These Pittsburgh Eateries Had Consumer Alerts In 2019

PITTSBURGH PA, Allegheny County Health Department inspectors were busy in 2019, issuing nearly two dozen consumer alerts for health code issues at places that prepare or sell food. Here's what inspectors found at those places:

• Breaking Eggs Bakery Kiosk, South Hills Village

Posted: Dec. 6
Removed: Dec. 12
Violation: Food from an unapproved source; Failure to utilize the permitted commissary for food preparation; and lack of refrigeration for previously noted food items. The facility was not storing and preparing all products in the commissary located at 222 Third Avenue (Carnegie) as required
to then serve the products at the kiosk (301 South Hills Village Drive).

• Las Velas, Market Square

Posted: Nov. 6, 2019
Removed: Nov. 8, 2019

Violation: Recurrent violations including Improper cooling procedures; Food being held at improper cold holding temperature; Inadequate personal hygiene; Improper use of a
toxic item; and Lack of a certified manager during the inspection. Violations also included: Food being held at improper hot holding temperature; Failure to monitor food temperatures with a probe thermometer; Inadequate cleaning and sanitization; and Inadequate pest control.

• The Restaurant at Grand View Golf Club, Braddock Hills

Posted: Oct. 7.
Removed: October 16.

Violation: Recurrent violations including rodent infestation and adulterated foods; Foods requiring temperature control for safety at unsafe temperatures; Foods improperly cooled; Malfunctioning facilities to maintain food temperatures; Lack of a certified food protection manager.

• Hough's Taproom, Greenfield

Posted: Sept. 19.

Removed: Sept. 24

Violation: Food in unsound condition; Improper cooling of foods; Food held past the discard date; Inadequate cleaning and sanitization; Presence of pests; Improper use of chemicals in critical areas of the facility; and the absence of a certified food protection manager.

• Rite Aid, Oakmont

Posted: Sept. 13.
Removed: Sept. 20.

Violation: Sewage backing up in the employees’ toilet rooms

• Las Palmas, Brookline

Posted: Aug. 21.
Removed: Ordered closed Sept. 3.

Violation: Unsafe cold-holding temperatures; Improper cooling of foods; Lack of sufficient and properly functioning refrigeration; Cross-contamination not prevented; Poor employee hygiene; Lack of sufficient and properly functioning hand washing facilities; and fly infestations.

• Burgatory, Aspinwall

Posted: Aug 15.
Removed: Aug. 16.

Violation: Contamination Prevention; Facilities not maintaining foods at safe temperatures; Unsafe cold holding; Unsafe hot holding; Presence of insects.

• Thai Touch Kitchen, Mt. Lebanon

Posted: July 31.
Removed: August 2.

Violation: Failure to prevent contamination of food; Improper employee practices for personal
cleanliness; Failure to properly clean and sanitize equipment and utensils; Improper cooling of cooked food; Unsafe cold holding temperatures for food and ineffective measures to control insects in kitchen.

• Royal Caribbean Takeout, Wilkinsburg

Posted: July 22.
Removed: July 31.

Violation: Evidence of sewage backup in basement; Rainwater flooding toilet room; Food and
paper goods contaminated from clean-up; Lack of certified food protection manager.

• Dive Bar and Grille, Lawrenceville

Posted: July 25.
Removed: July 26.

Violation: Recurrent violations concerning unsafe cold holding due to refrigeration units which do not assure the maintenance and cooling of food at required temperatures.

Edgar's Best Tacos
Pittsburgh Taco Festival, South Side

Posted: June 1.
Removed: July 25.

Violation: Unsafe cold food temperatures; Cold holding units not maintaining temperature; Employees not washing hands; No soap for hand washing.

• R & B's Pizza, Bellevue

Posted: July 9.
Removed: July 11.

Violation: Unsafe holding temperatures; Malfunctioning facilities to maintain temperatures; Lack of probe thermometer.

• Fortune Star Buffet, Pleasant Hills

Posted: July 3.
Removed: July 8.

Violation: Cross-contamination of foods; Unsafe holding temperatures of foods; Facilities unable to maintain safe temperatures; Equipment and utensils not properly cleaned and sanitized; Dish machine not sanitizing.

• Ichiban Steakhouse, Waterworks

Posted: June 27.
Removed: July 1.

Violation: Unsafe cooling of foods; Unsafe cold-holding temperatures; Facilities to maintain food
temperatures malfunctioning; Contaminated utensils; Utensils not properly cleaned and sanitized.

• Smallman Galley, Strip District.

Posted: June 26.
Removed: June 28.

Violation: Unsafe cold holding; Unsafe cooling of foods; Mouse infestation/chewed product; Inadequate handwashing facilities/sinks blocked; Inadequate sanitization of food contact surfaces; Poor personal employee hygiene;Foods not protected from cross-contamination.

• Mallorca, South Side

Posted: May 20. 2019
Removed: May 23.

Violation: Unsafe thawing of vacuum packaged fish; unsafe cooling of prepared foods; lack of temperature monitoring; foods at unsafe temperatures; malfunctioning facilities to maintain safe food temperatures; cross-contamination not prevented; poor employee personal hygiene; food contact surfaces soiled, and not properly cleaned and sanitized; lack of demonstration of food safety knowledge; employee toilet not clean; incomplete date-marking of prepared foods.

• Family Dollar, Crafton Heights-Elliott

Posted: May 9.
Removed: May 20.

Violation: Mouse infestation.

• Lidia's, Strip District

Posted: May 7.
Removed: May 10.

Violation: Prep coolers not working/not maintaining proper cold food temperatures; Unsafe cold
holding of potentially hazardous foods; Ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous foods held past use-by date; Foods improperly cooled.

• Spork Pit, Bloomfield

Posted: April 23. 2019
Removed: May 7.

Violation: Use of modified atmosphere packaging without written permission; Lack of effective pest control measures; Unsafe procedures for reheating previously cooked food; Unsafe hot food holding temperature; Failure to use a product thermometer to assure proper food storage temperature

• Me Lyng, Homestead

Posted: March 28.
Removed: April 8.

Violation: Mouse infestation; Lack of a Certified Food Protection manager; Food-contact surfaces not properly cleaned and sanitized.

• Family Dollar, Crafton Heights-Elliott

Posted: March 6.
Removed: March 18.

Violation: Significant mouse infestation; Food chewed/damaged by rodents.

• Las Palmas, Oakland

Posted: Jan. 24.
Removed: Feb. 4.

Violation: Certified manager not present, roach infestation, inadequate handwashing facilities, inadequate sewage disposal/leaking toilet.

• Dragon Town, Bellevue

Posted: Jan 18

Removed: Jan 28

Violation: Unsafe cold holding and unsafe cooling of foods requiring temperature control for safety; cross-contamination not prevented; utensils and food-contact surfaces not cleaned and sanitized; lack of a Certified Food Protection Manager; Eating and smoking in the kitchen.