A restaurant known for its mountain views fails health inspection
Bart Bedsole
LOW SCORES
It may offer great views of the mountains, but the view of the kitchen was less than impressive during a health inspection at the Viewhouse restaurant in Colorado Springs last week.
It only had 9 violations last week, but they were serious enough to earn a failing score.
Among the findings:
One of the workers didn’t wash their hands after wiping them on their apron
The cooler next to the prep table was unable to get cold enough to maintain proper food temperatures
The dish machine wasn’t sanitizing dishes properly
A cutting board was too worn out to be effectively cleaned
The manager on duty politely declined to be interviewed, but told KRDO13 that the dish machine was fixed, the cooler was replaced, and employees were reminded of the rules when it comes to handwashing.
Viewhouse passed its re-inspection on July 15 with just 3 violations.
The Fujiyama downtown, which also failed in January, failed again on July 3.
This time, an inspector found:
A worker’s personal drink and vape were stored directly above a food contact surface
There was no soap at two of the handwashing sinks
Several items including chopsticks, straws, and to-go containers were being stored on the floor
The manager told KRDO13 it’s hard to keep up with recent health code updates, even though the health department claims to provide plenty of notice when changes are coming.
However, she said all the violations were immediately addressed, including the addition of a special container for all personal items belonging to the kitchen staff while they are on duty.
Fujiyama was re-inspected on July 11 and passed.
Mariscos Altimar, a Mexican seafood restaurant featured in the June 12 edition of Restaurant Roundup, failed its re-inspection on July 2 with 13 violations.
It was an improvement over the 16 violations found during the June inspection, but still enough for a failing score.
The restaurant eventually passed its second re-inspection on July 9.
HIGH SCORES
The high scores this week include:
Domino’s Pizza – 13461 Voyager Pkwy
Arby’s – 11775 Meridian Market View
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop – 3111 N. Chestnut
The cuisine at Fuzzy’s is described by its managers as “Baja meets Tex Mex”.
Among the most recent menu additions is a new style of brisket that can be found on a variety of dishes, including tacos and nachos.
General Manager Jeremy Krause says his secret recipe when it comes to food safety is taking ownership in the overall operation, which includes regularly checking food temperatures, monitoring the preparation, and treating customers like his own family.
“You have to think, ‘what if that’s my son or daughter, or what if that’s my grandma or grandpa?’ The last thing you want to do is to get someone sick, so it (food safety) really has to be in the front of your head,” he said.
Although he was already confident that his restaurant was doing a good job following the health code, he admits that getting a high score from the inspector was a nice confirmation.
“I won’t lie, it feels pretty awesome to see everything coming to fruition and all your hard work actually paying off,” he added.
Krause explained that one of his mottos to maintain high standards is ‘inspect what you expect.’
Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards at your favorite restaurant to know the kitchen inside is clean.
Click here for a complete list of retail food inspections in El Paso County.