What did SLO County restaurant inspectors find in February? A dirt-floor shed, no sanitizer
One local restaurant was operating out of an unapproved shed. Another eatery was unusually smoky and a different one wasn’t sanitizing food prep areas correctly.
Those were some of the notable conditions San Luis Obispo County health inspectors found in February during dozens of surprise visits to eating and drinking establishments. Due to the shortened month, fewer restaurants were inspected than usual.
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 71 inspections conducted by San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health employees in February.
Lowest-rated restaurants
Noi’s Little Thai Takeout, 1288 Second St., Los Osos
Points lost: 14
Notes: In its inspection in February, a health inspector noted that the restaurant was no longer being operated as a take-out establishment, and instead was being used by a separate food service operator and for food preparation by staff of Noi & Doi’s 2nd Street Cafe. According to the inspection, food equipment and supplies were being stored in an unapproved shed made of wooden fencing, corrugated fiberglass and other materials. It was also open to the outdoors in all areas, did not have adequate sinks for full food preparation and had bare dirt floor visible in several areas, according to the notes. Owners were told to discontinue use of the shed immediately.
Jack in the Box, No. 3505, 1900 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles
Points lost: 9
Notes: During an inspection, a health inspector noted the restaurant was unusually smoky in the kitchen; owners were told to the hood system was cleaned and serviced regularly. Meanwhile, other violations were also observed, including a hand-washing sink being used for storage, no proof of food manager certificates on hand and foods being stored without lids or covers in the walk-in refrigerator. The restaurant was also told to ensure mop bucket water is discarded after each use.
House of JuJu, 945 Embarcadero, Morro Bay
Points lost: 8
Notes: An inspector found an opened container of teriyaki sauce in the dry goods pantry of the restaurant during inspection that was labeled “refrigerate after opening,” according to inspection notes. The inspector also noticed there was no sanitizer bucket setup for the meat prep station and the eatery could not verify food safety certification among workers at the time of the inspection.
The Siren, 900 Main St., Morro Bay
Points lost: 7.5
Notes: The Siren in Morro Bay had a number of repeat violations during its February inspection, including ones noted during its last inspection in June 2022, according to the inspection report. The violations included no sanitizer solution in use while food prep was occurring, which meant food contact surfaces were not being sanitized, and proper test strips were not available for employees to use to ensure dishes and food prep surfaces were properly sanitized. A container of medicine was seen stored directly over food prep areas, no sanitizer was in the dish washing machine and scoops without handles were being stored in food containers.
Highest-rated restaurants
These stores and restaurants received scores between 99 and 100, with few to no violations.
San Luis Obispo
Bravo Pizza Pluz, 3971 Higuera St.
Micheladas Michinaloa, Department of Food Services Operation
Shekamoo Grill, caterer
Sueno Alegre, caterer
North Coast
Fog Catcher Inn, 6400 Moonstone Beach Drive, Cambria
Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay
Morro Bay Veteran’s Building, 209 Surf St., Morro Bay
South County
La Costa Grill, 168 Station Way, Arroyo Grande
Shark Bites, 246 Pomeroy Ave., Pismo Beach
Yo, Banana Boy!, 791 Price St., Pismo Beach
North County
McDonald’s No. 26155, 1859 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles
Piccolo Hotel, 600 12th St., Paso Robles
Starbucks Coffee No. 2904, 2301 Theatre Drive, Paso Robles
South Paso Chevron, 1849 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles
Templeton Middle School, 925 Old County Road, Templeton
Templeton Spirits, 575 Main St., Templeton
Vineyard Hills Health Center, 290 Heather Court, Templeton
