What SLO County restaurants could be fined for violations? See results of October inspections

One local restaurant didn’t appear to have food safety training, some needed to clean their facilities and several had issues with thawing foods.

Those were some of the notable conditions San Luis Obispo County health inspectors found in October 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 or face fees.

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 inspections Environmental Health employees conducted in October.

Lowest-rated restaurants

Kochi BBQ & Seafood, 6900 El Camino Real, Atascadero

Points lost: 18.5 points

Notes: During an inspection in October, a health inspector ordered the restaurant to stop storing items in its handwashing sink and provide and maintain proper sanitizer concentration in the dishwashing machine. The inspector also noted that workers were preparing and processing foods “using acidification rather than time or temperature as a public health control” and that foods were stored on the ground of a walk-in freezer. The restaurant was also found to be selling improperly-labeled kimchi. Meanwhile workers were ordered to deep-clean the facility after an accumulation of blood and food debris was observed under meat storage, a strong odor was observed when refrigerator doors were open and a mold or mold-like substance was seen behind one of the sinks.

Alpha Dogs, 1340 Taft St., San Luis Obispo

Points lost: 15

Notes: At the inspection for Alpha Dogs in October, the inspector noted that the only employee present was the owner — who was unaware of the need for a sanitizing step during washing. According to the notes, there was “no employee on staff who has completed the required food safety training” and no certified food safety manager. At the time of the inspection, both the kitchen and restroom hand towel dispensers were empty and there were no single-use towels within adequate distance of the sinks, according to the notes. The restaurant was told to replace or resurface the cutting boards because they were showing deep stains and to replace missing ceiling tiles.

Pizmo Cafe, 270 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach

Points lost: 14.5

Notes: During its inspection in October, the Pismo Beach restaurant was told to properly clean and sanitize its large table-mounted can opener to prevent cross contamination of canned foods and to contact its pest control company to eliminate the “numerous flies seen throughout the facility.” The inspector also noted that the onsite food manager’s card had expired. Flooring was also an issue during the inspection: the inspection noted that flooring near and inside the walk-in unit had “severely deteriorated” and the tile floors in the dishwashing room and near the bar were deteriorating and needed to be re-grouted. The restaurant had a number of repeat violations, resulting in a lower score.

Don Q Restaurant, 7600 El Camino Real, Atascadero

Points lost: 14.5

Notes: During its October inspection, an inspector said Don Q Restaurant was overall clean and well-maintained, but did note a few violations. Facility air was not working at the time of the inspection, the inspector said, creating “extreme” temperatures in the kitchen that stressed the refrigeration units and warmed their interior temperatures beyond recommended levels. According to the notes, steaks were being thawed in standing water, and there was no self-closing mechanism on the bathroom. The restaurant also had a number of repeat violations.

Mersea’s, 3985 Avila Beach Drive, Avila Beach

Points lost: 14

Notes: Mersea’s was dinged for numerous repeat violations during its October inspection, with the inspector specifically stating in their report that the owner of the facility needed to read the report thoroughly and implement the changes before its next inspection. Workers were found to be preparing defrosted fish improperly and were ordered to correctly sanitize surfaces before cutting the fish. They were also ordered to thaw potentially hazardous foods by an approved method, rather than letting raw fish thaw in standing water in the three-compartment sink.

Umi Sushi, 1319 Grand Ave., Grover Beach

Points lost: 14

Notes: During the inspection in October, Umi Sushi was found to have a back handwashing sink with utensils and equipment inside, making handwashing not easily accessible, according to inspection notes. The facility was also acidifying its sushi rice using vinegar, but not properly following its hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) plan, according to the notes. The inspector observed raw fish being stored above ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator, scoops in bulk food products with no handles and wiping cloths being left on food preparation surfaces.

Chitose, 8050 El Camino Real, Atascadero

Points lost: 13.5

Notes: Due to its violations, Chitose was ordered to be re-inspected in December. If it does not fix its violations by that time, it could face fines, according to the inspection notes. Some of those violations included allowing employees to drink beverages in the facility, storing items in the hand wash sinks, too-warm sushi being kept at the sushi bar and boxes of food being stored directly on the ground in walk-in freezer. An accumulation of food debris was found on the handles of the refrigerated drawers and greasy cardboard and aluminum foil were being used as shelf liners. The restaurant was ordered to thoroughly clean and maintain all floors, walls and ceilings.

Springhill Suites Paso Robles, 900 El Camino Real, Atascadero

Points lost: 13

Notes: An inspector noted that overall, the Springhill Suites facility is maintained and clean and that significant violations were corrected at the time of inspection. Those violations included not having paper towels at the handwashing sinks, potentially hazardous foods being kept on ice incorrectly and boxes being stored on the ground of the walk-in freezer. Food debris was found under and behind the dish machine and grease and food debris were also found under the cook’s line equipment.

Medusa’s, 1053 Main St., Cambria

Points lost: 13

Notes: Because of the violations observed during its October inspection, Medusa’s was ordered to have a reinspection; if the violations were not corrected at that time, the restaurant will face fees. Some of those violations included a broken hot water valve at the hand washing sink, food being stored on the floor and sometimes without food coverings and broken equipment throughout the facility. The restaurant was also asked to replace all of its lightbulbs with shatterproof alternatives.

These businesses also lost 10 or more points due to violations.

• Thai Elephant Restaurant, 355 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay

• Third Base Market and Spirits, 684 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach

• Taco Roco, 2307 Theater Drive, Paso Robles

• Wow Yanagi Sushi, 869 Oak Park Blvd., Pismo Beach

• Pismo Fish and Chips Seafood, 505 Cypress Ave., Pismo Beach

• San Miguel Bakery No. 2, 1912 Creston Road, Paso Robles

• Linn’s Restaurant, 2277 Main St., Cambria (reinspection ordered)

• Lunada Garden Bistro, 78 N. Ocean Ave., Cayucos (reinspection ordered)

• La Tapatia Market and Deli, 646 S. 13th St., Grover Beach

• Villa Del Mar, 1100 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach

Highest-rated restaurants

These stores and restaurants received scores between 99 and 100, with few to no violations.

San Luis Obispo

• Colony Culture, caterer
• Gold Land BBQ, caterer
• Nite and Day, Department of Food Services operation
• Open Range Catering, caterer
• San Luis Creek Lodge, 1941 Monterey St.
• Sands Inn and Suites, 1930 Monterey St.
• Trattoria Di Luca LLC, caterer

North Coast

• El Colibri Hotel and Spa, 5620 Moonstone Beach Drive, Cambria
• Fermentations, 2306 Main St., Cambria
• Morro Creek Ranch, 1800 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay

South County

• Canteen of Coastal California, 921 S. Fourth St., Grover Beach
• Carl’s Jr., 1590 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande
• Peacock Cellards, 1543 Los Berros Road, Nipomo
• Sam’s Market, 200 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach
• Taco Bell No. 20455, 867 Oak Park Blvd., Pismo Beach

North County

• A-1 Liquor, 105 S. Main St., Templeton (change of ownership inspection)
• Cold Stone Creamery, 832 11th St., Paso Robles (change of ownership inspection)
• Etto, 3070 Limestone Way, Paso Robles
• The Great Escape, 8115 El Camino Real, Atascadero
• Halfway Station, 15050 Morro Road, Atascadero
• Hubba Wines, 2929 Limestone Way, Paso Robles
• Jack Creek Farms, 5000 Highway 46, Templeton
• Paso Robles Inn Ballroom, 1103 Spring St., Paso Robles
• Portola Inn, 6650 Portola Road, Atascadero

This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 9:00 AM.