Maricopa restaurants cited by county health inspectors

Maricopa eatery Rice Garden failed its November health inspection.

The restaurant, which was amongst eight inspected in November, was cited for not holding foods at proper temperatures, not putting expiration dates on food products and roaches crawling next to the produce. As a result of these violations, the restaurant received a score of “N” or needs improvement.

The Rice Garden was not the only Maricopa restaurant to be dinged by health inspectors in November.

Sunrise Café was hit with several violations – employees eating in prohibited areas, not holding foods at proper temperatures and improper thawing techniques – resulting in a score of “S” or satisfactory.

Health inspectors conduct random inspections aimed at ensuring all proper steps are taken to maintain consumer safety, Pinal County officials said. To that end, the department can issue violations that are either critical or non-critical. Critical violations must be fixed within 10 days and affect a location’s score. Non-critical violations must be fixed within 90 days.

Grades are based on the number of violations, with an “E” for excellent being the highest possible score. Other scores are: “S” for satisfactory, “U” for unacceptable and “N” for needs improvement.

Local eateries with perfect scores were Mando’s Mexican Food, Native New Yorker, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Teakwoods Tavern and Grill and Say Sushi.