Mouse droppings among 19 health violations found at local restaurant
Bart Bedsole
Barbecue lovers, the wait is over for a perfect scoring restaurant.
But first, mouse droppings are just one of 19 violations (a new Restaurant Roundup record) found at a local kitchen near the Citadel Mall.
LOW SCORES
The low-scoring restaurant this week is the First Wok near East San Miguel and North Academy.
Among the 19 violations found:
The inspector observed a food handler observed food handler wipe their nose with their hand and continue to cook
Several items, including cooler handles, prep table covers, shelving, walls, and containers, had a buildup of grease and grime
There was a large gap observed in the back screen door, potentially allowing pests inside
Mouse droppings were found in several areas, including the furnace room, storage closet, and dry storage area
KRDO13 went to First Wok to ask about the violations, and the visit was not a total surprise because the health inspector had warned the staff that KRDO13 might be stopping by due to the extensive violations.
A worker told KRDO13 that most of the violations had to do with cleaning and were addressed.
Regarding the mouse droppings, the worker denied having a problem with mice and said the droppings were several years old.
He didn’t explain why the droppings were still there, but added that a pest control company came by after the health inspection and didn’t find any problems.
First Wok passed its re-inspection on June 6 with four violations.
Not far away, the King Buffet on North Academy also failed its health inspection.
It was the second failure in the month of May.
The problems here include:
No dates marked on several items, including crab salad and seafood salad
The staff failed to put on new gloves when switching between tasks
Containers were rinsed and washed, but not sanitized, before being put away
KRDO13’s call to the King Buffet was not returned.
It has yet to be inspected for a third time.
The Boil Daddy at Stetson Hills and Powers also failed.
The seven violations here include:
An employee switching tasks without first washing their hands, while another was spotted washing their hands while wearing gloves
A worker was also spotted cutting a lemon without wearing gloves at all
The restaurant was also using an improper method to thaw out frozen fish.
No one from The Boil Daddy responded to our request for comment.
The restaurant did pass its re-inspection on June 4 with just a single violation.
HIGH SCORES
Several restaurants scored very well on their health inspections.
Border Burger Bar – 934 Manitou Ave – 2 violations
Front Range Barbecue – 2330 W Colorado Ave – 2 violations
Arby’s – 4456 Venetucci Blvd – 1 violation
Pho Brothers II – 562 W Hwy 105 – 1 violation
Bird Dog BBQ – 5984 Stetson hills – 0 violations
The barbecue at Bird Dog BBQ is Oklahoma-style, smoked over oak wood with sauce on the side.
“Good meat shouldn’t need sauce, but we have fantastic sauce, so we think you ought to put it on there anyway,” says owner and founder Brad Cleveland with a smile.
Cleveland worked in the industry for several years, then went back to college to finish his degree and get out of the restaurant business, but then graduated and realized what he knew best was how to run a restaurant.
He opened the location at Stetson Hills and Powers in 2004, and later added two more locations on Centennial and on Mesa Ridge Parkway in Fountain.
However, he recently sold the other locations to two of his employees so he could focus exclusively on the Stetson Hills location.
Cleveland says the brisket is the big seller by far, but he’s just as proud of his ribs.
“We’ve won several awards, not just locally but nationally, for our ribs here,” he says.
From the time it’s cooked until the time it’s cut, safety and sanitation are always critical components in the process.
“Food safety is always top of mind, and it’s really important to us,” he says, “I think we have 8 people who are certified food protection managers, so it’s not just a one-man show doing it. It takes a whole team of people that know how to do it.”
The Stetson Hills location recently underwent a major makeover for the first time since it opened, helping it to look as sharp as it scored on its health inspection.
Click here to view all the recent health inspections in El Paso County.