SLO County restaurant inspections: See the lowest- and highest-rated in September
One restaurant had moldy cheese, two were missing hand-washing soap and several had refrigerators too warm to safely store food.
Those were some of the notable conditions San Luis Obispo County health inspectors found in September during hundreds of surprise visits to eating and drinking establishments.
Many food and beverage sellers passed with flying colors, while others needed to make serious improvements.
Every month, The Tribune prints the lowest- and highest-ranked eateries to give diners more information about the places where they buy food and drinks.
Inspectors visit restaurants, bars, coffee shops, grocery stores, mini-marts and more on a monthly basis. They score eateries on a 100-point scale and make deductions based on the severity of the violations they find.
To check out the safety and cleanliness of your favorite restaurants around the county, visit www.EatSafeSLO.org and use the interactive map to view full inspection reports.
Here are the highs and lows of the 224 inspections Environmental Health employees conducted in September.
Lowest-rated restaurants
Mersea’s, 3985 Avila Beach Drive, Avila Beach
Points lost: 18
Notes: Inspectors noted food service employees “do not show sufficient knowledge of food safety principles.” The hand-wash station soap dispenser was empty. The restaurant’s food safety certification on file was expired.
Mi Guadalajara Market, 1400 West Grand Ave., Grover Beach
Points lost: 14
Notes: Inspectors reported the hand-washing sink was obstructed with dirty utensils and buckets of water. The hot holding display case was not warm enough, and staff was not properly sanitizing food prep services in the meat department.
Jack’s Grill, 509 South Main St., Templeton
Points lost: 12.5
Notes: Inspectors noted there was no soap in the dispenser at the hand-washing station. No sanitizer buckets were on hand while employees were preparing raw meat. Inspectors observed several flies in the back area of the kitchen because the door was propped open.
Pizmo Cafe, 270 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
Points lost: 12.5
Notes: Inspectors observed moldy cheese in the walk-in cooler. Employees did not set up a sanitizer bucket prior to beginning food preparation. Inspectors noted flies and fruit flies throughout the restaurant. Employees were thawing raw meat at room temperature on a shelf above the grill.
Kanpai Sushi, 2665 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach
Points lost: 12.5
Notes: Inspectors noted a refrigeration unit did not hold approved temperatures for potentially hazardous foods and needed to be serviced. Under counter refrigeration required cleaning and servicing. The sushi bar did not have single-service hand soap and towels. Employees had to destroy a small portion of raw fish that was being stored in a refrigerator at an unsafe temperature.
Pismo’s Pizza & Chowder House, 690 Dolliver St., Pismo Beach
Points lost: 12
Notes: Inspectors observed a refrigerator that was too warm to store hazardous foods. Employees were also storing pizza in a display that was not warm enough. The hand-washing sink in the outdoor drink prep area was not operational. Inspectors noted open doors, windows and pass-through openings that should be closed when not in use.
These businesses also lost 10 or more points due to violations.
Rock-N-Robles Pizza, 2140 Heritage Loop Road, Paso Robles
Aliyah’s Kitchen, 575 South Main St., Templeton
Wow Yanagi Sushi, 869 Oak Park Blvd., Pismo Beach
Jose’s Country Kitchen, 81 Wellsona Road, Paso Robles
Highest-rated restaurants
These stores and restaurants received scores between 99 and 100, with few to no violations.
San Luis Obispo
- San Luis Oriental Market, 1845 Monterey St.
- Gumbo Girl, SLO, commissary
- The Unknown Mexican Chef, commissary
- Denny’s, 208 Madonna Road
- Conserv Fuel, 254 Santa Rosa St.
- Monika’s Macarons and Fine Patisseries, 1127 Broad St.
- Kennedy Club Fitness, 188 Tank Farm Road
- Rite Aid, 956 Foothill Blvd.
- Raku Ramen, 799 Foothill Blvd. (opening inspection)
- Gladiator Paintball Park, 10 Sonoma Ave. (opening inspection)
- Workingman’s Bread, caterer (opening inspection)
- Bishop Peak, 451 Jaycee Drive
- Living Life, caterer
- Bello Catering, caterer (opening inspection)
- Subway Sandwiches, 3240 Broad St.
- Crossroads Liquor & Deli, 3211 Broad St. (change of ownership inspection)
- Campus Bottle Shop, 290 California Blvd.
- Lokum Turkish Delights & Baklava, 715 Higuera St.
- Cafe Fiero, 709 Fiero Lane
- Costco Avenue C Micro-Market, 1540 Froom Ranch Road
- Oki Kohi Espresso Bar, 2252 Broad St.
- Thai Delight Cuisine, 1011 Higuera St. (change of ownership inspection)
- See Canyon Fruit Ranch, 2345 See Canyon Road
- Fredericos Fresh Mex Cuisine, 851 Higuera St.
- Laguna Lake Shell Station, 11590 Los Osos Valley Road
- Old San Luis Barbecue, 3870 Broad St.
- Mission View Health Center, 1425 Woodside Drive
- See’s Candies, 283 Madonna Road
- High Street Market & Deli, 350 High St.
- Eureka! SLO, 1141 Chorro St.
- Leroy’s at The Kinney SLO, 1800 Monterey St.
- Burrito Wagon Commissary, 285 Prado Road
- Speedway Express station, 3 Santa Rosa St.
North Coast
- The Olde Alehouse, 945 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos
- Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Drive, Cambria
- Cherry Blossom Asian Market, 950 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos
- Morro Bay Market & Spirits, 395 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay
- Cass House Cayucos, 222 North Ocean Ave., Cayucos
- Del Mar Market, 2864 Main St., Morro Bay
- Wild Ginger, 2380 Main St., Cambria
- Morro Creek Ranch, 1800 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay
- Lunada Garden Bistro, 78 North Ocean Ave., Cayucos
- Legends at the Circle Inn, 899 Main St., Morro Bay
- Harmony Cellars, 3255 Harmony Valley Road, Harmony
- Ocean Front Pizza, 156 1/2 Ocean Front Ave., Cayucos
- Sun-N-Buns Bakery, 830 Embarcadero, Morro Bay
- Surfside Pizza, 2770 Main St., Morro Bay
- Cayucos Gas & Deli, 198 North Ocean Ave., Cayucos
- Mobil Mart, 911 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay
- The Hidden Kitchen, 113 North Ocean Ave., Cayucos
South County
- Pismo Beach Athletic Club, 1751 Price St., Pismo Beach
- Kon Tiki Inn, 1621 Price St., Pismo Beach
- Smart & Final, 1464 East Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
- Jack in the Box, 1208 East Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
- Sodexo Magic, 3890 Avila Beach Drive, Avila Beach
- Subway Sandwiches, 1427 East Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
- El Pizmo Fish Company, 751 Dolliver St., Pismo Beach (opening inspection)
- Shore Cliff Hotel, 2555 Price St., Pismo Beach
- Pismo Lighthouse Suites, 2411 Price St., Pismo Beach
- Cottage Inn by the Sea, 2351 Price St., Pismo Beach
- Avila Village Hotel Bar, 6655 Bay Laurel Place, Avila Beach
- Valero Station, 610 East Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
- Izakaya Raku, 953 West Grand Ave., Grover Beach
- Giuseppe’s Cucina Italiana, 891 Price St., Pismo Beach
- 7-Eleven, 1800 East Grand Ave., Grover Beach
- Five Cities Chevron, 340 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach
- Doughboy’s Pizzeria, 1800 East Grand Ave., Grover Beach
- The Quarterdeck, 1500 West Branch St., Arroyo Grande
- Domino’s Pizza, 1231 East Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
- Five Foleys, 921 Griffin St., Grover Beach
- It’s Really Yogurt, 808 Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande
North County
- Venteux Vineyards, 1795 Las Tablas Road, Templeton
- Turley Wine Cellars, 2900 Vineyard Drive, Templeton
- Ace Sushi, 189 Niblick Road, Paso Robles
- Templeton Mercantile, 508 South Main St., Templeton (opening inspection)
- Healthy Babies, 1912 Creston Road, Paso Robles
- McDonald’s, 2715 Black Oak Drive, Paso Robles
- Chipotle Mexican Grill, 98 Niblick Road, Paso Robles
- See’s Candies, 2307 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles
- Brecon Estate, 7450 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
- Opolo Vineyards, 7110 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
- The Inn at Opolo Kitchen, 6970 Vineyard Drive, Paso Robles
- Windward Vineyard, 1380 Live Oak Road, Paso Robles
- In-N-Out Burgers, 6000 San Anselmo Road, Atascadero
- McDonald’s, 6300 Morro Road, Atascadero
- Crimson Cue Billiard, 1319 Spring St., Paso Robles
- Papi’s Tacos y Gorditas, 1401 Park St., Paso Robles
- Albertsons, 189 Niblick Road, Paso Robles
- Fujisan Sushi, 8200 El Camino Real, Atascadero
- Joe’s Place, 305 Spring St., Paso Robles
This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
