LANSING — When county health inspectors visit local restaurants, they document problems that need addressing to meet standards set by Michigan food codes and law.
The most serious problems are considered priority violations, which present potential health hazards and should be corrected immediately. Priority foundation violations do not present immediate health hazards but should be corrected in a timely manner. Follow-up inspections and reports may consequently happen.
In most cases, the violations are corrected, and this information isn’t an indication that violations at any establishment are still an ongoing issue.
Here are the most serious violations in Ingham County for eating establishments in the second half of April:
Six priority violations and four priority foundation violations were found at:
Uni Sushi and Ramen, 2843 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
Violations included employees not washing their hands; food storage issues including raw foods being placed over ready to eat foods and crab salad, sliced ginger, and spicy mayo not being cold held. Temperature issues considering cold potentially hazardous foods are required to be at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit and hot potentially hazardous foods are supposed to be at or above 135 degrees: Sushi tuna registered 46 degrees. Chlorine sanitizer solution at the three-compartment sink was at 25 parts per million (ppm), not 50-100 ppm. An empty container of chemical cleaner was being used to scoop rice. Equipment had food residue including a brown organic accumulation.
Five priority violations and seven priority foundation violations were found at:
Pablo’s Mexican Restaurant, 2010 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
Violations included employees not washing their hands before donning gloves for their shifts. Raw meat was being stored over ready to eat foods in cooler. Clean rubber spatulas were “badly chipped and discolored.” Not enough backflow prevention. When water was turned on, it was observed to be spilling from the drainpipe onto the ground, calling for plumbing repairs. The person was not ensuring employees were properly trained. Cooling methods for rice and cooked onions and potatoes were not appropriate. Foods were not date marked. No test strips to test sanitizer concentrations. “Painting equipment in front of the hand-washing sink at back of facility and laundered linens in front of the cookline hand sink.” The bar’s handwashing sink did not have soap or toweling.
Three priority violations and a priority foundation violation were found at:
The Wooden Nickel II, 1029 Jackson St., Dansville
An employee was cutting and handling lemons with bare hands. Storage issues including raw bacon being stored over ready to eat foods like lunch meats in walk-in cooler. Not enough backflow prevention. Ice was dumped in a hand sink intended only for handwashing behind bar.
Two priority violations and a priority foundation violation were found at:
Boston’s Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar, 3301 Centre Blvd., Lansing
Employee was not washing hands before changing gloves after handling raw shrimp. Temperature issues: Queso was being hot held at 130 degrees and French onion soup and pomodoro (red sauce) were being hot held at 118 to 120 degrees. Soap was not available at two food employee handwash sinks next to the dish machine and on the cook line.
East Lansing High School, 509 Burcham Drive, East Lansing
Temperature issues: Milk registered 44 degrees; hot dogs, 60 degrees. Not enough backflow prevention. “Bolt holding shield over ice inside the ice machine observed to be rusty and the rust is running down into the ice/close contact directly over ice from the condensation.”
Fiesta Charra, 5900 Park Lake Road, East Lansing
Raw chicken was over raw beef in the walk-in cooler. An odor was coming from the plumbing system in the dish washing area, signaling a need for repairs. No toweling was available at a handsink for hand drying.
A priority violation and two priority foundation violations were found at:
Clint’s Hot Dog Cart, 3414 S. Deerfield Ave., Lansing
The person in charge was unable to provide a means for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing dishes and said that dishes were washed at home after operation. No soap was at at the handwashing station.
Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy, 730 W. Maple St., Lansing
Not enough backflow prevention. A handwashing sink in the gym storage closet was blocked by gym equipment. No paper towels at a handwashing sink.
A priority violation and a priority foundation violation were found at:
Browndog at the Shuffle, 325 Riverfront Drive, Lansing
Several loose raw shell eggs were sitting on the top shelf above milk and pop cans. A sponge and stainless steel scrubber in the handwashing sink at the time of inspection.
D.P. Dough, 553 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
Expired containers of ricotta and sour cream. Hand sink was being used for storing dishes during inspection and was unavailable for proper handwashing.
Saddleback BBQ, 1147 S. Washington Ave., Lansing
Temperature issues: The top of a cooler was holding items between 45 and 48 degrees. There were no chlorine test strips for the AutoChlor dishwasher.
Smokey Bones, 2401 Lake Lansing Road, Lansing
Temperature issues: Cooked mushrooms and onions in a cooler were being cold held at 65 degrees. No toweling available at two kitchen handsinks for hand drying.
A priority violation was found at:
Altu’s Ethiopian Cuisine, 4738 Central Park Drive, Okemos
Not enough backflow prevention.
Bennett Woods Elementary School, 2650 Bennett Road, Okemos
Temperature issues: French bread pizza ranging from 111 to 122 degrees.
Bubbakoo’s Burritos, 3101 E. Saginaw St., Lansing
Temperature issues: Ranch was being stored on the front serving prep table at 60 degrees.
Chipotle Mexican Gril, 539 E. Grand Ave., East Lansing
Cooked meat in counter height reach-in cooler was being cold held at 47 degrees.
Forest View Elementary School, 3119 Stoneleigh Drive, Lansing
Temperature issues: Milk cartons were at 46 degrees.
Fresh & Furious food truck, Wilson Talent Center, 611 Hagadorn Road, Mason
Rice and chicken in a hot holding unit were at 119 to 122 degrees. Pico, lettuce, and sour cream in prep cooler were being cold held at 47 to 53 degrees.
Greater Lansing Islamic School, 940 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing
An unopened block of cheddar cheese had a mold accumulation.
Hiawatha Elementary School, 1900 Jolly Road, Okemos
Temperature issues: French bread pizza was at 129 degrees.
Imperial Gardens, 147 W. Maple St., Mason
Chlorine bleach onsite was not approved for use on food contact surfaces.
MSU Shaw Hall Cafe, East Lansing
Plumbing repairs were necessary.
MSU Spartan Stadium Concessions, East Lansing
Spoiled liquid eggs and chutney.
MSU Sparty’s, Hubbard Hall, East Lansing
A cooler had foods registering more than 45 degrees.
Okemos Coffee Shop, 1732 Hamilton Road, Okemos
“Baked goods provided by Glory Bee Baked Goods. This facility has been licensed and inspected by MDARD; however the most recent license for license year 2025-2026 was not available at the facility for review by regulator, at time of inspection.”
PetalPop Cafe, 519 W. Ionia St., Lansing
Sausage, pico de gallo, shell eggs, French toast egg mixture, lettuce, and shrimp were being cold held at 48 to 52 degrees.
Stockbridge Athletic Boosters, 416 N. Clinton St., Stockbridge
Temperature issues: Four hot dogs in warm water of 115 degrees were being hot held at 80 degrees.
Trinity AME Church, 3500 W. Holmes Road, Lansing
The only bleach available in the facility was not approved for food contact surfaces.
Wingstop, 3106 E. Saginaw St., Lansing
Not enough backflow prevention.
Three priority foundation violations were found at:
Swagath Indian Cuisine, 1060 Trowbridge Road, East Lansing
A chlorine test kit was not available. Water in a restroom was not reaching 100 degrees. A container was found in a handwashing sink intended only for handwashing.
A priority foundation violation was found at:
AI Fusion Sushi & Grill, 2827 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing
“Spicy mayo and tempura left out at room temperature for lunch without a proper time control.”
Habana Delights, 1106 N. Larch St., Lansing
A quaternary test kit was soiled with water.
Lansing Shuffle, 325 Riverfront Drive, Lansing
A test kit for chlorine sanitizer to monitor the dish machine sanitizer was not available at the time of inspection.
Mari’s Taqueria, 3418 Pleasant Grove Road, Lansing
Water from both kitchen handwashing sinks wasn’ t exceeding 62 degrees. The standard was 100 degrees.
Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, 125 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Lansing
No test kit for bleach/chlorine sanitizer was available.
Poppa’s Cookbook, Allen Neighborhood Center, 1615 E. Kalamazoo St., Lansing
There was a deep groove on a can of ketchup on the storage shelves.
Red Cedar Elementary School, 1110 Narcissus Drive, East Lansing
A test kit for quat was not available.
REO Town Pub, 1145 S. Washington Ave., Lansing
The handwashing sink intended only for handwashing was being used as a dump sink.
Riddle Elementary School, 221 Huron St., Lansing
Cans of Manwich, diced pineapple and tomatoes had large dents.
Smoothies n’ Stax, 5034 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing
“The PIC (person in charge) was observed using quaternary tablets for sanitizing. The only test kitavailable at the inspection was a chlorine test kit.”
Stockbridge High School, 416 N. Clinton St., Stockbridge
Two cans of salsa were dented.
Taquero Mucho, Lansing
Water from the handwashing sink wasn’t reaching 100 degrees.
The Edge Nutrition, 2321 Jolly Road, Okemos
The person in charge couldn’t produce a thermometer for monitoring temperatures in foods.
The Parish, 100 W. Grand River Ave., Webberville
Meat slicer was visibly soiled.
Wendy’s, 4850 Marsh Road, Okemos
No toweling was available at a handsink in an employee restroom for hand drying.
YaYa’s, 3101 E. Saginaw St., Lansing
Improper date marking for housemade ranch dressing.
Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Moldy cheese block found: Ingham County restaurant inspections
Reporting by Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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