NewsBreak Original

When going to the movies you probably aren’t thinking twice about the quality of the food. You go in, buy your tickets, maybe grab some popcorn and a soda, then head out and find your seat. But maybe you should take a step back and consider the quality of the food and how it is being prepared. Just like any other restaurant around Tucson, movie theaters are subject to inspections by the county health inspector. And for one local theater, it performed about as terrible as one can, with a whopping 15 violations identified.

Another week, another chain restaurant performed poorly on its annual health inspection. Typically, chain and franchise restaurants tend to excel at food safety, due to all the safeguards in place at the corporate level and what could happen to the manager and regional owners should the restaurant fail to perform up to the established standards. And yet, that has not prevented various restaurants over the past several months from poor health inspection grades. The current restaurant in Tucson, perhaps unexpectedly, received a second annual inspection within the same calendar year, which is odd, but nevertheless, seven violations were uncovered during the most recent inspection.

When you go to the grocery store you’re looking for quality products and affordable prices. You’re probably not considering how the shop performed on its previous health inspection. After all, it isn’t preparing food in the same way as local restaurants. However, grocery stores go through the same health and quality control inspections as restaurants in the community as well. One local grocery store in metro Phoenix has an attached restaurant. This restaurant performed poorly enough to receive a D grade on its inspection (despite the grocery store passing the same inspection).

When you’re hungry for a steak, one of the go-to destinations, no matter where you are in the country, is Texas Roadhouse. The chain has built itself up as one of the largest steakhouse chains in the nation. That certainly holds true here in Tucson. However, you might want to pause before calling in to make a reservation, at least after the restaurant’s most recent health inspection.

When you stop by a fast food restaurant to order burgers and fries you’re probably only thinking of what you’re hungry for and how quickly the food comes out. Other than that, once you leave the drive-through window, your only other thoughts might be on if they made the order correctly. What you shouldn’t be focused to think about is just how clean the kitchen was or if the restaurant performed well on its last health inspection. After all, there is some level of trust between you and the restaurant. For the majority of greater Phoenix restaurants, that’s not an issue. However, one local fast-food restaurant nearly failed its most recent inspection, as it received a D grade just last week.

There’s nothing like a slice of pizza. Whether after a long day of work, after a kid’s sporting event, or you want something everyone can enjoy during the big game, pizza is often the best (and most affordable) option. Of course, you want to make sure your pizza place is not only tasty but up to health code standards. For the most part, every pizza restaurant around Tucson is, but one local spot did not perform adequately and was given an impending “Needs Improvement” grade. This means, another inspection is fast approaching, and the restaurant will either pass or fail.

Another day, another restaurant with health inspection problems. While about once a week another restaurant is flagged for performing poorly on its annual visit by the health inspector, the vast majority of restaurants never have issues, excel at the cleanliness and certifications needed, and you never have to think twice about visiting. However, one Tucson restaurant has never performed all that well on its annual inspections and has had infractions during eight of the nine visits. This last visit was not the exception, resulting in the restaurant being placed on probation.

Whether you are a fan of soft serve, gelato, scooped ice cream, or frosty chocolate milkshakes, there’s nothing like a tasty treat to help beat the heat. Especially when you call metro Phoenix home. Temperatures are taking their time cooling off, so a bit of edible chilled motivation might be exactly what you’re looking for. However, you might want to avoid ice cream shops that are being hit with health code violations. For one local ice cream shop, the D grade on their annual health inspection is not good news, both for it and for customers looking for something cold to eat.

Another week, another surprisingly poor performance by a national chain restaurant during its food health inspection. While these restaurants tend to perform exceptionally well, due to all the strict requirements put on food safety by corporate entities, as well as the ability to strip regional managers of positions and hand the position off to others, there have been a number of big brands that perform less than adequately here in Tucson. The trend continues, as one of the local Sonic restaurants was hit with six violations, including five core violations.

During a recent visit from the health inspector, one local Mexican restaurant in greater Phoenix did not perform adequately. A total of five violations, including four priority violations, were identified, resulting in a D grade. D is the lowest issued health inspection grade a restaurant receives without facing serious consequences.

Chain restaurants tend to excel during food health inspections. There are simply too many negative outcomes should the business fail. Unlike locally and independently owned restaurants, when a chain restaurant performs poorly, not only does it look bad for the location, but it also puts a black spot on the entire brand, which can result in patrons avoiding the entire chain altogether. This can lead to the removal of the franchising tag, or the regional manager could be replaced. Despite all of this, one national chain pizza restaurant failed its recent inspection here in Tucson.

It was a relatively good week for restaurants and the annual inspections from the health inspector. Around greater Phoenix, there were hundreds of inspections performed, with the vast majority receiving A or B grades. In fact, over the past week, only one restaurant performed poorly during its inspection. The poor-performing restaurant received an automatic D-grade, due to its four Priority Violations, which are major violations that directly contribute to foodborne illnesses and injuries.

When it comes to Fourth Avenue restaurants and hangouts, a few establishments have remained steadfast, becoming icons in their own rights. After years of serving the public, these businesses are reliable locations to grab a bite to eat or to enjoy a drink with friends. However, just like every other food establishment around Tucson, these businesses receive a visit from the local health inspection, and as such, it is important to note when one performs poorly. That is exactly the case with one destination, which had numerous violations.

Every restaurant around greater Phoenix receives an annual health inspection. In general, chain and franchise restaurants tend to excel at health inspection. Not only do these establishments have very specific protocols in place, established by corporate entities, but franchise tags can be stripped away from these locations and given to another interested party, should the restaurants perform poorly. One poorly performing chain restaurant can shine a negative light on the brand. And yet, from time to time, these big-name brands can stumble and perform poorly. That is exactly what happened with one Phoenix area restaurant during its most recent health inspection.

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of AI. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, many of us gravitate towards the allure of a quick bite at our favorite local restaurant or grab a refreshing drink from a nearby food stand. Yet, few pause to consider the underpinning facets of sanitation and hygiene at these establishments. The recent release of sanitation scores for Iredell County in North Carolina provides an illuminating glimpse into the cleanliness of our cherished eateries.

A local restaurant here in Tucson was recently told it needs to improve after following its annual health inspection. The “Needs Improvement” tag indicates the health inspector will return to check up on those improvements. If improvements are not made, the restaurant typically receives a Fail grade. This can lead to additional problems, including the loss of the restaurant’s food handling certifications and licensing. For this local restaurant, it has a total of 11 violations to improve upon.

Restaurants throughout greater Tucson are given multiple chances when performing poorly during annual health inspections. Restaurants, even when they have poor initial inspections, are allowed to correct the issues in a given window of time (generally between 10 and 30 days, depending on the problems). Should the restaurants prove incapable of making the corrections, the businesses are given failing health safety grades. And yet, the failed grade seems to not carry much weight, as the restaurants almost always remain open, serving potentially hazardous food to customers. Times might have changed, as one local restaurant is closing down after failing its health inspection.

Another week has come and gone, which means another week of restaurants in metro Phoenix visited by the county health inspector. With the vast number of restaurants spread throughout the Valley, it is a job that never lets up, no matter the time of year or the location. Despite the overwhelming number of restaurants in the area, the majority of these restaurants do receive A grades, meaning the establishments did not have a single violation. Even violations corrected at the time of inspection are still noted and will impact a restaurant’s overall grade. So, by and large, greater Phoenix has a majority of restaurants that are perfectly safe to eat at. However, there are a handful receiving violations over the course of each week. This includes one local establishment that received a D grade during its latest inspection.

When dealing with any kind of restaurant, health safety is extremely important. While health inspectors might be the bane of existence for restaurant owners, these individuals are the thin line between foodborne illnesses and the general public. It is also why every restaurant around greater Tucson is visited by a health inspector annually, to ensure the restaurant is keeping up with what is required of it. One local restaurant here in Tucson didn’t perform all that well, as 10 total violations were identified, and a repeat inspection is forthcoming.

Foodies in San Antonio, brace yourselves! A recent health inspection at Casa San Miguel, located at 741 Isom Rd, has left us with more questions than answers. With a score of 81, this culinary establishment has us raising our eyebrows and stomachs churning. Let's dive into the stomach-turning details of this inspection: