CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Chester County health inspectors cited restaurants and other food facilities for pest activity, improper food storage, sanitation failures and temperature-control problems on Aug. 7, while 12 other establishments inspected that day were listed as in compliance.
A follow-up inspection at House of Biryanis & Kebabs, 309 Lancaster Ave. in Malvern, found multiple dead cockroaches on shelves below server stations and three live German cockroaches — two adults and one juvenile — in the employee restroom.
Inspectors directed the restaurant to clean and sanitize the affected areas, continue weekly pest-control service, submit pest-control reports to the county and seal cracks, crevices and other potential harborage points.
The restaurant was also cited for three dented cans in dry storage. Kitchen staff removed the cans for disposal during the inspection.
At Radley Run Country Club, 1100 Country Club Road in West Chester, inspectors found mouse droppings in the clubhouse bar area and directed the facility to remove the droppings, disinfect surfaces, close pest-entry points and provide pest-control reports to the Health Department.
The follow-up inspection also found a mechanical dishwasher under repair, cleaning needs at the Mansion House bar and ice buildup and damaged flooring in a beer and liquor walk-in cooler.
La Sponda, 20 E. Lancaster Ave. in Downingtown, received a lengthy list of findings during a follow-up inspection.
Inspectors found raw beef stored above raw seafood and ready-to-eat foods, uncovered food in a walk-in cooler, food stored directly on the floor and food left in opened cans rather than transferred to food-safe containers.
Four containers of shellstock lacked identification tags until an employee placed the tags with the product during the inspection.
Inspectors also found time- and temperature-controlled foods held beyond allowable periods without proper controls. Breading used for raw chicken and calamari, along with broths and heavy cream, had been held for more than four hours under a time-in-lieu-of-temperature system, according to the inspection.
Other findings included ready-to-eat foods without date markings, improper reheating in hot-holding equipment, food residue on a deli slicer, knives, an ice machine, dishes, drink glasses and a soda gun nozzle and holster.
Inspectors additionally cited heavily soiled cooking pans, a dirty mechanical dishwasher, deeply scored or moldy cutting boards, reused single-use plastic fish containers, dirty floors and ceiling tiles, and cleaning deficiencies involving coolers, shelving, counters and the hood system.
The Person in Charge was also cited for inadequate food-safety knowledge, and the county directed the restaurant to retrain staff.
At The Whip Tavern, 1383 N. Chatham Road in Coatesville, inspectors discarded a container of pimento cheese sauce that was found at 73 degrees on top of a bain-marie rather than under refrigeration.
Inspectors also shut off a mini-split unit above the salad-prep area after observing a pan collecting condensate beneath it, creating a contamination risk. The tavern was directed not to use the unit unless it could operate without posing that risk.
Additional findings included cleaner stored above a prep table, fly strips positioned where they could contaminate food or equipment, food-storage issues in an exterior building and cleaning needs around kitchen HVAC vents and the mechanical dish machine.
Daddy’s Kitchen, 1549 New London Road in Landenberg, was cited for sanitation and maintenance issues, including grime in a soda-machine floor drain, cleaning needs around the cook line, a leaking hot-water faucet and expired sanitizer test strips.
Inspectors discarded four chipped or broken food-storage container lids because of the potential for a physical hazard and directed the restaurant to stop reusing single-use food-storage containers.
A can of Raid was also found inside the establishment. Inspectors directed that it be removed and noted that pesticides in food facilities must be applied by licensed pest-control operators.
The restaurant’s menu included a reminder about foods served raw or undercooked but did not clearly identify which menu items the advisory covered. Management reported that new menus were expected within a month.
At Fairfield Inn & Suites, 719 E. Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square, a follow-up inspection produced one finding: the facility was directed to provide a copy of its ServSafe certificate.
The Chester County Health Department listed the following facilities as in compliance on Aug. 7:
- Acme Markets #3767/Caln in Downingtown;
- Angelina’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in Pottstown;
- Canteen Avenue C @ J & J in Malvern;
- Canteen Avenue C @ Janssen Malvern;
- Compass Group @ Vanguard 2 West Liberty on the second and third floors in Malvern;
- Compass Group @ Vanguard Defence in Malvern;
- Hershey’s Farm Market II LLC in Parkesburg;
- Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Honey Brook;
- Taqueria Mi Ranchito in West Chester;
- Warwick Child Care-Food/North Coventry in Pottstown; and
- Williamson Hospitality @ Camilla Hall Nursing Home in Immaculata.
The Health Department cautions that each inspection reflects conditions observed at a specific date and time and may not represent an establishment’s long-term sanitation or food-safety status.
Residents who observe unsanitary conditions or believe an establishment requires investigation may submit a confidential Environmental Health Complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Anyone who became ill after eating at a food establishment should call the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225.
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