Hold the mayo, folks, because we've got some news from the Popeye's in North Syracuse, NY. Apparently, their kitchen didn't pass the health inspector's sniff test and three pieces of chicken breast fillets were caught red-handed in the hot hold at a lukewarm temperature of 128-131°F. (They must be held above 140°F) The manager on duty tried to play it cool by claiming the fillets had only been hanging out for 30 minutes, but the inspector wasn't buying it.
Turns out, there was no temperature monitoring system in place and the fillets were just stacked on top of each other. Yikes! Alas, that's not all, the inspector also found an ice scoop cozying up to a mold spot on the wall and utensils that were stored in an unclean condition after an inadequate washing process. Looks like Popeye's needs to up their game in the cleanliness department. Until then, we recommend grabbing your chicken elsewhere, folks.
Ladles and germs, it's time to take a break from your footlongs and take a closer look at the king of the sandwich game: Subway. Many of you know the drill, this chain has a reputation for being the frequent flyer of restaurant closures, getting shut down more times than any other major franchise. 55 times in the last few years, to be exact! But what's the deal? Well, the health inspectors have been taking notes and it looks like cleanliness might not be their strong suit.
The soda nozzle had a suspicious black substance, the meatballs were tepid, the tuna was taking its sweet time to cool down, and an employee was caught handling money before making a sandwich. That's all just at one joint! Whoopsie! Looks like we might have to find a new weight loss secret. Until then, we suggest skipping the Subway and grabbing a sandwich from a joint with fewer shutdowns.
Well, well, well, it looks like Ruby Tuesday has been playing a little fast and loose with their health and safety standards. The Chautauqua Health Department paid them a visit and found some pretty critical violations. The kitchen sink's cold handle was broken, and employees had to resort to using a tool to turn it on and off. And if that wasn't enough, the floor was slick with grease and there were no disposable towels in sight.
The health inspector also caught the cold temperatures on the buffet going rogue, which led to a whole batch of potato salad, pico, and coleslaw getting the axe. To top it all off, the Parmesan cheese sauce wasn't even hitting the right temperature. Looks like this restaurant's days were numbered before its closure. Time to find a new place for your Tuesday dinner plans.
Looks like Red Lobster in The Villages, FL had been caught red-handed (pun intended) by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Their recent inspections turned up some serious violations, from food temperature disasters to a lack of basic hygiene measures. Shrimp and Alfredo sauce were found to be lukewarm, and even pico and shredded cheddar were not holding up their end of the temperature bargain.
There wasn't even a thermometer in the reach-in cooler! The inspector also had some choice words for the flies taking up residency in the dish machine and cook line area. But wait, it gets better. The hand-wash sink was missing soap and paper towels, clean utensils were being stored in a soiled tub, and even the fan guards in the walk-in cooler were greasy and dirty. Looks like Red Lobster needs to step up their game or they may be facing some more closures.
Ooooh honey, it looks like Pizza Hut in Liverpool, NY was in a bit of a pickle! The health inspector found that their ice machine was stuck on the fritz, with water up to its neck, yikes! Looks like they needed to drain the situation and find out what's clogging things up. To add, let's just say, the kitchen wasn't exactly looking pretty.
The wall behind the breadstick station was covered in plastic wrap, which is not the easiest to clean, and all the shelves were greasy and had buildup. The hand wash sink was all soapy and the toilet rooms, well let's just say they were less than sparkling. The walk-in cooler was in rough shape too. The floor was missing tiles and had plywood showing, the door wasn't sealed, and the kitchen floor was sticky with soda residue and debris. Time to step up the cleaning game, Pizza Hut!
Well, Mickey D's is having some trouble keeping its Boston outlets clean! Some Golden Arches have been providing more than burgers and fries, according to the Boston City Department of Inspectional Services. It's evident that cleanliness isn't always a priority with over 125 citations across seven locations in the last few years.
Not all McDonald's are created equal, from dirty cupboards to insects and rodents. West Roxbury got 26 violations, including unclean floors, grills, surfaces, and bugs. The inspectors found live roaches, fruit flies, and burgers that weren't refrigerated properly at 607 Washington St. Inspectors found personnel handling food without hairnets and without washing their hands. One employee touched food without washing or changing gloves after touching trash! Yikes! These McDonald's outlets need a deep clean!
Well, it looks like the "home of the Whopper" in Atlanta was in a bit of hot water! The health inspector swung by and gave them a grade of "U", which is not what you want to see when you're chowing down on some burgers. According to the report, one of the workers was caught digging in the trash and then went straight to cooking up some grub without washing their hands.
Ewwww! And if that wasn't enough, 28 bottles of milk were found in the kitchen that were well past their prime, and there was even a little surprise guest hiding in the fridge - a dead roach. Yikes! Looks like it's time for this Burger King to step up its game and get its act together.
Hola Syracuse! The Cheesecake Factory here had some issues. This hotspot failed two health code inspections. Additionally, they had four consumer complaints (yes, really). From off-temperature raw meat to personnel touching food, this business is giving health inspectors and customers indigestion. Two customers reported feeling sick after eating at the Factory, with one even submitting their case to the health authorities. Yikes!
The restaurant was less than careful while handling raw shrimp and chicken than it was with the cheesecake. To make matters even worse, the franchise in question failed to report a potential complaint of foodborne disease to the relevant health department. Following the second inspection, thirteen infractions were discovered. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this Factory can get its act together!
You better sit down for this one, folks! The Olive Garden near the Mall at Stonecrest in Georgia got an "F" on its health inspection, and we're dishing all the juicy details! According to the report, some violations included food stored in all the wrong places and dishes that were far from clean. Plus, get this, an inspector caught an employee chowing down in the food prep area!
The kitchen was also a mess with a stack of silverware containers blocking the hand sink and an employee washing dishes in it! There was even a "pink and black" substance lurking in the ice bin, and raw chicken was being stored right above a container of French fries! Yikes! Talk about a recipe for disaster!
What the heck do we have here, eh? It seems the Cleveland Cracker Barrel wasn't quite up to par for their most recent health inspection. The restaurant received a mediocre score of 73, indicating that they should probably serve "yikes" alongside the biscuits and gravy. The inspector noted that the individual in charge did not even know the proper temperature for cleanliness.
The inspector's worst nightmare was realized when he saw an employee eating in the kitchen. However, that's not all! An employee was observed by the inspector touching bacon with their bare hands, and hot water was unavailable at the facility's primary hand-washing station. What's more, ham that had been opened over a week ago was still being kept for consumption. Yuck! To add, a customer complained about unclean silverware, as if things weren't awful enough.
It would appear that Five Guys was taking a brief break from serving their world-famous burgers. The well-known burger joint had to briefly close its doors after an unannounced inspection by the local health authorities. This caused some confusion. However, there is no cause for alarm, fans of Five Guys!
The people in charge have said they put in a lot of effort to get the kitchen back up to par so that it could resume its normal operations as soon as possible and continue to serve the masses juicy burgers. After all, large chain restaurants such as Five Guys have a few strategies up their sleeve to deal with health issues of this nature.
Hold up, coffee lovers! It seems that the Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania Starbucks many frequent ran into trouble with the local health department. Worry not! The baristas worked extra hard to get back to serving up your favorite sips. The establishment was apparently busted neglecting to perform basic housekeeping tasks including mopping up spills, collecting trash, and cleaning up the floor and counters.
Honey, these baristas worked it to make sure locals got their daily dose of caffeine in a sparkling clean environment. The joint may have had a little hiccup with its cleaning game, but worry not, they're back in business and that has to count for something. They worked had so others can savor every sip in a spotless space.
Honey, back in July of 2019, Red Robin customers in Westminster, CO were hit with a one-state E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. The Colorado Tri-County Health Department released their final report and, let me tell you, they weren't holding back on the criticism. Personnel hygiene and cross-contamination were to blame. Red Robin had to get their act together with rectal samples and all, because the health department wasn't messing around.
The burger joint closed its doors voluntarily to make sure they met all the requirements for re-opening. In this industry, handwashing, disposable gloves, and avoiding cross-contamination are key. Clean kitchens are a must. Let's not forget about underreported epidemics, which require public health experts to root out all the cases. Keeping it clean and safe is always in style!
Oh darlin', in 2022, in Hollywood, FL, Taco Bell flunked their health inspection. Live insects, I repeat, live insects, were spotted all over the joint! Flying in the kitchen, the food prep area, the food storage area, and even the bar area. Can you believe it? At the drive thru window, they were even flying around the warmers!
Top it all off, the cutting board, the lettuce, and tomatoes were crawling with insects! The dining area wasn't safe either, with guests swatting away the pests at their tables. To add insult to injury, they were even flying around the main kitchen office's computer. The final straw, two insects were spotted landing on tortilla chips in the main kitchen dry storage area. No proof of required employee training was provided. That explains a lot. What a shame!
City health inspectors were in for a little surprise when visiting Chick-fil-A Midtown, in the heart of Manhattan. Fruit flies and improperly stored grub were the main culprits. The NYDOHMH called for a voluntary closure, and folks waiting in line on 37th Street were left hangin'. But Chick-fil-A's manager wasn't gonna let a little bug problem get in the way. She announced the restaurant was closing up shop for a bit of touch-up work, a little maintenance, and some retraining.
Now, in this town, restaurants are graded by city health inspectors, and Chick-fil-A was looking at a failing grade after their second inspection later that year. Chick-fil-A decided to play it safe and decided to push back their reopening. After all, food safety is no laughing matter! Good on them!
