The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing oversees restaurant inspections in Iowa. (Photo via Getty Images; DIAL logo courtesy of Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing)
State and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and grocery stores for hundreds of food-safety violations in the past month, forcing some of them to temporarily shut down.
The inspectors reported finding rodent droppings, moldy lettuce, food stored in containers that once housed chemicals, foul-smelling spoiled food, and meats that appeared to have never been inspected by state or federal regulators.
The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.
The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals’ website.
Taqueria La Bendicion Food Truck, 900 Superior St., Webster City – During an Aug. 29 visit to this food truck, which was parked at a car wash next to a Dollar General store, a state inspector determined the food-safety violations were sufficient to shut down the operation. “Person in charge voluntarily closed mobile unit and agreed not to reopen until reinspection can occur,” the inspector reported.
The food truck was cited for the fact that there was no certified food protection manager on staff and the person in charge was not conducting operations effectively.
The inspector reported seeing flies on chicken that was left sitting out at room temperature next to a grill. The inspector also reported finding cooked rice that was measured at 51 degrees and large containers of chicken that were measured at 78 to 82 degrees – all of which had to be discarded.
“No system in place for dating foods,” the inspector reported. “Raw chicken stored in handwashing sink… No thermometer available to measure temperatures of cooked chicken and beef … Potatoes stored directly on the mobile (unit’s) floor.”
Capo’s Tacos, 704 N. 4th Ave., Winterset – During an Aug. 28 visit to this food truck, a state inspector determined the food-safety violations were sufficient to shut down the operation. “Owner stated he will voluntarily close mobile food unit,” the inspector reported. “Owner has agreed to contact inspector before reopening mobile unit.”
During the visit, the inspector found raw, cut chicken and cooked refried beans that were described as “spoiled, and with a foul odor.” An employee was observed handling cooked carne asada with their bare hands, and there were three pans of rice in cold-holding that were measured at 46 to 50 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder.
Also, diced potatoes and shredded cheese were cold-holding at 50 to 54 degrees. The inspector also found cooked chicken in cold-holding at 67 degrees. All of the food had to be discarded.
In addition, there were refried beans, cooked carnitas, carne asada, cooked chicken, cooked rice, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The inspector also reported that the handwashing sink was not operational and the truck did not have “adequate refrigeration to keep cold foods cold.”
El Dorado Mexican Restaurant, 1327 Sunset Drive, Norwalk – During a Sept. 26 visit, a state inspector noted that there was no currently certified food protection manager on staff as required. In addition, raw chicken was stored above whole-muscle beef inside a walk-in cooler, risking cross-contamination, and there were beans, carnitas and ground beef that had to be discarded as they had been cooked the previous day and hadn’t yet cooled to 41 degrees or colder.
Also, several prepared foods, pans of sliced meats, cut produce, prepared salsas, and queso were stored without any date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The inspector also reported that the ice machine had what appeared to be “mold-like debris” in the ice chute, and the bartender was not using a sanitizing step after washing and rinsing bar glasses.
Spices of Nepal Restaurant, 4804 SW 9th St., Des Moines – During a Sept. 26 visit, a state inspector cited the establishment for failing to ensure the staff washed their hands properly after watching employees trying to clean their hands without soap while rinsing them in a three-well sink intended for sanitizing dishware.
In addition, the cook was using his or her bare hands to prepare bread for immediate service to customers, the ice machine had a buildup mold on the interior ice chute, and cooked noodles had to be discarded as they had been prepared the previous day and had yet to cool to 41 degrees or colder.
The inspector also reported that there was “no dating structure” in place for food items, suggesting the items were not date marked to ensure their freshness and safety.
Also, spices and other items had been left unlabeled; there were hanging sticky-traps for catching flies suspended above the ice machine; the countertop, pans, coolers and cutting boards had a “heavy debris dirt buildup,” and there was debris and a buildup of grease on the floor and in the corners of the cook line.
The inspector also reported that there were no reports of the restaurant’s past inspections posted. In August, the restaurant had been the subject of a complaint pertaining to adulterated food and improper food storage. The inspector had determined the complaint was verified.
Veterans of Foreign Wars’ VFW Post 9128, 2814 State St., Bettendorf – During a Sept. 26 visit, a Scott County inspector observed the establishment hadn’t had a certified food protection manager on staff for six months. The inspector also found meat in a crock pot that had been left out from the previous day, with the meat measured at 78 degrees. The meat was discarded.
In addition, several temperature-controlled food items were not being held at 41 degrees or colder to ensure their safety. The items were either relocated to a different cooler or discarded, and a refrigeration company was contacted to repair one of the refrigerators.
The inspector also found taco meat prepared two days prior to the inspection that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. In addition, the interior of the ice machine had a buildup of grime, and the handwashing sink had a buildup of food debris. The establishment had last been inspected in November 2022.
La Favorita, 1700 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines – During a Sept. 25 visit, a state inspector concluded the person in charge was not fulfilling their duties as evidenced by the extent and significance of the violations observed.
An uncovered container of raw ground pork was stored directly above an uncovered container of cooked chorizo, and packages of raw, whole-muscle pork, along with a tray of what appeared to be liquid from raw meat, had been stored above an uncovered container of cooked carnitas inside a cooler, risking cross contamination.
The inspector reported there were multiple soups, sauces and raw meats throughout the walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer and the kitchen food preparation table that were stored in uncovered containers, risking environmental contamination.
The inspector also found chicharrones that were holding at 71 to 74 degrees, prepared lard that was measured at 78 degrees and a pan of cooked rice that was holding at 102 degrees. The rice and lard were discarded, while the other items were heated to at least 165 degrees.
The inspector also noted that the meat slicer and meat counter’s cutting board were visibly soiled with an accumulation of dried food debris, as was the can opener and plastic bowl used for scooping raw beans. In addition, the walk-in cooler was not equipped with a functional ambient air thermometer, and the restaurant had no thin-tipped thermometer to check food temperatures.
In the retail-sales area, there were salsas, pasta de harina, nuts, and various desserts that had been packaged for sale with no information as to ingredients, net quantities, allergens or the name of the food manufacturer.
Also, pre-packaged bags of single-service cups and plates for retail sale were stored under a ceiling vent that was heavily soiled with an accumulation of dust, resulting in multiple packages being visibly soiled.
The establishment also had no designated mop sink for the disposal of mop water, and portions of the floor were visibly soiled with an accumulation of debris. The inspector also reported that the establishment’s licenses for retail food service and sales had been expired for more than 60 days.
La Michoacana Meat Market, 1215-1221 Franklin St., Waterloo – During a Sept. 25 visit, a Black Hawk County inspector cited this establishment for 12 risk-factor violations, an unusually high number. The inspector reported that the food protection manager’s certification was expired and that the person in charge was not ensuring that foods were properly cooled or date marked, or that dishes were properly sanitized.
Also, employees were washing their hands in a food-preparation sink; water was seen leaking from the condenser unit inside a refrigerator onto meat; cooked chicken was holding at 70 degrees, and beans left out with no temperature control were measured at 104 degrees.
The inspector also reported there was no system in place for date marking any of the food to ensure freshness and safety; dishes were being washed in a tub of “soapy bleach water solution,” rather than cleaned and sanitized; and meat juices were being dumped into a sink designated for handwashing.
In addition, “chemical containers” of some kind were being used to store food product, there was an “excess amount of flies in the kitchen area,” and there was a buildup of debris on the floor.
Multiple flying insects were observed throughout the kitchen … Decaying produce was stored in a box underneath the retail display of fresh produce, where small flying insects were accumulating.
– State inspector’s report on El Palomino, a Des Moines restaurant
El Palomino, 3116 E. 14th St., Des Moines – During a Sept. 23 visit, a state inspector cited this restaurant for 22 risk-factor violations, an exceptionally high number. The inspector concluded the person in charge “did not demonstrate knowledge of the risks inherent to their food service operation” and was not a certified food protection manager.
The inspector reported that workers “were unable to wash their hands with soap prior to processing raw meats and packaging ready-to-eat foods.” Multiple heads of lettuce and other items in the retail-sale produce cooler were visibly adulterated with what appeared to be mold and had to be discarded. Bags of peppers used for guacamole were attached to sink faucets, with workers washing dirty dishes in those sinks.
Also, a large container of cooked beans that had been prepared several days before the inspection was measured at 44 degrees – rather than 41 degrees or colder – inside a walk-in cooler, and the beans had to be discarded.
The inspector also found cooked fish holding at 113 degrees and trays of mini burritos that were measured at 121 degrees. Both had to be reheated to 165 degrees.
The inspector also reported that various deli meats in the retail-sales cooler, as well as various sauces and cooked meats inside a walk-in cooler, were not marked with their preparation dates to ensure freshness and safety. The restaurant was also found to be dehydrating sausages and slices of meat to make jerky, but was doing so without the required approval for specialized processing methods.
The inspector also reported the business was not sanitizing food containers once they had been washed and rinsed, and that workers’ access to the kitchen’s handwashing sink was blocked by large containers of lard. In addition, salsas and various sauces were being stored in containers that previously held dish detergent, and multiple packages of whole-muscle beef were being thawed at room temperature on a shelf below the food-preparation table.
“Multiple flying insects were observed throughout the kitchen,” the inspector reported, adding that hanging sticky traps were suspended above the food preparation tables. “These traps were filled with dead flying insects at the time of the inspection.”
“Multiple boxes of adulterated raw pork and containers of produce received from the previous week were stored in the firm’s mechanical room,” the inspector reported. “Decaying produce was stored in a box underneath the retail display of fresh produce, where small flying insects were accumulating.”
Shelves throughout the walk-in cooler were visibly soiled with accumulated debris, and the interior floor of the walk-in freezer was heavily soiled with an accumulation of food debris.
The visit was in response to an illness complaint. The investigation of that complaint is “ongoing,” the inspector reported.
In October 2023, when El Palomino last underwent a routine inspection, the business was cited for 17 risk-factor violations.
Oryza Asian Cuisine, 5 Sturgis Corner Drive, Iowa City – During a Sept. 18 visit, a Johnson County inspector found that no one on duty was designated as being in charge, and the person in charge of the business was not a certified food protection manager and was deemed unable to ensure that employees were properly trained in food safety.
In addition, the inspector found that several containers of prepared foods and sauces lacked any date markings to ensue freshness and safety, and reported that vegetable strainers were marred by a buildup of debris on their surfaces. The visit was in response to an illness complaint that was deemed unverified.
QC Grand Stand Pizza, 320 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport – During a Sept. 12 visit, a Scott County inspector cited the restaurant for having no certified food protection manager on staff. The inspector also found that several food items in the cooler were not date marked to ensure freshness and safety, and other items were expired, including yogurt dip that had expired Aug. 24 and baby spinach that expired Aug. 31.
In addition, the inspector reported a plastic plate inside an ice chest had a “black substance” on it, the nozzles on the soda pop dispensers were marred by excess syrup, all of the kitchen equipment was marred by “grease and grime,” and the “floors and walls throughout the facility had excess dirt and grime on them.”
Bickford Cottage Senior Living and Assisted Living, 4040 E. 55th St., Davenport – During a Sept. 11 visit to this care facility, a Scott County inspector reported finding ham that was dated July 12, two months prior to the inspection; a tuna noodle dish that was dated Aug. 12; and pork and beans that were dated July 21. All of the items had to be discarded.
In addition, sauce that should have been refrigerated was left out at room temperature, and food products were left open and uncovered inside a storage room, creating a risk of environmental contamination. Also, an opened package of hot dogs wasn’t marked with the date of opening to ensure safety, and the ice machine, knives on the knife rack, the ventilation hood, the cabinets, and a cooler were each marred by “debris, dust and gunk.”
On Sept. 25, the inspector returned for a previously announced visit to check on any corrective action that was taken. The inspector reported there was still food stored open and uncovered in the storage room and stated that “outdated and spoiled food” of some kind was found. In addition, the cooler, floors, ceiling, cabinets and knives were still contaminated with “dust, debris and gunk.”
Hy-Vee Foods, 2900 Devil’s Glen Road, Bettendorf – During a Sept. 11 visit, a Scott County inspector cited the store for the retail sale of several types of sausage and pork loin that bore no mark of inspection from either the U.S. Department of Agriculture or State of Iowa. In addition, several food products, including VandeRueben on Raisin and VandeRueben on Rye, were being sold in the store although they contained meat that had no USDA or State of Iowa mark of inspection.
Inside a meat department cooler, a small section of raw beef was stored above baked potatoes, risking cross contamination, and two of the round bins used to store eating utensils in the Market Grille restaurant area had a buildup of crumbs and food debris in the bottom.
Bountiful Bakery and Café, 303 Main St., Fairfield – During a Sept. 10 visit, a state inspector found that the employees on site and the person in charge “could not answer basic questions regarding food establishment operations related to food safety and sanitation.” In addition, the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager.
The inspector found quiche that was left out on a food-preparation table at 71 degrees and which had to be discarded. In addition, the food-prep tables and the inside of the reach-in coolers were marred by an accumulation of food residue. The machine used to form bagels was marred by “pest droppings” next to the conveyor belt and “evidence of vermin was observed” in the bakery’s rear production area.
Containers of sugar and coconut sugar, as well as some of the baked goods, had been stored uncovered, and cases of single-serving food items were stored directly on the floor. The inspector also reported that the outside of the oven, as well as the refrigerators, cabinet interiors and ventilation-hood grates, had an accumulation of grease, dust and food debris.
The visit was prompted by a non-illness complaint, the nature of which was left undescribed in the inspector’s report. The complaint was deemed to be verified. The establishment was last inspected by the state in October 2020.
Riverside Liquor, 826 E. River Drive, Davenport – During a Sept. 10 visit, a Scott County inspector noted that all of the shelves in the walk-in cooler had “a mold-like substance” on them and that water was pooling on the shelves underneath a set of fans.
“Throughout the facility, water was leaking in several places behind the walk-in cooler (and) in front of the reach-in cooler,” the inspector reported. “Debris and dirt is on the floors throughout the facility.”
Rudy’s Tacos, 2214 E. 11th St., Davenport – During a Sept. 10 visit, a Scott County inspector found four large pans of refried beans that measured 54 to 56 degrees, which was far outside the acceptable temperature ranges for hot and cold food. The beans were discarded. The inspector also reported finding large pans of pulled chicken and ground beef that measured 46 degrees – too warm for cold holding and too cool for hot holding. The meat was then parceled out into small pans and placed in the freezer to for rapid cooling to 41 degrees.
The inspector also noted that there were several food items that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety, and there was expired salsa on hand that was dated Aug. 29 and Sept. 2 and which had to be discarded. In addition, two containers of tortilla chips were stored on the floor in the kitchen.
Flies were seen adulterating exposed and unprotected foods — specifically raw fish on the counter … Onions and potatoes are stored directly on a soiled and greasy floor in the back room.
– Inspector’s report on Doc’s Tap in Clarksville
Doc’s Tap, 221 N. Main St., Clarksville – During a Sept. 6 visit, a state inspector concluded that based on her observations, the “severe unsanitary conditions” at Doc’s Tap posed “an immediate and serious health risk.” The owner of the establishment agreed to voluntarily close the business discontinue the preparation and sale of food items until he could correct the imminent hazards and have those corrections verified by an inspector.
During the visit, the inspector reported that rather than washing their hands, the employees were dipping their hands in a bleach-and-soap solution on a bucket and were also handling food items with their bare hands.
“An infestation of flying insects – flies – was observed throughout the facility, including the kitchen’s food preparation areas,” the inspector reported. “Flies were seen adulterating exposed and unprotected foods — specifically raw fish on the counter … Onions and potatoes are stored directly on a soiled and greasy floor in the back room.”
The inspector also found thawed fish that was left to sit out at room temperature and which had to be discarded, and found several prepared salads that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. The kitchen’s back door, which led directly outdoors, was left wide open, which may have contributed to the “many flies” the inspector reported seeing in the kitchen.
“Kitchen equipment is soiled with food and grease,” the inspector reported. “Floors and walls in the kitchen, walk-in cooler and food-storage areas are heavily soiled with soil and grease.”
The day after the on-site visit that resulted in the business being closed, management at Doc’s Tap texted the inspector photos of the cleaned-up kitchen and the business was allowed to reopen.
Bubble Cow, 111 S. Commercial, Eagle Grove – During a Sept. 5 visit, a state inspector determined the establishment had changed the scope of its business by adding a bakery. “The back room, which had been vacant, is now the kitchen with several pieces of equipment added,” the inspector reported, adding that the walls and ceilings remained unfinished, creating a risk of food contamination. “Due to the nature of the walls and ceilings in this back room, food preparation has been suspended today.”
The inspector also noted that the person in charge was not a certified food protection manager and “did not adequately demonstrate knowledge of food safety principles.” Employees, the inspector said, were not washing their hands properly and were handling ready-to-eat baked goods with their bare hands.
Food-contact surfaces were not being sanitized, the handwashing sink had no soap available, a used paint brush containing paint residue was “laying on some blueberries in the food-prep sink” and bakery goods for retail sale were not properly labeled. The inspector also noted the back door was left open during the inspection and a hanging fly trap was “covered with dead flies.”
On Sept. 19, the Bubble Cow bakery was allowed to reopen after sending the state photos of finished walls and ceilings in the new bakery. “Facility has been cleared to reopen the bakery based on these photos,” the inspector reported.