Local Indian Restaurant Fails Questionable Inspection

A local restaurant received a rather odd inspection.Photo byMatt WalshonUnsplash

When health inspectors visit local restaurants in Tucson they write up reports based on their findings. When a restaurant meets the necessary requirements (of which there are dozens, depending on the facility type of the business), the inspector indicates “In Compliance” and moves on. If there is an issue the inspector will take note, write out the issue, as well as any pertinent details regarding the problem. Rarely does it deviate from specifics, including instructions given to the Person In Charge (PIC) and if a follow-up inspection is warranted. Yet, there were some rather interesting notes left in one restaurant’s report. A restaurant that ultimately Failed its inspection. 

Tamarind of Tucson, located at 7265 North La Cholla Blvd, is a generally well-regarded Indian restaurant. It has a 4.4 rating on Google with nearly 900 reviews left. Maintaining that level of consistency isn’t easy. The restaurant’s inspections date back to 2020, and while every inspection did result in a minor violation here or there (minor violations can include chipped tiles or snags in carpeting), there was never any kind of major identifying issue. In March of 2024, Tamarind received its annual “Standard Frequency Inspection”, which, unless there are major problems identified, is typically performed once a year.

Despite receiving a “Good” inspection rating there were enough violations to warrant a follow-up inspection. On August 8, a second inspection for the year was performed, with the vast majority of violations corrected. While the March visit resulted in 7 violations, the August visit resulted in 3, all of which appear to have stemmed from the restaurant’s three-compartment sink and dishwashing machine. 

The water temperature on the dishwasher was not reaching a high enough temperature, nor was sanitizer being dispersed. While identifying the washing machine problems and indicating a repeat visit for later in the month was warranted, in a first, the inspector noted the restaurant had “minimal [near none] customers.”

Most inspectors don’t take direct swipes at a restaurant’s customer count during an odd-hour inspection. The number of visitors present has little to do with the inspection itself. It is something I have never seen before, and as someone who has worked in various restaurants, most inspections are performed during non-busy hours as it makes the inspection easier to complete. Adding it to the official notes is rather odd. 

Regardless, an inspector returned on August 13. The washing machine had not yet been fixed, and so Tamarind was given a Failing grade. Though, with just four useable days to repair the problem (and only two business days), the turnaround time for the repair was also especially short, when compared with other businesses which are often given at least 10 to 14 days to perform similar repairs.