Of 20 food inspections, 4 Greene Co. establishments need 2nd look

With Memorial Day on Monday, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department had about 30 inspections this week. In the past, the department has conducted anywhere from 50 to 80 inspections in a given week.

Among this week's 20 routine inspections, four reports noted a need for a re-inspection.

Food inspections take place one to three times a year, depending on the type of food served, the population served, difficulty of food preparation and past history. Restaurants preparing food from raw ingredients are inspected more often "than convenience stores that serve only non-potentially hazardous foods, such as popcorn and soda," according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

Each report identifies what was happening at the establishment at that time. Consumers who want to know whether a violation is a one-time thing or a pattern are encouraged to refer to previous reports.

More:Frequent reader of Greene County food inspections? Here's what inspectors want you to know

Issues found during inspection fall into either priority or non-priority violations. Priority violations impact the safety of the food, such as cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food, improper food temperature and poor personal hygiene and employee health. Multiple priority violations can lead to an establishment being shut down. Non-priority violations alone do not directly affect food safety, such as dirty floors, sticky tabletops or outside trash cans not being covered.

Here are food inspections from the last week:

Last week:After food inspection, Springfield grocery store pulls expired cans of toddler formula

Asian King Buffet, 3130 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. May 22 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed potentially hazardous foods not being kept at or below 41 degrees, which were voluntarily discarded. Two non-priorities: Observed fans in refrigeration units, floors, walls, and shelves were dirty; observed food items being stored on the bottom of walk-in freezer.

Asian King Buffet, 3130 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: active. No violations cited at time of re-inspection.

Bambino's, 1141 E. Delmar St., Springfield. May 26 re-inspection – Result: active. On site for re-inspection of dish machine, which tested between 50 and 100 parts per million. Violation has been corrected.

Big Whiskey's American Bar & Grill, 311 Park Central East, Springfield. May 25 re-inspection – Result: active. Priority items corrected: prep cooler holding food below 41 degrees Fahrenheit as required; steam table holding hot food above 135 degrees as required. Core items corrected: PVC pipes and chemical stands near dish area have been cleaned; dish racks have been replaced with new racks. No violations cited.

Bruno's, 416 S. South Ave., Springfield. May 25 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: 1. Observed employee cutting vegetables with bare hands. Corrected on-site by employee washing hands and donning gloves. Education provided to manager, manager agrees to monitor employees prepping and handling food to make sure bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods is prevented. 2. Observed several bags of noodles in pan in prep cooler with date reading 5/13/2023; all noodles voluntarily discarded. Ready-to-eat foods should be discarded if not used within seven days. Two non-priority violations: 1. Observed two bowls of noodles in three-door reach-in cooler covered while still cooling at 50 degrees. Time and temperature were still within required time frame, however method needs to be corrected. Employee placed noodles in ice bath to continue cooling. Finish cooling with ice bath or use walk-in cooler to finish cooling with food item uncovered or loosely covered. Corrected on-site, education provided. 2. Observed water on basement floor around grease trap and perimeter; plumbing should be in good repair. Clean water services notified.

Bush Country Cafe, 3043 N. Fort Ave., Springfield. May 31 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted during the inspection.

Canton Inn, 205 W. Sunshine St., Springfield. May 31 routine inspection – Result: active. Three priority violations: 1. Observed three different bins of noodles tested at 70 degrees, 72 degrees and 73 degrees, which were left out of the cooler sitting at room temperature for over 3 hours. All were voluntarily discarded. 2. Observed bin of noodles tested at 125 degrees and fried rice in same unit tested at 164 degrees. Noodles were discarded 3. Observed three bins of rice sitting out at 72 degrees, 118 degrees and 94 degrees, which was cooked 3 hours prior to temperature testing and did not reach 70 degrees within two hours. All bins of rice were voluntarily discarded. No non-priority violations.

City Cafe, 2129 W. Republic Road, Springfield. May 30 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Three non-priority violations: Observed ceiling in kitchen in front of dish machine line is leaking, and owner has turned air conditioning unit off and has repair company notified; observed well in dish machine had grease build-up and lime build-up, which employee cleaned and corrected on-site; observed cutting boards on grills and large board used for prep are scored, which should be resurfaced or replaced so surface is smooth and easily cleanable.

Civil Kitchen & Tap, 107 Park Central Square, Springfield. May 25 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: 1. Observed several foods in walk-in cooler, two-door prep cooler on line and on ice all above 41 degrees. Person in charge unaware of what the temperature of foods were this morning. No temperature taken in coolers today. Foods above 41 degrees voluntarily discarded since they were unable to verify how long food had been out of temperature. Person in charge stated they will call someone to come out today to fix the coolers. Move all potentially hazardous foods to other cooler until cooler can hold 41 degrees or below. Discussed keeping temperature logs or getting probe to monitor cooler temperatures. Sending temperature log with this inspection report. Discussed how to properly store foods on ice, which must be at the same level as the food. Reinspection required to verify coolers have been fixed to hold 41 degrees or below. 2. Observed employee placing toasted bun on plate for customer with bare hands. Employee voluntarily discarded bun. No non-priority violations.

Civil Kitchen & Tap, 107 Park Central Square, Springfield. May 26 re-inspection – Result: active. Reinspection for cold holding. All cold holding violations have been corrected. Facility is keeping temperature logs to verify temperatures are 41 degrees or below. No violations noted.

Creasian, 501 W. Chestnut Expressway, Springfield. May 30 compliance check 2 – Result: in compliance. One priority violation: Observed multiple bins of fried chicken, box of eggrolls and half a baking sheet of crab rangoon not date marked, education was provided. One non-priority violation: Observed six live roaches on-site, education provided.

Domino's Pizza, 1241 E. Kearney St., Springfield. June 1 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed daylight along bottom of back exterior door, which is a repeat violation.

Edible Art, 3167 W. Republic Road, Springfield. May 30 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted at this time.

Exit 88 Diner, 225 E. Evergreen St., Strafford. May 30 routine inspection – Result: active. Two priority violations: Observed multiple raw meats organized in a way that does not prevent cross-contamination, so education was given and violation corrected on-site by staff reorganizing raw meats; observed multiple prepared potentially hazardous foods past their marked 7 day date and other foods not date marked, so education was provided and staff discarded all foods not date marked and that were past the 7 day date. No non-priority violations.

Friends of the Zoo - Outpost, 3043 N. Fort Ave., Springfield. May 31 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. One non-priority violation: Observed wooden legs and shelving under counter tops were not stained or painted.

Fuji Japanese Seafood and Steakhouse, 2909 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. May 24 inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. On-site to perform routine inspection and investigate foodborne illness report. Three priority violations: 1. Observed rice tested at 77 degrees with ambient air for walk-in cooler at 36 degrees. Rice did not cool to 70 or below in 2 hour time frame required by food code. All five bins of rice prepared on May 24 were discarded voluntarily and education provided. 2. Observed salad bowls being prepped on baking sheet, which was on food prep surface but not properly sanitized. Baking sheet then used to cover prepped bowls of salad, which caused potential contamination. Education provided and re-inspection required. 3. Observed sauce bucket lid has large crack down the middle, multiple rice and noodle storage bins had chipped and melted handles. One non-priority violation: Observed bowl of water used for sushi prep was dumped in hand sink resulting in possibly contaminated water splashing hand-sink surfaces and surrounding area. Bowl was then rinsed out in hand sink and filled with water to be used again without proper wash, rinse and sanitizing. Possible contamination occurred, education provided.

Fuji Japanese Seafood and Steakhouse, 2909 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection. All previous violations corrected.

Hut Missouri LLC DBA Pizza Hut, 2627 N. Kansas Expressway. May 26 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

La Tropical Mexican Snacks, 1838 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. May 26 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited.

Little Caesar's Pizza, 4214 S. Farm Road 135, Springfield. May 26 routine inspection – Result: active. One priority violation: Observed hot hold cabinet holding chicken wings was at 118 degrees, which were voluntarily discarded and manager agrees to use alternate until gasket on door is replaced. Two non-priority violations: Observed build-up of grease and debris on shelving units in dish area and center of kitchens; observed toilet in restroom is not clean.

London Calling Pasty Company - Price Cutters Plus, 4228 S. National Ave., Springfield. May 31 routine inspection – Result: Active. No violations cited at time of inspection.

Love's Travel Stop Hardees, 400 N. State Highway 125 Strafford. May 30 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations cited during inspection.

Outback Steakhouse, 3760 S. Glenstone Outer Road, Springfield. May 26 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Four priority violations: Observed numerous potentially hazardous foods not being held at or below 41 degrees; observed numerous potentially hazardous foods found not being kept at 41; observed numerous potentially hazardous foods not being kept below or at 41 degrees; observed potentially hazardous foods not being held under time of temperature control; observed ice machine and soda nozzles found not clean. Four non-priority violations: Observed employees in food preparation areas not wearing hair restraints; observed employee restroom walls, floor, dink and toilet were not clean; observed numerous food items found stored on floor; observed back door glass found with hole.

Price Cutter Plus No. 51 Bakery/Retail, 4228 S. National Ave,. Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: active. One priority violations: Observed potentially hazardous foods not being held at or below 41 degrees. No non-priority violations.

Price Cutter Plus No. 51 Deli, 4228 S. National Ave., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. One priority violation: observed potentially hazardous foods as not being held at or below 41 degrees. No non-priority violations.

Price Cutter Plus No. 51 Product, 4228 S. National Ave., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: active. No violations cited at time of re-inspection.

Rerico Brazilian Grill, 3371 E. Montclair St., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: active. No violations cited at time of re-inspection.

Sonic Drive-In, 5656 S. Farm Road 157, Springfield. May 31 routine inspection – Result: permitted with re-inspection. Two priority violations: Observed numerous potentially hazardous foods not held at or below 41 degrees; observed potentially hazardous foods not being kept at or above 135 degrees.

Springfield Billiards LLC, 541 E. South St. Louis St., Springfield. May 25 routine inspection – Result: active. No priority violations. Two non-priority violations: Observed back hand-sink was being used as a dump sink as well as a hand-sink; observed flood in keg cooler and walk-in refrigerator were not clean.

Springfield Brewing Company, 305 S. Market Ave., Springfield. May 30 re-inspection – Result: active. All previous cold-hold violations have been corrected.

Springfield Park's Catering Kitchen, 1923 N. Weller Ave., Springfield. May 25 routine inspection – Result: active. No violations noted during inspection.