Violations Found At Recently Inspected Ambler Restaurants: See Full Reports

AMBLER, PA — Six establishments were inspected in Ambler by the Montgomery County Department of Health over the past week.

Violations ranged from issues with rodents and insects, damaged tiles, holes in walls, and more minor paperwork details.

Further details on eateries around town and across the county are available on Montgomery County's public database.

Chaat Wala Inc, 35 N Main St, inspected April 14

Chaat Wala was cited for lacking a certified food protection manager. Inspectors noted the facility may qualify for an exemption based on its current menu and provided the application. The establishment has seen limited violations in its prior inspections.

Giuseppe's Pizza and Family Restaurant, 46 S Bethlehem Pike, inspected April 15

Rodent-like droppings were observed under kitchen equipment, a food prep cooler held potentially hazardous foods at 58°F with an ambient temperature of 50°F, and a soda gun holster at the bar had mold-like buildup. The restaurant also lacked required shellstock tags for 90 days, had no visible accurate thermometers in several cold units, stored food containers directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler and freezer, and was missing quat test strips for verifying sanitizer concentration.

Previous inspections at the eatery revealed a pattern of recurring issues, including repeated problems with shellfish tag record-keeping, unclean food-contact surfaces such as the soda gun, food stored on floors, inadequate handwashing facilities, and rodent activity. A December 2024 follow-up had confirmed cleaning after widespread rodent droppings, but similar pest evidence reappeared in the latest visit. Officials ordered immediate corrections, including professional pest control and refrigeration repairs.

Sweet Briar Ice Cream and Cafe, 11 Lindenwold Ave, inspected April 15

Sweet Briar was cited for several violations including a warewashing machine issues, cutting boards with deep grooves and heavy discoloration, rodent-attracting gaps around doors, and food containers stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler. Inspectors also noted torn door gaskets on refrigeration units, ice buildup inside reach-in ice cream freezers, improper storage of dirty dishes in the mop sink, missing test strips for sanitizer, and unapproved ceiling tiles behind the front counter.

The violations continue a pattern of repeat issues documented in prior inspections at the location, such as food stored on floors, in-use utensils like tongs and knives improperly stored, lack of a posted certified food protection manager certificate, unclean non-food contact surfaces, and physical facility problems including damaged ceiling tiles. Earlier reports also flagged rodent-like droppings, inadequate handwashing signage, missing hair restraints for food handlers, and improper cold holding of temperature-controlled items.

San Martin Mini Market, 10 N Main St, inspected April 15

San Martin was cited for multiple violations including the absence of soap and single-service towels at the bathroom hand sink, as well as extensive physical facility issues such as a hole in the wall next to the toilet covered with duct tape, and several areas of the retail floor with broken, missing or damaged tiles.

Similar issues have arisen before. Duct tape repair and damaged floor tiles have been noted four times in the past, alongside recurring problems with obstructed or inadequately supplied handwashing facilities, food containers stored directly on the retail floor, stained ceiling tiles, and improper storage of toxic substances near food. Earlier inspections also documented cockroach-like insects, non-functional freezers holding spoiled TCS foods, an expired license, and unauthorized presence of an employee’s baby in the dishwashing area.

The Pizza Box II, 17 W Butler Pike, inspected April 14

Pizza Box did not have a certified food protection manager (the fourth repeat violation), no soap or single-service towels at the back hand sink, knives stored in the space between the wall and the back of the three-bay sink, rust on walk-in cooler shelves (second violation), sinks not properly sealed to the wall, an improper air gap at the food prep sink (second violation), a leaking faucet at the front hand sink, and a mop not stored hanging to dry.

Backyard Beans Coffee Company, 22 E Butler Ave, inspected April 14

The shop cited for a single violation, in-use utensils stored in stagnant water measured at 70 degrees between uses. Inspectors required the water to be maintained at 135 degrees or higher for proper storage. The coffee shop has shown minimal issues overall, with no violations noted during their June 2025 inspection.

Inspections are a “snapshot” in time and are not always reflective of the day-to-day operations and overall condition of an establishment, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture