MARTINEZ — A Martinez restaurant is facing a follow-up inspection after scoring a 38 out of 100 during a routine health inspection last week — a score low enough to earn an unsatisfactory rating.
Tony’s Express Restaurant at 4471 Columbia Road, was inspected June 12. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for June 22.
What inspectors found
The inspection turned up 18 violations, several of them serious.
Among the most significant findings: a walk-in cooler was holding food at 72 degrees — well above the 41-degree maximum required for safe cold storage. Food items were moved to ice and a refrigerated truck was ordered. Inspectors also found chicken that had been cooling for an hour and a half but had only dropped from 113 degrees to 107 degrees — far short of the rate required to prevent bacterial growth. That food was discarded on the spot.
Inspectors also found rotting cabbage and lettuce inside the walk-in cooler. That was also thrown out during the inspection.
Handwashing and hygiene concerns
Inspectors observed an employee switching tasks and putting on gloves without first washing their hands. The handwashing sink lacked a working soap dispenser. Employees were also seen drinking from cups without lids or straws while in the kitchen — a violation of food safety rules.
Three employees had no proof of a required Employee Health Reporting Agreement on file.
One employee was observed preparing food while wearing a watch. Under state food safety rules, only a plain ring is permitted.
Repeat violations
Several of the violations were not the first time inspectors had flagged the same problems at the restaurant.
Shrimp was found thawing in standing water in a sink — a repeat violation. Inspectors noted the correct method is to thaw food under cool running water, during cooking, or in cold holding. Thermometers were missing from cold holding units, also a repeat issue. Food items including chicken, fish, onions and shrimp were stored uncovered throughout the kitchen, another repeat finding. Inspectors also noted gaps around the back door and insects throughout the facility — a problem that had been flagged before.
The floor, walls, ceiling and air conditioning unit were also cited for a repeat cleanliness and maintenance violation. The air conditioning unit was reading 85 degrees.
Management concerns
Inspectors noted the person in charge was not actively managing key food safety responsibilities, including holding temperatures, handwashing, cooling and thawing. Inspectors noted a person in charge with active managerial control should be put in place.
The restaurant also lacked a system for date marking food items — a requirement for tracking how long ready-to-eat foods have been stored.
If I have to swipe a crumpled napkin across another sticky restaurant table myself, I’m starting a support group. We’ll meet in the parking lot of your nearest understaffed eatery, where I’ll distribute hand sanitizer and rage.
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B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
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