One spot had rodent droppings on a meat slicer and dead cockroaches in the pantry while another continued to have conditions that “could potentially cause food borne illness diseases.”
Those were some of the notable conditions San Luis Obispo County health inspectors found in September during dozens of surprise visits to eating and drinking establishments.
Many food and beverage sellers passed with flying colors, while others needed to make serious improvements.
Every month, The Tribune prints the lowest- and highest-ranked eateries to give diners more information about the places where they buy food and drinks.
Inspectors visit restaurants, bars, coffee shops, grocery stores, mini-marts and more on a monthly basis. They score eateries on a 100-point scale and make deductions based on the severity of the violations they find.
To check out the safety and cleanliness of your favorite restaurants around the county, visit www.EatSafeSLO.org and use the interactive map to view full inspection reports.
Here are the highs and lows of the 189 inspections Environmental Health employees conducted in September.
Lowest-rated restaurants
Las Kalaveras , 1218 Pine St., Paso Robles
Points lost: 18
Notes: During its reinspection in September, an inspector noted the Paso Robles restaurant had “numerous violations that could potentially cause food borne illness diseases.” According to the inspection notes, employees at the business lacked understanding of basic food safety principles — notably regarding proper cooling techniques. During the inspection, a large pan of rice was incorrectly left cooling on a prep table, bags of rice were being kept on the floor and the inspector was unable to verify a Food Manager Certificate. All of those were repeat violations for the restaurant, which in its last routine inspection in July lost 25 points for similar conditions.
Lotus Thai Cuisine , 2060 9th St., Los Osos
Points lost: 16.5
Notes: Lotus Thai Cuisine in Los Osos lost more than 10 points during its routine inspection last month on issues that had been noted by inspectors during previous visits. Those included not having a sanitizer solution set up during active food preparation and a peanut sauce being thawed incorrectly in the food prep sink. According to inspection notes, items must be thawed either by being completely submerged under running water in a food prep sink for less than two hours, in a refrigeration unit or by microwave. Other health code violations included raw, cut vegetables being kept on the counter, rice being stored in to-go containers, foil and cardboard being used to line and cover shelves and a build-up of grease and debris throughout the kitchen. The inspector also noted the door to the toilet and front door were both propped open during the visit.
Nipomo High Booster Club Concessions , 525 N. Thompson Ave., Nipomo
Points lost: 15
Notes: Only a few months after dead cockroaches made the stand one of the lowest-ranked spots in SLO County , the Nipomo High School Booster Club’s concessions stand again lost a large number of points during its routine inspection in September — and guess what? The cockroaches made another appearance. According to inspection notes, “a few dead cockroaches” were once again found in the dry storage room. That wasn’t the worst of it, however. The inspector also observed “rodent droppings on a meat slicer in dry storage,” according to the inspection results. The club was ordered to remove all rodent droppings and evidence of cockroaches at once. The stand also had a number of repeat violations, including build-up and grime on the ice chute, no food safety certifications, no sanitizer test strips at the facility and the facility’s latest health permit not being posted in a conspicuous place.
Kochi BBQ & Seafood , 6900 El Camino Real, Atascadero
Points lost: 12.5
Notes: During its routine inspection in September, the Atascadero restaurant lost points for keeping items in the hand-washing sink in the kitchen and not having paper towel and soap dispensers at the facility’s second hand-washing sink. The restaurant also lost points for using household microwaves rather than commercial-grade, not properly elevating food items above the floor in storage and using wiping cloths “for multiple uses without storing in sanitizing solution.” It also was told to clean the gaskets and doors of its refrigerators to remove food debris and implement a cleaning schedule to prevent dust accumulation on components of the dish-washing machine.
Paso Robles Bakery & Deli , 3328 Spring St., Paso Robles
Points lost: 12.5
Notes: The Paso Robles restaurant lost points during its September visit when an inspector measured the temperature of a pot of day-old cooked beans being kept in the refrigeration unit and found they were significantly warmer than they should have been. The beans were voluntarily discarded. According to inspection notes, the business also did not have sanitizer solution on hand during food prep, was storing raw meats above ready-to-eat foods and had a box of eggs on the floor in the walk-in refrigerator. It was also told to stop using sponges on food-contact surfaces.
Blaze Pizza , 2-51 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles
Points lost: 11
Notes: The pizza chain’s Paso Robles location lost points during its latest inspection for health code violations including the paper towel dispenser not being stocked, no sanitizer on hand, employees without food handler certification and a slew of broken refrigeration gaskets and secondary thermometers. The restaurant was also told to stop shutting off the water heater at the location and ensure hot water was available for us at all times.
Highest-rated restaurants
These stores and restaurants received scores of 99 to 100, with few to no violations.
San Luis Obispo
- Ancient Owl Beer Garden & Bottle Shoppe, 3197 Duncan Road, Unit A
- CAPSLO Homeless Services Center, 40 Prado Road
- Cafe Roma, 1020 Railroad Ave.
- Clean Machine Kitchen, 570 Higuera St., Suite 180/185
- Elks Lodge #322, 222 Elks Lane
- Grace Church of San Luis Obispo, 1350 Osos St.
- Honor Farm, 880 Oklahoma Ave.
- Koberl’s at Blue, 998 Monterey St.
- Luna Red, 1023 Chorro St.
- Lucy’s Coffee Shop, 871 Froom Ranch #100
- See Canyon Fruit Ranch, 2345 See Canyon Road
- Shekamoo Grill, 4750 Allene Way
- Sunset Drive-In Snack Bar ,255 Elks Lane
- Taco Rico, 3975 S Higuera St. #101
- The Carrisa, 736 Higuera St.
- The Secret Garden, 740 Higuera St.
- Vineshift Inc DBA Region, 858 Monterey St.
North Coast
- Camp Ocean Pines, 1473 Randall Drive, Cambria
- Camp Yeager, 525 Ashby Lane, Cambria
- Old Cambria Market, 589 Main St., Cambria
- Olallieberry Inn, 2476 Main St., Cambria
- Avocado Shack, 2190 Main St., Morro Bay
- Burger King #4493, 781 Quintana Road, Morro Bay
- Crill’s Salt Water Taffy, 1247 Embarcadero, Morro Bay
- Dollar Tree #03246, 490 Quintana Road, Morro Bay
- Gaia’s Garden, 875 Main St., Suite C, Morro Bay
- La Serena Inn, 990 Morro Ave., Morro Bay
- Masterpiece Hotel, 1206 Main St., Morro Bay
- Morro Bay USA, 1798 Main St., Morro Bay
South County
- Curl Fitness, 1299 James Way, Arroyo Grande
- Doughboy’s Pizzeria, 1800 E Grand Ave., Suite N, Grover Beach
- Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 1229 E Grand Ave., Suite 103, Arroyo Grande
- Grover City Grange #746, 370 S 13th St., Grover Beach
- House of the Rising Buns, 950 Price St., Pismo Beach
- McDonald’s #14896, 1550 W Grande Ave., Grover Beach
- Spyglass Shell, 2699 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
- The Steaming Bean, 1651 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
North County
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