Local Restaurant Receives "D" Grade Health Inspection 6 Months After Opening

A local restaurant did not performed well during a health inspection.Photo byMikael SeegenonUnsplash

When you drive a new car off the lot, you’re full of excitement. It’s shiny, doesn’t have a scratch on it, and you know you likely won’t have any kind of repairs to deal with anytime soon (unless you’ve ever purchased a new RV. That’s an entirely different story). The same is true with restaurants. You expect a restaurant to have a honeymoon phase. At least in terms of remaining up to snuff and not falling into disrepair. Yet, one Phoenix-area restaurant received a D health inspection grade less than six months after opening. 

Earlier this year, Mirador Mexican & Seafood opened at 743 South Lindsay Route (Suite C101) in Gilbert. The restaurant was given a clean bill of health from its pre-open inspection, and it was released into the wild. Once a restaurant opens, it will eventually fall into a somewhat scheduled annual inspection. While that first-year inspection might come after 12 months, it often comes with the health department visits that area of town. This happened to be around six months after opening. And in six months, the health score dropped to a D.

A restaurant that receives at least three Priority Violations automatically receives a D grade. Priority Violations are those that directly contribute to the increased probability of foodborne illness and injury. 

On July 23, the restaurant was visited for its first post-opening inspection. And yet, despite having just opened, the restaurant did not have a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate on hand. Such a manager and certification are required to be on hand. While staffing issues can occur when first opening, the owners themselves should at least have the certification.

A Priority Violation was identified when the inspector found raw beef stored above cooked chicken in the refrigerator. Food storage placement is especially important for restaurants, as improper storage can lead to contamination. In this case, raw beef could drip onto the cooked chicken. Raw meats must always be stored on the lower levels of a refrigerator. 

The second Priority violation came when it was found the dishwasher was using a 0 PPM (parts per million) chlorine concentrate. The PPM must be between 50 and 200 to ensure proper sanitizing. The Person In Charge (PIC) added bleach when the issue was pointed out. However, a dishwasher-specific sanitizer is needed for this, not bleach. 

Lastly, all food in a walk-in cooler or refrigerator must maintain temperatures of no greater than 41 degrees. Anything above this will begin to develop bacteria. Despite this, some food inside of the fridge tested upwards of 54 degrees.