Popular Sandwich Shop Receives D-Level Health Inspection

A local sub sandwich restaurant did not perform well on its food safety inspection.Photo byThomas ParkonUnsplash

For a restaurant to receive a D-level health inspection grade in the greater Phoenix area it needs to receive three Priority Violations. A Priority Violation is one that directly contributes to the increased risk of foodborne illness or injury. The vast majority of restaurants in the area perform well enough to avoid these kinds of issues. In fact, most have one Priority Violation at most. However, for a popular sandwich shop in the Valley, it was given a D-level health grade during its most recent inspection.

On August 10, Ike’s Love & Sandwiches at 7420 South Rural Road in Tempe. Since the first reported inspection in 2021, the restaurant has generally performed well. During the first inspection of 2021, the restaurant did receive a C grade. Following that inspection, the restaurant decided to opt out of partaking in the voluntary grading system. All that means is the restaurant no longer receives a letter grade, but the violations still apply. It is why the restaurant received a “D-level” grade for its most recent inspection. While it isn’t participating in the grading system, if it was, the three Priority Violations would result in a D.

For this visit, the inspector did come off as rather strict, but it’s generally better to have a strict health inspector than a relaxed one.

The restaurant had been violation-free since 2022, but in its most recent visit, a total of seven violations were identified in total. Smaller violations included finding food debris under equipment throughout the sandwich-making line (which can happen when inspected during the middle of a shift). A bag of frozen chicken was found thawing in the sink and the restaurant was cited for not having water running on it, and sliced meat was tested at 48 degrees (it needs to be 41 degrees or below when stored in a walk-in cooler or cold prep area). The Person In Charge (PIC) said the meat had just been prepped an hour earlier, thus the not-yet-cool temperature. 

Lastly, the restaurant did not have a Certified Food Protection Manager certification on hand. This was the second inspection in a row the restaurant failed to have its certification.

Regarding the Priority Violations, the first came when a restaurant employee rang someone up for an order, touched the cash register, and then placed on gloves without washing their hands first. The second came when food inside the walk-in cooler tested upwards of 52 degrees. Anything above 41 is considered in the danger zone as bacteria grows in the warmer temps. 

The last Priority Violation came when the inspector found cleaning supply bottles sitting directly over the prep table. Due to possible cross contamination, the inspector pointed out the problem.