WEST CHESTER, PA — A Chester County restaurant discarded multiple food products after inspectors found refrigeration units operating above safe temperatures during a June 10 health inspection, according to the Chester County Health Department.
The inspection of Duling Kurtz House, 146 S. Whitford Road in Exton, identified numerous food safety violations, including temperature-control failures that affected meats, seafood, dairy products, prepared foods, and other time/temperature-controlled foods.
According to the inspection report, a walk-in cooler was operating at 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while other refrigeration units measured between 47 and 55 degrees. Health inspectors reported that foods stored in the affected units exceeded the required 41-degree maximum holding temperature and were discarded on-site.
The department directed the facility not to use the affected refrigeration equipment until repairs are completed and the units have been evaluated by county health officials.
Inspectors also cited the restaurant for hot-held foods measuring 99 degrees instead of the required reheating temperature for hot holding. Additional food safety violations included raw beef stored above cooked crab, missing shellstock identification tags, unlabeled food containers, and expired crab cakes that were discarded during the inspection.
The report documented several equipment and sanitation concerns. Inspectors cited a rusty can opener, the lack of sanitizer for an espresso machine, biofilm buildup inside an ice machine, missing sanitizer test strips, dirty fans, shelves, walls, ceilings and light fixtures, and the absence of a thermometer to verify sanitizing temperatures in the high-temperature dishwasher.
Health officials also noted chemical storage concerns, including a container of Windex stored above food-related items, and cited the facility for storing first-aid supplies in the kitchen near food and equipment.
Other violations included the reuse of single-use tomato juice bottles for bloody mary mix, damaged light fixtures, a hole in a kitchen wall behind the cook line, and equipment supports made from materials that were not smooth, nonabsorbent, or corrosion-resistant as required by code.
Elsewhere in Chester County, inspectors cited Chipotle Mexican Grill at 804 E. Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square for holding steak beyond the four-hour limit allowed when using time in lieu of temperature as a public health control. Inspectors also observed a single-use bowl being used to scoop tortilla chips into bags. The bowl was replaced on-site with a reusable container.
Several facilities were listed as being in compliance during inspections reported on June 10, including
- ACAC Café at ACAC Fitness Center in West Chester,
- C-Town Supermarket in Coatesville,
- HEART (Home of Education, Arts, Resources & Technology) in Phoenixville and
- La Costenita in Malvern.
The Chester County Health Department notes that inspections represent conditions observed at the time of the visit and may not reflect a facility’s long-term compliance status.
Residents who observe unsanitary conditions at a licensed food establishment may submit an Environmental Health Complaint at https://www.chesco.org/5843. Individuals who believe they became ill after eating at a food establishment are asked to contact the Chester County Health Department directly at 610-344-6225.
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