LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The dirty half-dozen. That’s what is on this week’s Dirty Dining report after the health district shut down six places - several for gross and unsanitary conditions.
Before the first restaurant, a grocer is also on this week's list.
Inspectors made several unpleasant discoveries when following up on a complaint Aug. 17 at Crown Market on Twain Avenue and Paradise Road.
The customer who complained told the health district, there was “no A/C and the store has rotten food for sale.”
When inspectors arrived at the market, they were hit with a strong, foul odor coming from the meat department area where they discovered Colby cheese that had expired on July 10 and numerous packages of bologna that dated back to May 23.
They also found moldy cabbage and potatoes for sale, a broken air conditioner... and... bugs.
The market was shut down for gross, unsanitary conditions including a multi-generational cockroach infestation.
There were live and dead roaches in employee restrooms and more in the meat department, which was shut down separately as it has its own health permit.
Approximately 100 dead roaches were found under meat department equipment.
Inspectors saw pest control records that confirmed ongoing roach issues dating back to June.
There was also frass (roach excrement) on outlets and near piping under the three-compartment sink.
Inspectors found numerous pest-friendly conditions including a refrigerator with pooling raw animal blood and blood-soaked towels inside the fridge and on the floor beneath equipment. Blood was "cascading down" in the cooler from raw chicken that was contaminating raw beef and pork.
There was trash and old food on floors and in-floor drains, as well as standing water under equipment.
Other violations included raw beef stored above ready to eat foods and beverages, uncovered raw pork in the cooler, and pink and black mold contaminating the ice machine chute.
Old food-soiled the deli slicer, meat grinder, and food dicer, and there was heavy rust and build-up throughout the kitchen.
Elsewhere in the market, soda cans were stored under a dripping copper pipe and ceiling tiles were broken.
There was sticky residue throughout the back area near soda storage and lots of trash and old food in merchandise areas, as well as a “very large amount of dead roaches on sticky traps beneath shelving.”
Floor drains and restrooms were dirty with dust, trash, and debris.
The meat department was reinspected Aug. 20 and got a zero demerit "A" grade. The market itself re-opened with a 3-demerit "A" grade.
Manager Luis Martinez said, “Unfortunately there were a few cockroaches, but it was not as bad as it seems in the health report. We had to discipline some employees and have a sit-down. Stuff was fixed the next day, but it took a while longer to re-open because we were waiting on a part to get everything back in action. We made mistakes, we learned and we’re keeping everything clean and sanitized.”
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Island Style Restaurant got 34 demerits on Aug. 17, which would ordinarily be a C grade, but the restaurant on Sahara Avenue and Valley View Boulevard met a worse fate as it was shut down because there was also an imminent health hazard.
Multi-generational cockroaches infested the food prep areas of the kitchen to the point where they were crawling on clean utensils and living behind shelving above the sink. Inspectors say there were no pest control records available during the inspection.
Floors and walls were excessively dirty with old food and dead roaches.
Two containers of expired food were still in use.
Shrimp was thawing at a dangerously unsafe temperature and beef ribs had to be thrown out after they were found in the temperature danger zone “for an undetermined amount of time and for unknown reasoning.”
Food in the fridge and freezer was uncovered and subject to potential contamination.
Scoops sat in lukewarm, standing water.
Raw pork and raw shrimp were thawing in contact with one another.
A container of uncovered chemicals sitting next to thawing raw meat.
Dirty kitchenwares were stored as clean.
There was mold in the ice machine and old food on the bottoms of multiple fridge units.
We made multiple attempts to reach someone at Island Style for comment, but the phone was never answered.
The Health District said the restaurant has not yet been re-inspected.
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Cockroaches and inadequate refrigeration were the double-whammy of imminent health hazards that shut down India Masala in the food court at the Fashion Show Mall.
It also got 30 demerits on its Aug. 20 inspection.
There were roaches throughout the kitchen, both dead and alive: under sinks, in dry storage, and even in the walk-in cooler.
Excessive old food and filthy conditions under cookline equipment contributed to the roach activity.
Two four-inch deep containers of rice at unsafe temperatures had to be thrown out, as did a ton of other foods in the temperature danger zone including yogurt, cooked chicken, cooked spinach, cooked goat, cut tomatoes with onions, and a half and half.
Foods in the fridge and freezer were uncovered, there was old food inside the meat grinder, mold in the ice machine, and dirty, greasy utensils were stored as clean.
India Masala was reinspected Aug. 24 and got a zero-demerit "A" grade.
A message left with an employee asking for an owner or manager to call back was not immediately returned.
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Las Islas Marias, a food truck on Nellis Boulevard and Owens Avenue, was shut down Aug. 19 for inadequate refrigeration.
The cashier handled a customer's ready to eat tortillas with bare hands. Those had to be thrown out and the cashier was instructed to wash hands but didn’t do it properly and had to be told do it again.
Las Islas Marias had to trash fish ceviche, imitation krab, empanadas, raw tilapia, diced tomatoes, raw shrimp, and oysters because all of it was in the temperature danger zone.
Through a translator, Owner Jorge Valderrama said he had no comment on the closure. They just had to change out a fridge and as of Aug. 26 they were back open with a zero-demerit "A" grade.
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A1 Mobile Catering is a Dirty Dining repeat offender.
One of its food trucks was shut down at Ponderosa Way and Valley View Boulevard on Aug. 18 for inadequate refrigeration.
A food handler only rinsed their hands, didn’t even use soap until the inspector intervened.
Another food handler used bare hands to prepare ready-to-eat avocado for customer service.
Deli ham, chicken wings, and eggs had to be thrown out due to unsafe temperatures. The only refrigerator on the truck was operating at 73 degrees.
A1’s owner said everything was fixed right away, noting that their trucks are struggling in the intense heat. She says all are holding proper temperatures now.
A1’s truck was re-inspected on Aug. 19 and got a zero-demerit "A" grade.
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Click here to see the health report for Island Style Restaurant.
Click here to see the health report for India Masala.
Click here to see the health report for Crown Market.
Click here to see the health report for Crown Market - Meat Dept.
Click here to see the health report for Las Islas Marias.
Click here to see the health report for A1 Mobile Catering.
