Frozen meat that was left out all night to thaw. Breadcrumbs for raw meat that were used for a whole week. A power outage caused by a forest fire wiped out an entire restaurant’s refrigerated food.
These were some of the violations health inspectors found at Washoe County restaurants in early August.
In total, 16 restaurants and catering establishments were found to be in breach of regulations during routine inspections by the Northern Nevada Health Department from August 1 to 15: four had to close completely, one received a grade of “unsatisfactory” and the remaining eleven were passed with reservations.
Northern Nevada Public Health, formerly known as Washoe County Health Department, issues four types of inspection ratings:
- Happen: Less than three critical violations during inspection.
- Conditional passing: Three to five critical violations that can be corrected immediately. The facility can remain open and a re-inspection will be conducted to “verify that all violations have been corrected,” the NNPH’s statement on the process said.
- Fail: A restaurant has more than six critical violations that can be corrected during the inspection. The establishment may remain open prior to re-inspection to ensure that all violations have been corrected.
- Close: The restaurant has serious violations that cannot be corrected during the inspection.
Below you will find a selection of critical and non-critical violations identified in the first half of August 2024.
Reno-Sparks restaurants closed due to serious health violations
Butcher shop Tres Amigas
2145 Sutro Street, Reno
- Thawing methods: Allow frozen meat to thaw overnight at room temperature.
- Pollution: Raw chorizo was contaminated with rust from the walk-in cooler; vegetables were contaminated with both raw chorizo and rust.
- Cold holding temperatures: Beef lard stored at room temperature.
COACH’S GRILL & SPORTS BAR
1573 S. Virginia St., Reno
- Cold holding temperatures: In the right makeup unit refrigerator, sliced tomatoes, sliced lettuce, and sour cream were observed at 49-50°F; in the left makeup unit refrigerator, homemade pico de gallo was observed at 54°F. (For safety reasons, food should be kept at 41°F or below to prevent bacterial growth.) This was the fourth consecutive inspection with similar violations.
- Hot and cold water: The hand basin next to the three-compartment sink had no hot water.
LOCO ON
1585 S. Virginia St., Reno
- Washing hands: An employee was observed handling raw chicken, removing gloves and then putting on new ones without washing his hands. This was the second consecutive inspection with a similar violation.
- Separate raw animal foods from each other: Bowl of raw chicken on eggs and raw beef stored in walk-in cooler. Raw animal foods must be stored from top to bottom as follows: cooked and ready-to-eat foods; unwashed fruits and vegetables; raw fish, seafood, whole muscle meat, pork and eggs in the shell; raw, ground or mechanically tenderized meat; raw chicken, poultry and stuffed foods. It was the third consecutive inspection with a similar violation.
Loco Ono has passed a follow-up inspection.
SASQUATCH TAVERN
775 Highway 40 West, Verdi
- Cold holding temperatures: Inspectors found that the facility experienced a power outage on August 12 and that temperatures of all food in walk-in coolers and all open refrigeration units were between 9°C and 17°C.
- Hot and cold water: Due to possible water contamination, the use of the water for any purpose has been suspended.
Related: Gold Ranch Fire destroys 700 acres near Verdi
Reno-Sparks restaurants that failed to heed their health violations
MARIO’S PORTOFINO RISTORANTE
1505 S. Virginia St., Reno
- Frequency of cleaning and disinfection: The operator stated that the containers containing flour for breading raw meat are replaced approximately once a week.
- Cooling time and temperatures: Multiple containers of homemade marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, etc. with temperatures ranging from 7 to 15 degrees Celsius. The operator stated that the food was cooked and cooled the day before.
- Washing hands: An employee touched a raw calamari steak, took off his gloves, and then put on new ones without washing his hands first. This was the second consecutive inspection with a similar violation.
Reno-Sparks restaurants conditionally pass health inspections
BETOS MEXICAN FOOD
575 W. Fifth St., Reno
Cooling time and temperature: Beans cooked the day before in the refrigerator at a temperature of 10 °C.
Cold holding temperatures: Cheese, salsas and chopped lettuce in the ice bath next to the steam table with temperatures of up to 15 °C. It was the third inspection in a row with a similar violation.
THE BLIND ONION PIZZA & PUB
3605 Kings Row, Reno
- Date marking and disposition: Two containers of salad mix in the refrigerators were noted eight days before the inspection. Chopped, fried bacon in the walk-in refrigerator was noted 20 days before the inspection.
- Contamination during food storage: Plastic garbage bags for storing dough in cooling units.
- Surfaces that do not come into contact with food: Accumulation of food debris throughout the facility, including on shelves in walk-in closets, under and behind cooking and refrigeration equipment, in floor sinks, and around the dough preparation room.
Sambor Butchery
2360 Oddie Blvd., Sparks
- Date marking and disposition: A single container of cooked carne asada, prepared the day before, was not dated. This was the fourth consecutive inspection with such violations.
- Sanitary: The faucet at the mop sink was leaking and did not have a traditional faucet. This was the fourth inspection in a row with this violation.
HOUSE GRANDE DOS
4796 Caughlin Parkway. 101, Reno
- Date marking and disposition: Two items in the walk-in cooler exceeded their seven-day shelf life: carnitas, which was labeled 11 days, and salsa verde, which was labeled 9 days. This was the second consecutive inspection with a similar violation.
- Poisonous or toxic substances: Eye contact solution is stored over tortillas in front of the kitchen.
Casa Grande Dos has passed a follow-up inspection.
HIDDEN VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
3575 E. Hidden Valley Drive, Reno
Date marking and disposition: A walk-in cooler was found to contain beef stroganoff dated eight days before the inspection and soup dated seven days before the inspection. This was the third inspection in a row with a similar violation.
Raw animal products with ready meals: Raw eggs in shell and raw eggs in mixed shell are stored in walk-in cold rooms directly above onions and potatoes.
MARKETON BAKERY
1500 S. Wells Avenue, Reno
- Cold holding temperatures: Store sweetened condensed milk labeled “refrigerate” at room temperature after opening.
- Date marking and disposition: Cream cheese filling for cakes observed that was due for disposal nine days ago.
- Contamination during storage/display: Cakes are stored in one unit, with Tres Leches cake running across the entire display.
MARKETON FOOD
1500 S. Wells Avenue, Reno
- Condition of the food: Four cans of baby food with an expiration date of April 1, 2024.
- Raw animal products with ready meals: Raw bacon stored over fully cooked hot dogs.
PASTA LA VISTA
299 E. Plumb Lane 180L, Reno
- Raw animal products with ready meals: Raw, peeled egg stored over ready-to-eat meatballs.
- Cold holding temperatures: Pesto sauce with pesto and cream and cream at 55 °F in an ice bath that only covered the bottom of the bottles.
RIVAS MEXICAN GRILL
1140 North Hills Blvd., Reno
- Raw animal products with ready meals: Cooked carnitas are stored on a shelf beneath a container of raw chorizo in the walk-in cooler.
- Disinfection: Observed an employee washing dishes in the following order: rinse with water in the second compartment, scrub with soap and water in the first compartment, then immerse in the disinfectant in the third compartment.
SMART & FINAL
365 E. Plumb Lane, Reno
- Raw animal products with ready meals: Raw bacon, stored over grated cheese.
- Cold holding temperatures: A section of a refrigeration unit with a thermometer reading 60°F. All items on the top four shelves, primarily salad dressings, had temperatures between 48°F and 67°F.
WING KING
101 E. Pueblo Street, Reno
- Date marking and disposition: “Pork wings” in reach-in dated nine days ago.
- Hot water availability: The operator stated that there was no access to hot water at the handwashing sink near the food preparation area.
