WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County health inspectors documented food safety violations at five West Chester establishments on October 29, including improper food temperatures, contaminated equipment and evidence of rodent activity at a childcare center, according to inspection reports released by the Chester County Health Department.
The findings involved three restaurants, a cafe and a KinderCare learning center. Inspectors also identified four food establishments that were in compliance during inspections conducted the same day.
At Teca Restaurant, operating as Alberto’s Cafe Inc. at 36-38 E. Gay St., inspectors documented numerous violations involving food handling, equipment sanitation and facility maintenance.
Shrimp and squid were found thawing in standing water, while other fish remained in vacuum packaging during thawing, a practice inspectors warned could promote the growth of Clostridium botulinum. The fish was immediately removed from its packaging.
Inspectors also determined that prepared tomato sauce had not cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within the required six-hour period. The sauce was discarded, and the restaurant was directed to replace its practice of cooling food in large stockpots with shallower containers.
Additional findings included expired milk, a severely dented food can, improperly stored ingredients, inadequate date marking and utensils held in water below the required temperature.
Food residue was observed on an upstairs ice machine and soda guns at both bars. Inspectors ordered the restaurant to immediately discontinue using a basement ice machine because its food-contact surfaces were rusted.
Other violations included beverage tubing and a soda gun drain contacting ice intended for customers, insufficient sanitizer concentration at the main bar, empty kitchen paper towel dispensers and damaged equipment.
Inspectors also prohibited food preparation in the basement because its surfaces did not meet sanitation requirements and the area lacked a handwashing sink. The restaurant was directed to stop using a stand mixer there.
At Los Sombreros, 139 W. Gay St., inspectors found chicken, pork and queso held between 118 and 119 degrees Fahrenheit, below the required minimum hot-holding temperature of 135 degrees.
Food that had been in the holding unit for approximately four hours was discarded. Other items were reheated to 165 degrees, and inspectors directed the restaurant to stop using the potentially malfunctioning middle section of the unit until repairs were completed.
Two gallons of milk were also found past their sell-by dates. An employee discarded the milk and queso prepared with it.
Additional violations included raw animal products stored above ready-to-eat foods, missing date labels, improperly identified chemical spray bottles and sanitation deficiencies involving food storage and preparation areas.
At Shawarma Kebab House, 38 E. Market St., inspectors recorded cooked falafel at 63 degrees Fahrenheit rather than the required minimum holding temperature of 135 degrees.
The restaurant was instructed to prepare falafel to order or maintain it in an appropriate hot-holding unit.
Inspectors also cited missing date labels on house-made sauces, dusty overhead pipes and exterior doors propped open without screens, creating potential entry points for insects and rodents.
Two other establishments underwent follow-up inspections.
At Atexquita Mexican Restaurant, 505 E. Gay St., inspectors found previously prepared tinga at 56 degrees Fahrenheit after overnight storage, exceeding the required cooling temperature of 41 degrees. The food was ordered discarded.
Rice in a steam table measured 120 degrees, below the required 135 degrees. It was reheated to 180 degrees during the inspection.
The restaurant was also directed to resurface a wall between the walk-in cooler and cooking area and complete food manager certification paperwork.
At KinderCare Learning Center, 102 Paddock Lane, inspectors observed mouse droppings inside kitchen drawers during a follow-up inspection.
The facility was directed to arrange weekly service by a certified pest control operator until the activity was eliminated and submit service reports to the Health Department.
Inspectors also required cleaning and disinfection of the drawers and their contents, improved food storage precautions and removal of an exposed snap trap that could contaminate food or utensils.
The inspection report additionally identified the absence of a required certified food manager.
Four other establishments were listed as in compliance on October 29:
- Hibachi of Downingtown, 985 E. Lancaster Ave.,
- Downingtown; Playa Bowls, 159 W. Lincoln Highway, Exton;
- West Chester Pizza Cafe, 701 W. Nields St., West Chester; and
- Wings to Go, 547 E. Gay St., West Chester.
The Health Department cautions that inspection findings reflect conditions observed at a particular time and may not represent an establishment’s overall or long-term food safety practices.
Residents who observe potentially unsafe food handling or unsanitary conditions can submit a confidential environmental health complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843.
Anyone who becomes ill after eating at a food establishment should instead contact the Chester County Health Department at 610-344-6225.
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