Roaches crawling on food: Alpharetta Mexican restaurant fails health inspection

A Mexican restaurant in Alpharetta failed its most recent health inspection last week, scoring a 63 out of 100 after an inspector found live roaches crawling on exposed food and a cutting board.

The Georgia Department of Public Health inspection at Senor Patron, located at 3005 Old Alabama Road, took place July 23. A score below 70 is considered unsatisfactory. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for August 6.

Roaches on food

The most serious finding was the presence of multiple roaches throughout the kitchen. An inspector observed a live roach on exposed food and on the cutting board of a prep cooler. Staff threw out all uncovered food in the affected cooler and agreed to deep clean the kitchen and increase pest control service.

Temperature failures

Inspectors also found widespread temperature control problems. Several foods requiring refrigeration were being held above 41 degrees in both the walk-in cooler and reach-in coolers. Rice, chorizo, and hot queso were all being held below the required 135-degree minimum for hot food. Staff threw out the hot-held items and moved or discarded the cold-held ones.

A separate problem involved in-house made salsa sitting at room temperature with no time markings to track how long it had been out. Staff moved the salsa to a cooler. The restaurant was told it would need a variance from the state health department if it wants to hold salsa at room temperature going forward.

Shredded chicken was also found cooling improperly in a deep metal container inside the walk-in cooler, a method that slows the cooling process and can allow bacteria to grow. Staff were told to transfer the chicken to shallow pans or place the container in an ice bath.

Raw chicken stored above other food

Inspectors found raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat vegetables in a reach-in cooler and above raw beef in the walk-in cooler. Storing raw poultry above other foods creates a risk of cross-contamination. Staff rearranged the items during the inspection.

Sanitizer problems

Sanitizer buckets in the main kitchen tested at zero parts per million, meaning they offered no actual sanitizing protection. This was a repeat violation. Wiping cloths were also found stored on and under the grill, and some were sitting in the same ineffective sanitizer solution. Staff replaced the sanitizer and agreed to keep wiping cloths stored in properly mixed sanitizer when not in use.

Other violations

Several other violations were noted and corrected during the inspection. Foods in the walk-in and reach-in coolers were found uncovered. Clean pans and containers were being stacked while still wet, a repeat violation that can allow bacteria to grow. Single-use plastic cups and bowls without handles were being used as scoops for flour, oil, sugar, and carne asada. A knife was found stored in the gap between a cooler and a prep table. And the handwashing sink in the main kitchen had no paper towels.

B.T. Clark

Publisher at The Georgia Sun – btclark@thegeorgiasun.com

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.