Rockville Restaurant Inspection Reports: Who Let The Butter Get Warm?

ROCKVILLE, MD —Inspectors with the Montgomery County Health and Human Services Department recently cited four Rockville restaurants with critical violations of the county's health code.

All four restaurants had violations concerning the unsafe handling of foods, especially when food was stored at the improper temperature. One restaurant's sole violation was keeping butter at room temperature.

All Montgomery County licensed retail food establishments are inspected by the Licensure & Regulatory Services Program. Regular comprehensive inspections include evaluating an establishment's sanitation, maintenance and food service operations. These inspections include monitoring critical temperatures and food handling procedures.

"A Critical Violation means a food safety requirement that requires immediate correction," according to the health and human services website. "Failure for immediate correction results in cessation of some or all food operations or closure of the facility until violation is able to be corrected."

Matchbox Rockville

An inspector reported finding one critical violation during a Dec. 11, 2023 inspection of Matchbox Rockville, located at 1699 Rockville Pike. The violation concerned the cold holding of perishable food.

Examples included American cheese being kept at a temperature of 50F and chicken at 45F in the grill-prep cooler.

"Items in the grill prep cooler in the line observed above 41 degree F," the inspection report said. "The items were moved to walk-in refrigerator for rapid chilling because their holding time was less than 4 hours."

Matchbox was warned not to restock the prep cooler until it had been repaired and was holding food at 40F or below. The restaurant needed to make that correction within 24 hours.

The inspector also found several violations of good retail practices. While these are not as serious as critical violations, which must be addressed immediately, the restaurant must remedy them within 30 days.

These are the good retail practices violations and corrections noted in the inspection report:

• "Serving plates observed not protected in line.
• "There was no soap observed at the hand washing sink in the cook line. NOTE: Provide as required.
• "Knives observed wedged between two tables in cook line." This was corrected while the inspector was present.
• "Dish washing machine temperature gauge was not functioning.
• "The drain under the hand washing sink in the main bar observed overflowing. NOTE: They are in process to remove the clog. 24 hours is given. They temporarily closed this bar.
• "A cove base tile observed broken in the dish washing machine area.
• "No Montgomery County Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) observed on duty with a CFSM card at the time of the inspection. NOTE: Ensure that a CFSM is on site all times during operation."

Yekta Kabobi Restaurant

During a Dec. 11, 2023 inspection, a Montgomery County inspector found two critical violations at the Yekta Kabobi Restaurant located at 1488-A Rockville Pike in Rockville.

The restaurant's hot and cold holding temperatures were out of compliance with the county health code. The inspector noted that both of the violations were corrected by the restaurant during the inspection.

Yekta Kabobi also was cited for not having an HACCP plan on site and wet wiping clothes not being kept in a sanitizer solution between uses on the prep table. Both of these were repeat offenses and concerned the safe handling of food.

The inspector also reported finding a clean dish on the floor and an apron being stored on cleaned skewers.

Medina Cuisine

On Dec. 12, an HHS inspector visited Medina Cuisine at 6301 Montrose Road and noted that its cold holding temperature was out of compliance, which was a critical violation. Specifically, meat was being held at a temparture above 41F. As a voluntary corrective measure, the restaurant discarded the meat.

Medina Cuisine also had the following violations of good retail practices that needed to be corrected within 30 days:

• "Final rinse temperature of the dish washing machine observed at 160 degrees F. NOTES: Call a maintenance and ensure the final rinse temperature of the high temperature dish washing machine at 180 degrees F or above. They are informed to manually sanitize the food contact surfaces until the machine is serviced.
• "The rinse temperature gauge is not functioning. Repair.
• "Employee's jackets observed hanged on shelves with spice containers and food contact surfaces. (Corrected on site).
• "There was no test strips on site to check concentration of sanitizer solution. (Repeated violation) NOTE: Provide as required.
• "Food boxes observed on the floor in the walk-in freezer. (Repeated violation)
• "Food shall be protected from contamination during storage, preparation, display, service and transportation.
• "Single serving items on the storage shelves observed out of box/plastic bag. (Repeated violation) NOTE: Protect them.
• "No Montgomery county Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) observed on
• duty with a CFSM card at the time of this inspection. (Repeated violation) NOTE:
• Obtain card within 30 days from the Licensure and Regulatory services office
• (2425 Reedie Dr, Wheaton, MD) and ensure that a CFSM is on site at all times
• during operation.
• "No food allergen awareness trained personnel on site at the time of the
• inspection. NOTE: Obtain allergen training certificate. NOTE: Compliance is
• required per Montgomery County Bill No. 33-16 and COMCOR Chapter 15(15B)."

Annie Bakery

During a Dec. 12, 2023 inspection, a Montgomery County inspector observed butter being kept at room temperature at Annie Bakery located at 1067 Taft St. This was a critical violation of the cold holding of food. The butter needed to be kept below 41F to prevent it from spoiling or becoming hazardous to eat.

Related:

• Hot, Cold Hold Temperature Violations Found At 2 Rockville Schools
• Critical Health Violations Found At 2 Food Establishments, 1 School
• Moldy Sausage, Dirty Tabletops Prompt Health Inspections: Complaints
• Pest Droppings, Improper Hand Washing Seen At Rockville Restaurants
• 2 Rockville Eateries Cited For Critical Violations: Inspection Report