CHESTER COUNTY, PA — From spoiled meats and moldy food to mouse droppings and malfunctioning refrigeration, county health inspectors uncovered a sweeping range of food safety violations during a wide-ranging round of inspections across Chester County on Thursday, raising serious concerns about sanitation and food handling practices at several popular eateries and food service locations.
The Chester County Health Department reported violations at multiple facilities on January 8, stressing that inspections are a “snapshot in time” meant to document conditions observed on the day of the visit. Still, the findings paint a troubling picture of food safety lapses that required immediate corrections, product disposal, and in some cases equipment shutdowns.
At ACAC Café inside the ACAC Fitness Center in West Chester, inspectors found what they described as some of the most severe issues of the day. Numerous foods, including raw ground turkey, bottled juices, and raw ground beef, were reported as slimy, spoiled, moldy, or expired and were deemed unwholesome and unsafe for consumption. Inspectors also cited employees for failing to wash their hands before putting on gloves, uncovered foods stored in refrigerators, food stored directly on the floor, unlabeled squeeze bottles, contaminated gloves, and a lack of any Chester County Certified Food Manager on site.
The café was also cited for serving undercooked burgers without providing a required consumer advisory, improper utensil storage, missing sanitizer test strips, a grease-laden hood system, and widespread cleanliness issues across equipment, floors, walls, and ceilings. Inspectors also flagged an espresso machine that had been installed without approval and was draining into a bucket instead of a floor drain.
At Bellingham West Chester Dining Room on East Boot Road, inspectors found raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods, expired and improperly date-marked sauces and milk, dairy held well above safe temperatures, and refrigeration units unable to maintain food at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Several potentially hazardous foods were discarded during the inspection, including milk and dairy products that were stored at temperatures as high as 60 degrees.
The facility was also cited for missing thermometers, water-damaged ceiling tiles, unlabeled containers, lack of paper towels at hand sinks, food stored on the floor, and extensive cleaning failures throughout kitchens, coolers, hood systems, and restrooms. Inspectors also reported that no certified food manager was posted as required.
At Nudy’s Café Eagleview in Exton, inspectors ordered immediate corrective action after milk in a server-station refrigerator was found at 45 degrees, above the safe limit. The unit’s air temperature measured 48 degrees, prompting officials to require disposal of temperature-controlled foods and prohibit use of the refrigerator until repaired. Inspectors also cited unlabeled food containers, undated squirt bottles, sanitizer levels below required strength, moldy caulk, leaking faucets, and missing consumer advisories on portions of the menu.
A follow-up inspection at Papa John’s Pizza in Eagleview found that the restaurant still lacked soap and paper towels at key handwashing sinks, including in the restroom and dishwashing area, violations inspectors ordered corrected immediately.
At Pat’s Select Pizza & Grill in Oxford, inspectors discovered frozen foods that had thawed due to an overstocked or malfunctioning freezer, forcing staff to discard large quantities of food. Additional violations included raw chicken and cooked pasta held above safe temperatures, improperly operating refrigeration units, unlabeled chemical containers, low sanitizer levels in the dishwasher, and improper storage practices that could contaminate food.
Philly Cheesesteaks in Easttown was cited for multiple high-risk violations, including raw chicken and eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods, hot foods such as cheese whiz and marinara held far below required temperatures, and raw cheesesteak meat left thawing at room temperature. Inspectors also documented mouse droppings in several areas of the restaurant, including near the pizza oven and front counter, raising red flags about potential pest activity.
The Chester County Health Department reminds residents that inspections reflect conditions at the time of the visit, but encourages anyone who observes unsanitary conditions or believes a food safety issue exists to file an Environmental Health Complaint. Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment is urged to call 610-344-6225 so the matter can be investigated.
Health officials said all complaints are confidential and every report is investigated, as the county works to ensure that food served to the public meets basic safety and sanitation standards.
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