Montclair Restaurants Cited for Health Code Violations in 2012

Fifteen restaurants in Montclair were cited for health code violations last year by local inspectors, according to township records. 

Montclair Heath and Human Services conduct inspections on more than 300 eateries in town each year, which includes restaurants, food stores, mobile vendors, schools and more. 

Township inspectors assess eateries in more than 50 areas, such as the presence of rodents and insects, how food is stored, temperature control and ventilation. 

Montclair’s Senior Registered Environmental Health Specialist Keith Costello said inspectors have recently noted hand washing is commonly overlooked in many eateries in town.

“Education on hand washing is needed because it is not being done as ... it should be,” said Costello.

Aroma Palace, an Indian restaurant formally located at 379 Bloomfield Ave., was the only eatery in Montclair to be given an unsatisfactory rating in 2012. Costello said the restaurant was a repeat offender and was shut down multiple times during its two-year stay in Montclair. 

Inspectors rate eateries as “satisfactory,” “conditionally satisfactory,” “conditionally satisfactory on re-inspection,” and “unsatisfactory” depending on the number and severity of their violations.  

A satisfactory rating means the eatery is operating in compliance with the state’s health codes. 

A conditionally satisfactory rating means the establishment received one or more health code violations at the time of the inspection which need to be corrected. 

An unsatisfactory rating is for “egregious” violations, said Costello, such as severe rodent infestations. The establishment must be closed until those violations are corrected and another inspection is conducted. 

A placard indicating an eatery’s rating is required to be placed somewhere that can be visibly seen by patrons. 

The following restaurants were cited as conditionally satisfactory for health code violations in 2012 by the Montclair Health and Human Services Department.

These restaurants were subsequently re-inspected and received a satisfactory rating. The full township reports can be found in the photo gallery of this article. 

• Veggie Heaven, at 631 Valley Road, was cited for 19 violations, including a dead mouse on the floor, and mouse droppings found both on the floor and inside a bin of bread crumbs. 
• China Royal, at 148 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 16 violations, including dead roaches near the reach-in cooler and unclean kitchen surfaces.

• Hunan House, at 516 Valley Road, was cited for 12 violations including mouse droppings on the floor, improper refrigerator temperatures and food products stored in uncovered containers.  
• Just Jakes, at 30 Park St., was cited for 24 violations including employees not properly washing their hands, improper method of defrosting scallops, and improperly handling utensils and storing dishing. 
• The Office Beer Bar and Grill, at 519 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 11 violations including a dishwasher that did not properly sanitize dishes and utensils, improper refrigeration temperatures and unclean kitchen surfaces. 
• Caribbean Grill, at 343 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 12 violations, including mouse droppings on the floor, the chef not properly washing her hands, improper refrigeration temperatures and unclean kitchen surfaces. 
• Roberto’s Pizza, at 1 Lackawanna Plaza, was cited for six violations, including storing lettuce in an old laundry detergent bucket, a hand sink without soap, and pizzas stored at room temperature which were not labeled with the time they were pulled from the oven. 
• Greek Delights, at 558 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 14 violations, including improper refrigeration temperatures, unclean kitchen surfaces and improperly storing utensils. 
• George Innes Annex, at 141 Park St., was cited for five violations, including mouse droppings on the floor and improper refrigeration temperatures. 
• HLS Juice Bar and Grill, at 387 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 19 violations, including raw chicken being stored near vegetables in the refrigerator and the improper placement of a fly strip in the food preparation area. 
• Bamboo Asian Bistro, at 605 Valley Road, was cited for 11 violations, including improper expiration dates on sushi fish, 5 to 10 dead cockroaches in the kitchen, mouse droppings and unclean kitchen surfaces. 
• Adara, 77 Walnut St., was cited for four violations, including roaches found in the basement and a dishwasher that did not properly sanitize dishes and utensils. 

The following eateries remain conditionally satisfactory after they were noted for violations in 2012 and those violations persisted after another inspection by health officials.

• Tuptim Thai Cuisine, at 600 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 14 violations in 2012, including two cans of insect killer stored above the preparation sink in the kitchen, 10-15 dead cockroaches on the floor near the refrigerator, the dishwasher did not properly sanitize dishes and utensils and unclean kitchen surfaces. 
• Uptown Bistro, at 596 Valley Road, was cited for 16 violations in 2012, including raw chicken and turkey burgers stored next to tomatoes and deli ham, unclean kitchen surfaces and a dishwasher that did not properly sanitize dishes and utensils. 

2013 Ratings

As a new round of health code inspections begin this year, Leone’s Italian Restaurant was the only eatery to be cited thus far with an unsatisfactory rating and closed down temporarily due to a severe mouse infestation.   

Inspectors found mouse droppings on a food preparation table in the kitchen on the morning of Jan. 10 and many mouse traps were witnesses throughout the Italian restaurant, located at 19 S. Park St. There was no evidence of any food contamination, according to the report. 

The restaurant was cited for 20 violations in all, including improperly labeling dates on food and unclean kitchen surfaces. 

The restaurant was immediately shut down. Costello said the owner fixed the problem immediately. Once the problems were found at Leone’s, said Costello, the owner “was very on top of it. ... He had a whole crew come in to wash, rinse and sanitize the entire place.” 

Upon another inspection later that day, the restaurant was permitted to reopen. While Leone’s remains open, it's rating remains conditionally satisfactory until another inspection is done by local health inspectors.

The following eateries in Montclair currently have a conditionally satisfactory rating in 2013 as re-inspections have yet to be done. 

• Dunkin Donuts, at 1 Lackawanna Plaza, was cited for four violations, including finding dead and live cockroaches on the floor.  
• Nori II, at 561 Bloomfield Ave., was cited for 19 violations, including a small amount of mouse droppings, unclean kitchen surfaces and lack of records for raw and ready-to-eat fish. 
• Montclair Child Development Center, at 272 Baldwin St., was cited for four violations, including employees improperly washing their hands, improperly storing food and unclean kitchen surfaces. 
• Uptown Bistro, at 596 Valley Road, was cited again for two violations, including a dishwasher that did not properly sanitize dishes and utensils and improper refrigeration temperatures. 
• Tuptim Thai Cuisine, at 600 Bloomfield Ave., was cited again for six violations, including dead cockroaches found in the kitchen and mouse droppings in the basement. 

[Correction] April 26: The original post included incorrect information regarding HLS Juice Bar & Grill, located at 387 Bloomfield Ave. The wrong violations were listed in the reports received from Montclair Township. The correct vioations are now listed above.