This week’s Restaurant Roundup features a high number of perfect scores but also one of the lowest scores in recent months that came with a closure lasting nearly a week.
LOW SCORES
With 17 violations, Saigon Tapioca on Galley Road across from the Citadel Mall landed at the bottom of the most recent health inspection scores.
The Vietnamese restaurant first failed its inspection back on March 11 with 14 violations and was then shut down during the re-inspection on March 20.
The problems here include:
-An employee washing their hands while wearing gloves instead of putting on new gloves.
-Several types of food were found at the wrong temperature
-Other items didn’t have dates to show when they were made
-There were dead cockroaches found next to clean mugs above the food prep table
-The inspector also found several live cockroaches in the restaurant.
The health department confirmed to KRDO13 that those live roaches were the reason for a 6-day closure.
When KRDO13 stopped by Saigon Tapioca on March 31, the owner said they use Orkin for regular pest control treatments, and he couldn’t explain where the bugs came from.
Bao Vu added that he was given the all-clear to reopen after a thorough re-inspection.
“They went through and inspected, and everything looked good,” he said.
Vu believes his restaurant is safe, and customers should feel safe eating there.
“There’s people that eat here all the time and nobody has ever gotten sick. If anyone got sick, they would have gotten sick already. And my kids eat here all the time. And I eat here,” he said.
Prior to the March inspections, Saigon Tapioca had never failed an inspection, according to online county records.
The Urban Egg along Briargate Parkway also failed its inspection on March 10.
Among the 10 violations found there:
-The towel dispenser at the handwashing sink was broken, and employees were using their bare hands to turn off the faucet
-Several food contact surfaces were not being rinsed and sanitized every four hours as required
-There was a large gap under the back door, potentially allowing insects or rodents inside.
-One of the workers was spotted cutting limes without first washing them
Regional Manager Rich Tuscher told KRDO13 he was shocked to learn of the failing score and immediately took action.
Restaurant shut down after health inspector finds live roaches
