Faulty dishwasher and uncovered food: See the latest Merced County restaurant inspections
More than 60 restaurants, stores and other food businesses went through inspections in March and early April by the Merced County Department of Public Health — and most passed with flying colors.
Only one of the 65 establishments visited by health inspectors from March 1 through April 7 received an “unsatisfactory” rating on its inspection. Another 57 received “good” ratings, including 42 that had no violations observed and receiving no violation points from inspectors. A business receives a “good” rating when it has six or fewer points on its inspection.
Six businesses earned “satisfactory” ratings with between seven and 13 violation points from their inspections.
Only one establishment, King’s Asian Cuisine Sushi & Cocktail Lounge on Main Street in Merced, scored an “unsatisfactory” rating during its March 16 inspection, racking up 17 violation points for problems including:
- A dishwashing machine that was not dispensing chlorine to sanitize dishes and utensils.
- Not properly tracking time and temperature of food containers after they were removed from the sushi bar.
- One-inch holes in the rear screen door of the kitchen, potentially providing a way for rodents or other critters to get into the kitchen.
- Uncovered food in the walk-in refrigerator (corrected by the operators during the inspection).
- An open lid on the outdoor garbage container that is supposed to be closed at all times.
No establishments were closed by inspectors during the March or April periods. In instances of particularly egregious violations, such as a lack of hot water, plumbing issues causing drainage backups into a kitchen, or evidence of active insect or vermin infestations with food contamination, a restaurant operator may voluntarily close the business until the issues are resolved, or inspectors may order a business to be closed pending a reinspection.
Each of the 30 elementary, middle and high school cafeterias visited by inspectors since March 1 received “good” ratings – most receiving zero points or only one violation point during their inspections.
This story was originally published April 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
