The Journal publishes local restaurant inspection reports provided monthly by the Montezuma County Health Department.
Inspections of all retail food facilities are done yearly, and in some cases, more than once per year.
Unannounced inspections are conducted for restaurants, school, hospital and nursing home cafeterias, grocery stores, convenience stores, fairgrounds, resorts, food trucks and any event or facility where food is sold to the public.
Melissa Mathews conducts about 145 retail food facility inspections every year for Montezuma and Dolores counties as the Health Department’s environmental health specialist.
The inspections are completed on-site and include compliance standards set by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. The categories are divided into critical and noncritical health standards specific to retail food facilities.
Critical areas are those that if not in compliance may cause foodborne illnesses. The categories include food sources, personnel, food temperature-control, sanitation, water systems and plumbing, hand-washing facilities, pest control and poisonous or toxic items.
Noncritical areas are important but have less risk of causing foodborne illness. The categories include food labeling and protection, equipment design and construction, testing devices, and cleaning of equipment, utensils and linens.
Under Colorado law, any retail food customer can ask an establishment for its latest inspection report, and the facility is required to provide it, Mathews said.
Tequila’s1740 Main St., Cortez
date: Dec. 18, 1.2 hours
critical violations: 0
Noncritical violations: 0
Dolores River Brewery100 Fourth St., Dolores
date: Dec. 19, 1.15 hours
critical violations: 1
‰ 1. Personnel category
inspector comments: Employee observed using bare hands to contact ready-to-eat foods. Employee observed handling lettuce mix with bare hands. Problem was corrected on-site.
noncritical violations: 0
The Wigglin’ Pig44 Main St., Cortez
date: Dec. 18, 1.6 hours
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
Once Upon a Sandwich7 Main St., Cortez
date: Dec. 7, 1.2 hours
critical violations: 3
‰ 1. Personnel category
inspector comments: Food employee observed wiping hands on soiled apron, clothes or common towel. Observed employees wiping gloved hands on soiled aprons. Problem was corrected on-site.
‰ 2. Personnel category
inspector comments: Open employee beverages or unapproved containers are observed in food preparation areas. Observed open bag of chips and open beverage stored on food slicer. Problem was corrected on-site.
‰ 3. Food temperature control category
inspector comments: Food product thermometers are not routinely calibrated to be accurate to plus or minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Food thermometers available were not reading accurate temperature. Problem was corrected on-site.
noncritical violations: 1
‰ 1. Equipment design/construction category
inspector comments: Nonfood contact surfaces are constructed of unapproved materials, are in poor repair and not easily cleanable. Observed reach-in with damaged gaskets and being repaired with duct tape.
Hope’s Kitchen515 Park St., Cortez
date: Dec. 12, .9 hour
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
Cox Conoco201 Railroad Ave., Mancos
date: Dec. 11, .45 hour
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
Olio114 Grand Ave., Mancos
date: Dec. 6, 1.3 hours
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
Ute Coffee Shop17 Broadway Ave., Cortez
date: Dec. 5, 1.3 hours
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
Burger King No. 9714520 Main St., Cortez
Date: Dec. 5, .7 hour
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0
La Casita de Cortez332 Main St., Cortez
date: Dec. 4, 1.3 hours
critical violations: 3
‰ 1. Food source category
inspector comments: Food is not protected from cross-contamination during storage, preparation, holding, display or transport. Observed cilantro stored on bottom shelf in a tub with raw shell eggs stored behind the tub on the same shelf. Problem was corrected on-site.
‰ 2. Personnel category
inspector comments: Single-use gloves are used improperly. Not changing gloves when required. Handling raw shell eggs with gloves and not changing when going to a different task. Problem was corrected on-site.
‰ 3. Handwashing facilities category
inspector comments: Hand sink in the facility is not equipped with soap, towels or other approved drying devices. Hand sink had no soap or towels. Hand sanitizer was in the dispenser. Problem was corrected on-site.
noncritical violations: 0
Arby’s504 Broadway Ave., Cortez
date: Dec. 3, 1.2 hours
critical violations: 0
noncritical violations: 0