The Modesto Bee

A bed in a yogurt shop and rice left out overnight: Latest Stanislaus County inspections

By Dominique Williams,

9 days ago

In our Reality Check stories, Modesto Bee journalists deliver fast facts about the issues that matter to local residents to hold officials and institutions accountable. Read more. Story idea? Tips@modbee.com .

A bed with a mattress was found in the storage room of a Modesto frozen yogurt shop and there was rice left out overnight at a Persian restaurant in Turlock during inspections conducted at the end of July and beginning of August.

The majority of the 2,400 permitted food service establishments in the county receive two unannounced routine food safety inspections per year, according to the Department of Environmental Resources . The website says inspection reports are scanned weekly.

Food trucks that operate under a Stanislaus County Health Department permit also are inspected by the county, though those are scheduled and done at the department’s office.

Dirty conditions at a Stanislaus County restaurant? How to report health code violations

Of the 49 restaurant inspection reports sent to The Modesto Bee on Wednesday, five were not updated on the site as of Thursday morning.

If an inspection listed below needs clarification, business owners can email Modesto Bee reporter Dominique Williams at dwilliams@modbee.com .

Three or more, or major, health violations

Violations were found during routine inspections of the following Stanislaus County food facilities during the week of July 29-Aug. 4. Only the dates of violations are listed.

The details of the reports do not indicate whether a restaurant passed or failed inspection. Corrective actions may have been made by the business by the time of publication.

The reports are linked. For updates on individual restaurants, search the DER website .

Poke Bowl , 3900 Pelandale Ave., Suite 100, in Modesto, had 12 violations July 29 — three of them major. Inspectors observed improper ware-washing methods: Staff members were washing and rinsing the dirty ware without proper sanitizing. Improper thawing procedures also were observed: Food handlers were thawing raw fish at room temperature. The cold-holding prep table had a temperature of 54 degrees (must be 41 degrees or lower). A fan in the front prep area was soiled with debris and grime.

There was a water leak coming from underneath the floor by the three-compartment sink and another one underneath the front prep table. The flooring near the three-compartment sink was deteriorating, exposing a nonsmooth and not easily cleanable surface. The walk-in refrigerator floor was soiled with food debris and had inadequate light intensity. An accumulation of dirt and grime was observed on the walk-in refrigerator fan. The hand-washing station in the serving area was lacking paper towels and hand soap. Pressurized cylinders were found unfastened to a rigid structure.

The facility voluntary closed and was approved to reopen Aug. 2 after all violations but one had been corrected.

El Rosal , 3430 Tully Road, Suite 51, in Modesto, had seven violations July 31. There was an accumulation of grime on the soda machine nozzles. The hand-washing station near the soda machine was obstructed with rags and containers. Counter cabinet doors near the soda machine were deteriorating, exposing a nonsmooth, absorbent and not easily cleanable surface. The ice machine interior surfaces were soiled with debris and grime. The hand-washing faucet in the men’s bathroom was detached and supplied hot water at only 130 degrees. One of the employee’s food handler cards was expired and the health permit was not available onsite.

Taqueria Michoacan , 517 Paradise Road in Modesto, had four violations July 31. The door to the restroom was soiled. A storage shelf in the back prep room had chips and peeling paint, rendering it difficult to clean, and the ceiling paint in the room was peeling. The faucet at the three-compartment sink was loose from the wall.

The Fox Pub , 1111 I St. in Modesto, had five violations Aug. 1 — one of them major. Frozen fish and chicken were thawing at room temperature. The grout at the wall adjacent to the dishwasher was embedded with black mold. A soap dispenser was empty and the bathroom doors lacked self-closing devices. The food safety certificates were lacking.

Urbano California Bistro , 1016 H St. in Modesto, had three violations Aug. 1 — one of them major. The dishwasher did not contain sanitizer. The trim around the counter above the prep refrigerator was missing. The food safety certificates and food handler cards were not available.

Nami-No Restaurant , 2545 Geer Road in Turlock, had four violations Aug. 2 — one of them major. Six party-size trays of cooked rice had been left out from the night before and was 78 degrees (must be 135 degrees or higher). The operator discarded the trays. Metal baking sheets and buckets with kabob skewers were observed on the floor. A refrigerator had an ambient temperature of 45 degrees. Food handler cards were lacking.

Yogurt Mill , 2591 Geer Road in Turlock, had four violations Aug. 2 — three of them major. A food employee was seen cleaning dining tables and then rinsing food utensils without washing hands between tasks. The dairy products in both a milk jug and in cartons were submerged in the food prep sink without the use of cold running water to break up ice crystals. They had a temperature of 50 degrees. The hand-washing station was lacking paper towels. Food handler cards were lacking or expired for several employees.

Other food facilities with three or more, or major, violations at the time of their inspections are:

Church’s Texas Chicken , 2020 Standiford Ave., Modesto (corrected and approved to open as of Aug. 12)
El Vista School Cafeteria (construction; corrected by Aug. 5)
ProteinHouse (corrected by July 31)
The Taco Shop (corrected by Aug. 8)

One to two non-major violations

Oodles Frozen Yogurt , 3430 Tully Road, Suite 42, in Modesto, had one violation July 31. Inspectors found a bed with a mattress in the back storage area. The facility had no food handlers aside from the owner.

According to Stanislaus County, other food facilities that had one to two violations, none of them major, are: