JCDH Health Scores: Rodent Droppings, Dead Bugs In Local Eateries

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Jefferson County Department of Health inspected 221 restaurants in June, with the vast majority scoring well - most with a 90 or above. However, there were nine eateries in the county that did not fare quite as well.

Issues such as rodent droppings and soiled drink nozzles at the Circle K on Montclair Road were a factor in that establishment's score of 73. As well, Momma Goldberg's in Homewood scored a 77 due in part to dirty floors and wet clothes sitting on the prep counter.

Here are the restaurants that scored an 85 or below in their June health inspection:

Sonic Drive-In; 7701 Parway Drive, Leeds (71): 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; food handler wearing multiple bracelets and wrist bands; failure to maintain food at a proper temperature; failure to prevent the contact of food with non-food contact surfaces or with food contact surfaces that are not properly cleaned and sanitized; standing wastewater, food debris, and mold inside the make table cooler; food waste and soils in the RI freezer; moldy shelving in the WI cooler; missing floor drain cover at the grill; failure to keep the waste grease receptacle lid and dumpster doors and lids closed; damaged floor and wall base tiles and worn grouting in the dessert prep area and around the floor drain at the warewashing sink; unlabeled pump sprayer of degreaser was marked with the name of the contents during the inspection.

Circle K; 1685 Montclair Road, Birmingham (73): 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; failure to post current permit in public view; food for sale past date of expiration; drink nozzles were heavily soiled; bottom of the make table cooler has liquid residue, interior of cheese and chili machine is soiled, coffee and creamer stations are soiled with dried debris; missing ambient thermometer in the make table cooler; missing soap in the women's restroom; toilet in the women's restroom is soiled; failure to keep dumpster doors and lids closed; rodent droppings were present underneath the slush machine with a foul odor.

Momma Goldberg's; 2829 18th Street South, Homewood (77): Points were deducted for failure to provide food safety training for all food handlers as required; employee chewing gum on the line; accumulation of grime and residue on slicer and beverage nozzles had residue on them; food residue in the bottom of RI units in need of cleaning; wet clothes sitting on the counter; hand sink does not have adequate pressure and is not at 100 degrees; floors in need of cleaning throughout the facility (especially underneath equipment); unlabeled spray bottle containing sanitizer.

Sol Azteca; 1360 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills (82): 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 employees with vomit and diarrhea clean-up procedures; failure to provide country of origin for farm-raised or wild-caught fish to the consumer; using hemp rope for hanging pots and utensils in the kitchen; sanitizing solution for between-use storage of wet wiping cloths tested negative for chlorine; hand washing signs not posted at the hand sinks; failure to keep dumpster the side doors closed; failure to provide at least 50 foot candles of light in food prep and warewashing areas.

Eggroll Express; 100 Bessemer Superhighway, Midfield (82): Points were deducted for staff with very long nails handling food without gloves; plastic containers of sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls, beef and noodles were not date marked; containers of food stored under rusty shelves with heavy debris buildup and hanging string from torn liner; buildup on bottom shelves where pots of grease is being stored under prep table; corrosion pitted door and handle to RI cooler and freezer chest lid; baby roaches crawling under fryers that contains extremely gross amount of grease; several glue traps with large amount of dead bugs under shelves; damaged and rusty base tiles around WI cooler.

Applebees; 1600 Huffman Road, Center Point (83): Points were deducted for discolored raw meat stored in drawers under grill; failure to maintain food at a proper temperature; handle of ice scoop touching ice in ice machine; soiled vent covers in freezer; failure to change the sanitizing solution for wiping cloths when visibly soiled; improper storage of plates; soiled freezer floor.

A & A Quick Stop; 4356 1st Avenue North, Birmingham (84): Points were deducted for failure to maintain food at a proper temperature; ice scoop stored on top of a dirty picture frame; no thermometer for measuring internal food temperatures; old equipment not in use stored against wall in prep area.

Subway (Walmart); 1600 Montclair Road, Birmingham (85): Points were deducted for failure to provide food safety training for all food handlers as required; failure to maintain food at proper temperature; spoon handle was touching the steak; compactor area is soiled.

Olive Garden; 3555 Roosevelt Drive, Trussville (85): Points were deducted for temperature logs not in compliance with HACCP plan; failure to maintain food at a proper temperature; cooked noodles being thawed at room temp during the compliance inspection; cheese graters visibly soiled; condensation leak in WI cooler and WI freezer.