Bart Bedsole
LOW SCORES
One of the most visible restaurants in Colorado Springs failed its health inspection last week.
The Juicy Seafood, located at the corner of I-25 and Garden of the Gods, is among a handful of Colorado Springs restaurants that offer a full seafood menu that includes everything from crawfish to live lobster.
However, it racked up 12 violations on June 23, leading to a failing score that required a re-inspection by the health department.
Among the violations:
Employees changing gloves but not washing hands when switching tasks
Raw shrimp were found stored above cooked sausage in the cooler
The restaurant wasn’t cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food contact surfaces at least every 4 hours
The restaurant was using unapproved ribbon glue fly traps in multiple locations
When KRDO13 went to The Juicy Seafood, a host explained that no manager was available to discuss the violations or the actions taken to address them.
KRDO13 left contact information for a response, but no one from The Juicy Seafood ever reached out.
The restaurant did pass its re-inspection on July 1.
The La Casita on Woodmen near Rangewood also failed its health inspection last week.
The 8 violations found on June 24 include:
The restaurant only has one certified food protection manager, and that person wasn’t there
Multiple containers of vegetables, rice, and potatoes were missing dates to show when they were made
The staff was using an improper method to thaw out frozen meat
There was no hot water at the handwashing sink, plus it was leaking
The area manager told KRDO13 days later that they had already addressed most of the violations by educating the staff on the proper procedures.
He added that he prefers to have workers take in-person food safety courses, rather than online courses, in order to become certified food safety managers.
However, he claims it is difficult to find an in-person course in Spanish, which is needed for most of his staff.
La Casita has yet to be reinspected.
Other restaurants that failed their inspection last week:
AI Sushi & Grill – 3215 Cinema Point
Thai Taste Cuisine – 5069 N Academy
Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza – 5214 N Nevada
HIGH SCORES
Sasquatch Cookies – 7636 Dublin Blvd
Marco’s Pizza – 9420 Briar Village Point
Wingstop – 4294 N Academy
Springs Wings – 6504 S Academy
Located just a few blocks from Fort Carson, Springs Wings has become a staple of south Colorado Springs, serving up wings in a variety of flavors, as well as unique sides or something lighter like a curry chicken salad.
Owner Jessica Gray describes herself as a “military brat” growing up, moving constantly from place to place, and she includes several items on the menu, like fried okra, macaroni salad, or sweet tea, to help some of the local soldiers feel a bit more at home.
“Everyone who’s moving like that and traveling, it’s hard to find that sense of home, and being able to offer them a place where they find that, I think, is really important. We purposefully have things on our menu that reflect other parts of the country,” she said.
When the inspector stopped by in June for the regular inspection, Jessica was actually out of town.
She admits that as an owner, it’s easy to be “paranoid” about how the operation is running in her absence, but she had high praise for the staff members who stepped up in her place to keep the kitchen in line.
“We have a staff that cares about what they’re doing and what they’re serving, and I think that makes a giant difference, being proud of what you’re doing,” she said.
Keep an eye out for the KRDO13 Restaurant Roundup awards to know the kitchen inside is clean.
Click here for a full list of recent inspection scores.
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