Expired Food; Dirty Bathrooms: JeffCo November Health Scores

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The Jefferson County Department of Health inspected 232 restaurants in the county in November, and nine of those establishments received a health score of 85 or below.

Violations cited most often with these restaurants include lack of training for employees in regard to food handling, dirty work areas, dirty restrooms, improper food temperature and out-of-date food.

Here are the eateries in the county that received an 85 or below in November:

Samford University/Beeson Center, Homewood (73): Points were deducted for employees' personal drinks stored with food and utensils; frozen condensate inside the box of cinnamon rolls; failure to maintain food at proper temperature; raw turkey stored with the cases of ice cream mix; old, dried onions inside the dicer; failure to provide backflow prevention device at all faucets where a hose is used; toilet and handsink in the men's restroom are heavily soiled; rodent droppings under the cold bar in the "My Kitchen" area.

Domino's Pizza; 1506 Montclair Road, Birmingham (78): Points were deducted because no one currently has a food safety manager certification; sausage stored above proper temperature; failure to label all food or ingredients that are not in the original package; packaged ham was found on the floor in the WI cooler; interiors and exteriors of RI coolers are soiled with debris; no ambient thermometer in the RI cooler on the make line; pans are stacked wet on the clean rack shelf by the warewashing area; three of the handsinks including the restroom are missing paper towels; all handsinks are soiled; floors throughout store are soiled with food debris.

IHOP; 7748 Crestwood Blvd. Irondale (78): Points were deducted for failure to provide an employee health policy that states what actions are necessary when an employee has a specific symptom or diagnosis related to diseases that are transmissible through food; failure to provide food safety training for all food handlers as required; ham, sliced tomatoes, white cheddar sauce and cut melons stored above proper temperature; out of sanitizer for the dish machine, but was still using the dish machine; make table coolers are soiled with liquid and food debris; condensate leak in the WI freezer; dumpster pad is soiled with debris; floors throughout the facility are soiled; bulb blown over the stove top.

Wendy's; 104 Bessemer Highway, Midfield (82): Points were deducted because staff incorrectly washed hands before putting on gloves; staff with open cut on hand and no bandage with gloves; lack of appropriate chemical test kit that accurately measures the concentration of sanitizing solutions; large ice buildup in bottom RI cooler below front chili station; broken thermometer in bottom RI cooler below chili station; cups stored in dirty cup dispenser near drive through window; drain pipe at ice machine has no two inch air gap; leaking pipe under 3 compartment sink.

Pancho's Mexican Grill; 1676 Montclair Road, Birmingham (84): Points were deducted because the facility was using a ServSafe certification that works at another restaurant. (El Cazador); raw chicken, beef and steak stored above proper temperature; box stored directly on top of a pan of tamales in the WI freezer; keg cooler has standing liquid; missing a backflow preventer on the mop sink faucet.

Super Oferta's; 406 West Valley Avenue, Homewood (84): Points were deducted for failure to certify employees on food handling; failure to post current inspection report in a conspicuous place inside the food establishment; our cream stored inside the RI display cooler out of date; no food thermometer; no drain stoppers; sanitizer for the wiping cloths is not set up; self-closer is not attached to the restroom door; receptacles in both of the restrooms do not have lids; accumulation of lint on the restroom exhaust vents.

Asian Market; 1581 Montgomery Highway, Hoover (85): Points were deducted for failure to post current inspection report in a conspicuous place inside the food establishment; boxes and containers of fish frozen within condensate leak; boxes of food on the floor; knife on boxes in back packaging area; food residue at the bottom of RI coolers and display coolers; no soap at handwashing sink; water damage on flooring and ceiling tiles.

Chuck E Cheese; 500 Old Town Road, Vestavia Hills (85): Points were deducted for items (cut mushrooms, cut bell peppers, chopped ham, etc) in RI cooler without proper date mark after preparation; mold buildup inside of the ice shoot on drink machines; food debris in the bottom and around gaskets of the RI coolers in the kitchen area; uncovered single-service plates and utensils; degreaser and other chemicals in spray bottles without labels.

McDonald's; 1907 Center Point Road, Birmingham (85): Points were deducted for outdated pre-packaged salad mix in WI cooler; dirty ice machine; broken RI cooler gaskets in area under McCafe' machines; failure to provide paper towels or a continuous towel system that supplies the user with a clean towel at each handwashing sink or group of adjacent sinks; dumpster doors and lids left open; buckling wall in back storage area; soiled ventilation filter above fryers.