Mouse droppings and soiled floors: See latest SLO County restaurant inspection results

One San Luis Obispo County restaurant had old mouse droppings and a can of Raid on the counter while several other local eateries had dirty can openers.

Those were some of the notable conditions SLO County Public Health Department inspectors found in January 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 117 inspections Environmental Health Services employees conducted in January.

Lowest-rated restaurants

Sushiya, 11560 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo

Points lost: 20

Notes: During a routine inspection of Sushiya in January, a health inspector noted “improvement is needed” because “multiple critical and repeat violations were observed.” Among those were dirty floors and surfaces, “older mouse droppings” and pools of water under large equipment. There were also many pieces of broken equipment scattered throughout the facility, according to the notes, and a bottle of Raid pesticide, which is not approved for use in a restaurant was observed in the dish washing area. Fish was seen thawing on the counter, and employees could not prove they had proper food safety certifications. When employees were asked about safe food handling practices, “Very little concern was shown about observed violations,” the inspector noted. The restaurant was ordered to be reinspected to verify future compliance.

The Orchid Room, 60 State Park Road, Morro Bay

Points lost: 19.5

Notes: The restaurant had a number of observed violations during its January inspection, most centered around cleanliness. According to the inspection notes, the area under the dishwasher was damaged, wet with pooled water and covered in soil and mildew. In addition, the wheels of cook line equipment and the freezer floors and fans were both “excessively soiled,” and the restaurant’s slicer and can opener had food debris still on them, according to the notes. The ice machine was also soiled, the health inspector said. Besides cleanliness violations, a container of cooked beans was left out on a counter and not properly cooled, according to inspection notes.

Milestone Tavern, 972 E. Foothill Blvd., San Luis Obispo

Points lost: 12.5

Notes: Multiple repeat violations were observed during the routine inspection of the restaurant in January, a health inspector noted, including one “in a critical category.” Those included heavy food debris and residue on floors under shelving and the ice machine, in walk-in units, on equipment wheels and on the restaurant’s can opener and food slicer. The inspector also observed unlabeled containers of food, some boxed foods being stored on the floor and an employee’s cell phone and open drink out on a work table. The restaurant was ordered to “promptly and permanently correct violations” and “train staff to consistently practice safe food handling.”

Libertine Brewing Company, 801 Embarcadero, Morro Bay

Points lost: 12

Notes: The Morro Bay restaurant had a number of violations during its January inspections, most notably involving food separation issues. According to a health inspector, an open bag of cornstarch was seen under a “soiled and cluttered shelf” and a “chunk of potato” had fallen into the bag. Raw shell eggs were also observed sitting on packages of ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in refrigerator. The inspector also noticed left-over food debris on the piercing part of a can opener, excessive grease build-up on floors under equipment and dust and mold on fans and ceiling of the walk-in refrigerator. The restaurant was ordered to “provide active managerial oversight and train staff to consistently follow safe food handling practices.”

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

• DK’s Donuts, 1740 Spring St., Paso Robles

• Haha Ramen & Sushi, 1065 Olive St., San Luis Obispo

• Maya Restaurant, 560 Embarcadero, Morro Bay

• Great American Fish Co., 1185 Embarcadero, Morro Bay

Highest-rated restaurants

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

San Luis Obispo

• Rite Aid No. 5822, 956 Foothill Blvd.

North Coast

• Best Western San Marcos Inn, 250 Pacific St., Morro Bay
• Boat Yard Marketplace, 875 Embarcadero, Morro Bay
• Castle Inn by the Sea, 6620 Moonstone Beach Drive, Cambria
• Morro Bay Oyster Company, 1287 Embarcadero, Morro Bay
• Morro Bay Theater, 464 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay

South County

• Field to Table Events, 146 N. Thompson Road, Nipomo
• Kulturhaus Brewing Company, 779 Price St., Pismo Beach

• Perfetto Caffe, 1750 El Camino Real, Grover Beach (change of ownership inspection)

• Pierside Market Place, 711 Dolliver St., Pismo Beach

• Pismo Bowl, 277 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach

• The Casitas of Arroyo Grande, 2655 Lopez Drive, Arroyo Grande

North County

• Cali Paso, 4230 Buena Vista Drive, Paso Robles
• Crimson Cue Billiard, Inc., 1319 Spring St., Paso Robles
• Hemingway’s Steakhouse, 1234 Park St., Paso Robles
• In Bloom, 1845 Spring St., Paso Robles
• Les Petites Canailles, 1215 Spring St., Paso Robles
• Loaves & Fishes, 2650 Spring St., Paso Robles

• Paso Roble Arco AM/PM, 195 Niblick Road, Paso Robles (change of ownership inspection)

• Rite Aid No. 5831, 1151 Creston Road, Paso Robles
• Santa Margarita Market and Deli, 22202 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita (change of ownership inspection)
• Society Cuisine LLC (DBA Trumpet Vine), 825 Riverside Ave., Paso Robles
• Tacos Dona Mari LLC, 542 Spring St., Paso Robles (change of ownership inspection)
• The Pour House, 525 Pine St., Paso Robles
• We Olive, 1311 Park St., Paso Robles