ABUELO'S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY

High Priority - Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Employee garnished a dessert with a strawberry and a mint leave. I informed the manager and the employee to use gloves. I verified that the establishment is not currently using am Alternative Operating Procedure (AOP).

Intermediate - Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment. Shelves in the dry storage area where can goods are stored. Walk in cooler shelves.

Basic - Cloth used as a food-contact surface. White cloth with an orange stripe used to cover tamales. The cloth was removed. I explained to the manager their options. Corrected On-Site

Basic - Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed. February 1,2025 displayed.

Basic - Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Small green cutting board on the table across from the double oven.

Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Pans on the shelves in the dishwasher area.

Basic - Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. Missing grout and broken tiles in the dishwasher area.

Basic - Food storage container/container lid cracked or broken. A lid covering a bulk container of shredded cheese is cracked around the edges. The manager discarded the lid and replaced it. Corrective Action Taken

Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. Observed thawing packs of mahi and sea bass on cook line. Manager fully removed from package and sent handout Corrected On-Site Warning - From follow-up inspection 2026-02-05: Fish thawed in the bags, Thawing fish in package. Time Extended

High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Onions 116F the onions was reheated to 165F. Inside the holding cabinet between the grill and stove. Corrected On-Site Repeat Violation Warning - From follow-up inspection 2025-03-21: Chicken 117F, sautéed peppers 118F, steak 118 F, onions 118F. Inside the holding cabinet located between the grill and the stove. The product was reheated and held on the grill to be reheated to 165F and hit held on the grill instead of the hot holding cabinet. Admin Complaint Corrective Action Taken

High Priority - Employee washed hands with no soap. The manager had the employee to wash his hands with soap. Corrective Action Taken

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Soup 109F Chicken 109F Inside the hot hold cabinet. The product was removed to be heated to 165F.

Intermediate - Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. Employee washed his hands at the 3 compartment sink. The manager had the employee to wash his hands at a designated hand washing sink. Corrective Action Taken

Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Can opener holder is soiled with debris. The manager assigned an employee to clean the holder. Small green cutting board with a build up of mold like substance.. in the bar area. Corrective Action Taken

Intermediate - Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment. Dry storage shelf in the prep area.

Basic - Cardboard used to line food-contact shelves. Dry storage shelf in the prep area where Dutch chocolate syrup is stored. Doors on the 1st hot holding cabins not securely closing ; therefore causing heat to escape.

Basic - Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed. February 1, 2024 displayed. February 1, 2025 was posted. Corrected On-Site

Basic - Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Small green cutting board in the bar area.

Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Pans on the shelf across from the dishwasher.

Basic - Food stored on floor. A case of shoestring French fries on the floor inside the walk in freezer. The product was removed from off the floor. Corrected On-Site

Basic - Light not functioning. Hood system over the 8 burner stove. Hole in the wall near the back door where the brooms are stored. Over fryers.

Basic - Raw fruits/vegetables not washed prior to preparation. Employee cutting avocados at the prep sink. The manager had the employee to stop the process and wash the avocados. Corrective Action Taken

Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Blocked by a colander with ice. The colander was removed. Corrected On-Site

Basic - In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Knives between prep sink and 3 compartment sink. Knives was moved to the dishwasher area to be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Corrective Action Taken

Basic - In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Utensils knives, spoons etc in water at 102F on the table next to the stove. Thaw water was discarded. Corrected On-Site

Basic - Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. 2 bottles of Dasani water in the top section of the small flip top reach in cooler packages of salmon. The beverages was removed. Corrected On-Site

Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Floors not maintained smooth and durable. Observed Observed water coming up through floor tiles in prep area. Observed missing grout throughout kitchen Warning - From follow-up inspection 2023-09-19: Time Extended

Intermediate - Basic - Operator is doing a special process, conducting reduced oxygen packaging, cooking time/temperature control for safety food to a time and temperature combination different than those in the Food Code or operating a molluscan shellfish tank for human consumption without a HACCP plan approved by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Establishment doing cook chill rop for queso, refried beans, shredded beef, chicken tortilla soup, beans

Intermediate - Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.

Basic - Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed. Current copy expired 2-1-2023

High Priority - Air gap between water supply inlet and flood rim of equipment/sink is less than one inch. Observed faucet head at pre wash sink was in the water. Manager lifted faucet head and will call plumber

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Make line: shredded cheddar jack (54F - Cold Holding); sour cream (45F - Cold Holding); guacamole (45F - Cold Holding) manager iced product and re temped at 41° 30 min later Corrected On-Site

Intermediate - Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed hand sink at dish area store rags and scrub pads.

Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Strainer broken on cook line, cutting boards damaged on cook line

Basic - Food storage container/container lid cracked or broken. Observed full pan of cheese that has cracks in it

Basic - Ice buildup in walk-in freezer around condenser

High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Tested at 0ppm. Manager replaced employee chlorine bucket and tested at 50ppm

Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. By grill. Employee put towels at sink Corrected On-Site

Basic - Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Throughout kitchen

Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Pot on range has lose handle. Manager discarded pot Corrected On-Site

Basic - Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. By back prep sink. And grout missing throughout kitchen

Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood filters soiled

Basic - - From initial inspection : Basic - Food storage container lid cracked or broken. Tortilla chip lid on cook line Warning - From follow-up inspection 2021-10-04: Time Extended