a potentially disastrous mix-up with it’s spray bottles.

MADISON COUNTY:

The lowest score in Madison County this week is a repeat offender to the kitchen cops: Pine Grove Texaco on Wall Triana in Madison. This week, it scores a 68. Inspectors noted multiple food temperature problems, missing toilet tissue in the women’s restroom, residue in the ice chute, grease found on the ground outside and flies in the kitchen. The problems were all fixed in time for a follow-up inspection a few days later.

There are two low scores to report coming from Bridge Street. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is written up for dented cans in storage, missing dates on some cooked foods, cracked containers, and dirty pans and containers mixed in with clean ones. There were also multiple food temperature issues. It scores an 80.

Pieology Pizzeria scores an 82 due to food temperature issues and soda nozzles with a pink substance on them.

The Merrill Gardens at Madison was rated at an 83 due to food temperature problems.

The Krystal on Old Monrovia Road had residue in it’s ice chute and missing paper towels at a sink. It scored 85.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY

The Riverside Restaurant on East Limestone Street in Florence has the lowest score in Lauderdale County with a 76. Inspectors say there was no sanitizer in the dish washer, and gray water backing up into the sink and the parking lot due to a broken port cover on a pipe.

The Krispy Kreme on Cox Creek Parkway scored an 85 due to a dangerous mix up. Inspectors noted two spray bottles labeled as being edible oil that actually contained Windex. The Krispy Kreme was also notified that it’s permit was in danger of being suspended due to employees missing safety certification.

LIMESTONE COUNTY

Two pizza places in Limestone County were both written up for flies in the kitchen, but it didn’t seriously impact their scores. Marco’s on Highway 72 got a 90 and Little Caesars on Hwy. 31 got a 91.