Recent health inspections in some Birmingham restaurants revealed dented cans, improper holding temperatures and more between March and May, according to Oakland County Health Department inspection reports.
Many of the violations have been corrected. The presence of violations in a past inspection does not necessarily mean the establishment has the same violations today.
Inspection reports can be found at swordsolutions.com/inspections/.
Below is a list of violations found at a few restaurants in Birmingham.
Churchill’s Bistro and Cigar Bar, 116 S. Old Woodward
During a routine inspection on May 4, an inspector noted several problems at Churchill’s Bistro and Cigar Bar.
∎ 1) The following potentially hazardous food items are being held at improper temperatures, ranging between 45°F and 50°F, inside the prep walk-in cooler overnight, per the operator: 1) Facility made Alfredo sauce. 2) Cooked fettuccine pasta. 3) Chili. 4) 2 X Mashed potatoes. 5) 3 X Cooked red skin potato wedges. 6) Crab cakes. 7) Prosciutto. 8) Cooked duck breast. 9) Capicola deli meat. 10) Raw steak. 11) Raw chicken. 12) Raw shrimp. 13) Raw calamari. 14) Raw white fish. 15) Raw salmon. 16) Raw bacon. 17) 2 X Cut tomatoes. 18) Anchovies. 19) 2 X Raw rack of lamb. 2) The following potentially hazardous food items are being held at improper temperatures, ranging between 50°F and 60°F, inside the prep walk-in cooler, prepared less than 2 hours prior to the operator: 1) Cooked potato wedges. 2) Caramelized onions. 3) Cooked broccolini. Note: Ambient air temperature of walk-in prep cooler in basement measured at 49F per thermometer. The operator made a service call to the refrigeration company to repair the noted cooler at the time of inspection.
∎ Container of facility-made mashed potatoes held past the facility’s seven-day discard date of 05/03/2026, located inside one-door reach in the cooler at the end of the cookline.
∎ A severely torn gasket was observed on the left side door of the two-door upright cooler in the kitchen beside the cookline.
∎ 1) Ambient air temperature of the walk-in prep cooler in the basement measured at 49F per thermometer and is unable to hold potentially hazardous food items at 41F or less. The facility made a service call to the refrigeration company at the time of inspection. 2) A severely torn gasket was observed on the left side door of the two-door upright cooler in the kitchen beside the cookline.
Sidecar Slider Bar, 117 Willits St.
During a routine inspection on May 4, an inspector noted several problems at Sidecar Slider Bar.
∎ Metal wire strainer broken and torn hung with clean utensils above three-compartment sink in warewashing area.
∎ Three-door reach in top loading cooler along cookline across from flat top grill not functioning properly and unable to hold potentially hazardous food items at 41F or less. Note: The cooler was unplugged and not utilized at time of inspection. Facility has a new cooler on order.
∎ Light bulb no longer functioning in hood vent system above cooking equipment.
Birmingham Roast, 525 Brown St.
During a routine inspection on April 27, an inspector noted several problems at Birmingham Roast.
∎ Raw shell eggs stored on shelf directly above ready-to-eat smoked salmon and sliced deli meat inside two-door upright cooler in back prep area.
∎ 1) Gasket on top drawer cooler below flat top grill observed severely torn. 2) Gasket on the one-door upright cooler beside upright freezer in back storage area was observed to be severely loose and torn.
∎ Interior ice shield inside ice machine in back prep area heavily soiled with black mold-like buildup.
∎ Several boxes of single-use carry-out containers are stored directly on the floor in the side storage room located near the back office area. Repeat X 2.
Cafe Origins, 163 W. Maple Road
During a follow-up inspection on May 6, an inspector noted several problems at Cafe Origins.
∎ Missing consumer advisory on menus for eggs offered undercooked or cooked to order. Update consumer advisory to say “Ask your server about menu items that are cooked to order or served raw. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.”
∎ No chlorine test strips available to measure sanitizer concentrations at dish machine.
∎ Ambient air temperature of the two-door reach-in top-loading cooler at the end of the cookline, across from the fryers, was measured at 47F and was unable to hold potentially hazardous food items at 41F or less. Repair the noted cooler to hold potentially hazardous food items at 41F or less. Note: Discontinue use of the above-noted cooler until the unit has been repaired.
Social, 225 E. Maple Road
During a routine inspection on April 28, an inspector noted several problems at Social.
∎ Raw chicken stored on a sheet tray directly beside ready-to-eat bread and pre-portioned mashed potatoes inside the reach-in cooler along the cookline. Relocate the noted raw chicken according to cook-off temperatures listed above and separate from ready-to-eat foods.
∎ Observed employee using the front bar hand washing sink as a dump sink and storing glassware inside the sink.
∎ Cutting boards on top-loading coolers along the cookline were observed with deep cuts and grooves.
∎ Light bulb no longer functioning in the left hood vent system above cooking equipment.
Better Burgers Woodward, 35075 Woodward
During a 60-day inspection on April 29, an inspector noted several problems at Better Burgers Woodward.
∎ Sanitizer tablets are stored on the shelf directly above the coffee filters and the coffee maker in the front service area near the cookline.
∎ Three severely dented cans of cheese sauce were stored with intact cans on the food dry storage shelf.
∎ Metal wire strainer broken and torn, hung with clean utensils above the hand sink in the back prep area.
∎ No chlorine test strips available to test sanitizer concentrations at front dish machine.
∎ The facility does not have a mop sink. This facility was originally approved without a mop sink.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Birmingham restaurants flagged for health violations
Reporting by Madison Hammond, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
