Kitchen Cops: Kid in the kitchen and a fire extinguisher in the sink
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Madison County Kitchen Cops were extremely busy this week, turning in more than 115 scores, and a handful of unannounced inspections based on customer complaints.
For several months, we’ve been talking about the ongoing streak of low scores at various Bridge Street restaurants. One exception has been the Urban Cookhouse. Unfortunately, this week, their name is added to the list with a 76 score. Inspectors came in on November 30th and say they found an employee’s child lying on top of bagged charcoal on a storage shelf in the kitchen. There were also gnats in the kitchen, dirty bowls stored with clean ones, cheese and fruit at the wrong temperature and mold on strawberries and blueberries in the cooler. All of these violations were corrected when inspectors returned for a follow-up visit December 3rd.
The lowest score this week belongs to a spot that makes frequent appearances on Kitchen Cops: the Pine Grove Texaco on Wall Triana in Madison. Most recently, it scored a 75 back in mid-October. This time, it falls to a 63. There were multiple food temperature problems, ribs made without a date marker on them, employees washing dishes without sanitizing them, roaches in the building, and employees not properly washing hands. The inspector noted these problems were also fixed when inspectors came back a week later.
Newk’s Cafe on University Drive in Huntsville makes it’s first appearance on the trouble spots list after scoring a 72 this week. It also had multiple food temperature problems, a dirty ice chute, dirty an opener and damaged cutting board. There were also dented and bloated cans in the storage room. According to the USDA, this can be an indication of contaminated or expired foods.
Las Trojas on Highway 72 in Madison is near the bottom of the score sheet with a 77. There was no soap available in the kitchen, a dirty soda nozzle, and dishwasher without sanitizer.
The Zaxby’s at South Memorial Parkway and Meadowbrook in Huntsville had a dirty ice machine and food temperature problems. It scored a 78. That ice machine was still dirty during a follow-up inspection and the managers were warned that the license would be suspended if the problem wasn’t fixed.
Limestone County
Only one problem score in Limestone County this week: an 83 at the Jiffy Food Store on Hobbs Street in Athens. The hot water was turned off and there were multiple foods at the wrong temperature.
Morgan County
The lone low score in Morgan County this week is an 80 at Rock N Roll Sushi on the Beltline in Decatur. It was written up for toxic chemicals on the food prep table, and chicken and rice at the wrong temperature.
Lauderdale County
We received two weeks’ worth of scores from Lauderdale County this week. The lowest score of the lot was from Walton’s Restaurant on Highway 101 in Rogersville which earned a 72. The inspector spotted an employee touching ready-to-eat hushpuppies barehanded, flies and gnats throughout the building, sour cream sitting out at the wrong temperature, and inexplicably - a fire extinguisher lying in a bathroom sink, but no soap at that sink.
Elsewhere, the Happy Hollow Mart in Florence was written up for improper chemical storage and missing dates on some foods in the cooler. It scored an 83.
Colbert County
No problematic inspections in Colbert County this week.
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