By: Robert Dewey | [email protected]

Garden City, KS

Tacos El Tapatio

1203 E FULTON ST
GARDEN CITY, KS 67846
620-275-6462

Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety and lodging program conducted an unannounced retail food inspection on 8/13/2020. As a result of that inspection, and due to the severity of the specific violations Tacos El Tapatio was cited as being, “Out of Compliance” with Kansas food safety regulations. During this inspection a total of 20 violations were found.

The inspector made the following comments in support of the violations found during the inspection:

• A cook removed ready to eat tortillas from the grill and placed them on aluminum foil to wrap for a customer order. The cook handled the ready to eat tortillas with his bare hands. (COS-tortillas were discarded)
• There were numerous flies in the kitchen landing on food contact surfaces (cutting boards, prep tables). The facility monitors for pest and has a pest control company treat on a monthly basis, as per employee.
• Raw cactus leaves and raw onions were stored on top of raw fish fillets in the reach in cooler west of the grill. Fourteen dozen containers of raw shell eggs were stored over whole raw cucumbers, whole raw peppers, whole raw green peppers, and whole raw limes in the walk in cooler. A case of raw shell eggs were stored over a case of whole raw limes in the walk in cooler. (COS-foods were separated). There was no evidence of leakage.
• An open container of raw chicken was stored next to ready to eat tortillas in the reach in cooler west of the grill. An open container of raw chicken was stored over open containers of ready to eat salsas in the reach in cooler west of the grill. Plates of breaded raw fish and breaded raw steak were stored over a container of ready to eat ceviche in the reach in cooler west of the grill. Three packages of raw chicken were stored over two containers of ready to eat shrimp, two containers of ready to eat beans, a container of ready to eat shredded cheese, a container of ready to eat pork stomach, and a container of ready to eat beef tongue in the walk in cooler. A package of raw sliced bacon was stored on top of containers of ready to eat salsa in the wait station cooler. (COS-foods were separated). There was no evidence of leakage.
• An open container of raw chicken was stored over an open container of raw fish in the reach in cooler west of the grill. An open container of raw beef was stored over an open container of raw fish and an open container of raw eggs in the reach in cooler west of the grill. Three packages of raw chicken were stored over three containers of ground raw beef in the walk in cooler. (COS-foods were separated). There was no evidence of leakage.
• Stored on the prep table west of the kitchen hand washing sink: ready to rice 60 F. The rice was just removed from the cooler a couple of minutes prior, as per employee. The rice was cooked the previous evening and then placed in the cooler to cool overnight, as per employee. Walk in cooler: ready to eat cooked whole octopus 44 F The octopus was cooked the previous day then placed in the walk in cooler to cook, as per employee. (COS-foods were discarded).
• Stored at room temperature on the prep table by the back door: container of ready to eat beans 100 F, container of ready to eat beans #2 93 F. The beans were cooked two hours prior then stored at room temperature to cool, as per employee. (COS-foods were placed in the reach in cooler to cool).
• Stored at room temperature on the counter west of the grill: ready to eat pork intestines 82 F. The pork was cooked 3 1/2 hours prior then stored at room temperature to fill for customer orders, as per employee. (COS-reheated to 195 F).
• Refrigerated prep table: ready to eat sliced cheese 45 F, ready to eat shrimp 54 F. The container of cheese was filled from a bulk container from the reach in cooler earlier in the morning, as per employee. The water from the container of shrimp was changed out earlier in the morning, as per employee. Reach in cooler west of the grill: ready to eat salsa 45 F. The salsa had been removed from the cooler for a short time to refill other containers, as per employee. Stored in a container of melted ice by the serving window: ready to eat red salsa 51 F. The salsa was removed from the cooler 3 1/4 hours prior then placed on ice to cold hold, as per employee. Della cooler by the cash register: ready to eat cheesecake 56 F, ambient air temperature 42 F. The cheesecake was placed in the cooler the 8/10, as per employee. (COS-foods were refrigerated and ice was added around salsa).
• A container of prepared on site ready to eat ceviche was stored in the reach in cooler west of the grill with no consume by date label on the container. The ceviche was prepared 25 hours prior, as per employee. (COS-dated).
• An open gallon container of ready to eat milk was stored in the wait station reach in cooler with no consume by date label. The milk was opened on 8/10/20, as per employee. Plates of ready to eat cheesecake were stored in the Della cooler with use by dates of 8/19. The cheesecake was sliced on 8/10 and date marked to be used over seven days, as per employee.
• The maximum water temperature at the two ware washing sinks was 96 F. (COS-the water heater was adjusted higher with a maximum water temperature at the fixtures of 123 F).
• There were two microwaves stored over the refrigerated prep table with dried food debris on the interior walls of the microwaves. The microwaves were last cleaned four days prior, as per employee. (COS-cleaned).
• An employee was washing plastic food storage containers with soap and water at the west warewashing sink, rinsing the containers with water, then putting the containers away as clean on the shelf over the sink. The employee was not sanitizing the containers before putting away as clean. An employee was washing customer eating plates and silverware at the east warewashing sink and soaking the utensils in non-detect chlorine sanitizer solution. (COS-sanitizing solution of 200 parts per million was prepared).
• There was no hand washing soap located near the kitchen hand washing sink. (COS-soap was placed by the sink).
• No paper towels or other hand drying provisions at the kitchen handwashing sink. (COS-paper towels were supplied).
• There was a pink solution stored in an unlabeled spray bottle in the kitchen hand washing sink. The solution in the bottle was degreaser, as per employee. There was a purple solution stored in a bottle labeled as Windex on the floor under the hand washing sink in the employee restroom. The solution in the bottle was Fabuloso, as per employee. (COS-bottles were labeled).
• A bottle of Dawn liquid dish washing soap and a spray bottle of Wined was stored next to a bag of ready to eat bread on the prep table west of the kitchen hand washing sink. An aerosol can of Raid Flying insect spray was stored next to a container of lemon juice and an open container of cooking oil under the grill. (COS-chemicals were moved).
• A bottle of Dawn liquid dish washing soap and a spray bottle of Windex was stored over packages of ready to eat tortillas on the prep table west of the kitchen hand washing sink. (COS-chemicals were moved)
• An aerosol can of Raid Flying insect spray (EPA # 4822-569) was stored under the grill. The spray was used in the kitchen to treat for flies, as per employee. (COS-manager removed spray from the facility).

Abbreviations used by inspectors:

AVB- An Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker (AVB) is a backflow prevention device used in plumbing to prevent backflow of non-potable liquids into the drinking water system
BOH- Back of the House
CFSM- Certified Food Safety Manager
COS- Corrected on-site during inspection
FCS- Food contact surface
PIC- Person-in-charge
PHF- Potentially Hazardous Foods
RIC- Reach in cooler
RTE- Ready to Eat
WIC- Walk-in cooler