Ottawa’s latest food inspections could lead to citations

OTTAWA COUNTY — Each week, the Ottawa Department of Public Health releases a round-up of recent safety inspections at restaurants, schools and other facilities.

Adhering to proper safety practices is critical to preventing foodborne illness and promoting public health.

The Holland Sentinel, in 2025, will begin publishing regular reports on “priority” violations — ones that could directly lead to contamination of food or increase the risk of transmitting a foodborne illness, as well as corrective measures taken.

The Sentinel will also report on “priority foundation” violations — ones that could lead to a priority violation. The health department notes “core” violations, but The Sentinel will only report on those if there’s a significant accumulation in a single eatery.

Dining establishments that met those criteria last week are listed below if details were immediately available on the department’s website. Recent follow-up inspections of priority violations are also provided.

All reports are available at miottawa.org/health/environmental/food-services.

More: Austin Metz: Why context is important when reading restaurant inspections

2 Dragons Cuisine

301 N. River Ave. in Holland

Corrections: Several violations have been corrected. The wooden cutting board has been replaced, the flip-top cooler is no longer storing potentially hazardous food, and the facility’s hood system has been cleaned. No further follow-up is required.

BAM Entertainment Center

478 E. 16th St. in Holland

Priority: Several ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous foods were being held for more than seven days. Such items must be date marked for seven days and discarded at the end of day seven. To correct, outdated items were discarded.

The milkshake wand wasn’t being cleaned after use and had an accumulation of food debris. Equipment that touches potentially hazardous foods must be cleaned adequately to prevent contamination of food items.

Priority Foundation: There was no hand soap available at the handwashing sink by the walk-in cooler. Proper handwashing with soap is important to clean hands and reduce the spread of contamination.

In-house cheese sauce was in the walk-in cooler for close to two hours and had a temperature of 84 degrees. Such items must reach 70 degrees after two hours and then 41 degrees within the subsequent four hours to limit the growth of harmful bacteria and toxins.

To correct, the person-in-charge reheated the sauce to 165 degrees and began the cooling process. This violation has been cited at three consecutive inspections, so the facility qualifies for a compliance conference.

Burger King

31 44th St. in Grandville

Corrections: Two items have been corrected from a previous inspection. The facility is now using four-hour time controls correctly and a backflow prevention device has been installed. No further follow-up is required.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill

4205 32nd Ave. in Hudsonville

Correction: The person in charge provided a photo of a registered chlorine test strip from the dishwasher. Proof of correction has been received for the certificate of occupancy from the city, and the establishment is approved to operate.

Community Restaurant

421 E. Main Ave. in Zeeland

Priority: Lettuce on the salad bar was holding at 50 degrees. Potentially hazardous foods held cold must be held at or below 41 degrees. The person in charge discarded the lettuce.

Priority Foundation: Test strips were not available for the quaternary ammonia sanitizer on-site. A test kit is required to confirm the concentration of sanitizer solution is within the manufacturer’s specifications.

Several potentially hazardous food items were cooling in large, deep containers. This included cooked potatoes, cheese sauce, muffin mix and beef broth. Such items must be cooled properly to 70 degrees within two hours and to 41 degrees within the subsequent four hours. The person in charge had staff move items into shallow containers and separate into smaller portion sizes.

The restrooms do not have self-closing doors. Restroom doors must be self-closing to reduce odor and prevent the spread of potential contaminants into the kitchen.

Crockery Creek Saloon

17044 Main St. in Nunica

Priority: Several herbicide, pesticide and fertilizer containers were stored in the shed next to the coolers, pizza boxes and charcoal. All poisonous or toxic materials must be stored so they do not become a source of contamination. The person in charge moved the chemicals to the yard storage area.

Core: The ice machine shield on the inside of the unit was dirty and had a build-up of debris on it. Such surfaces must be cleaned often. The inside of the top oven had a significant amount of char build-up. All cooking and baking equipment must have the inside cleaned enough to limit the formation of food debris.

A Day in the Life of a Restaurant Inspector

Ever wonder who ensures your favorite local restaurants are safe? Our food safety team visit local food establishments about two times a year. Go behind-the-scenes with one of our Ottawa County restaurant inspectors! In this short video, Beka conducts routine inspections at three local restaurants. You’ll see how our team works with restaurant owners to protect public health – checking food temperatures, proper handwashing stations, safe food storage practices, and more. But, our inspectors aren’t just looking for problems. They partner with restaurants in food safety, providing education and guidance to help businesses thrive while keeping customers healthy. Special thanks to El Rancho #7, The Farmhouse (Resthaven), and Sandy Point Beach House for helping us share our work! Learn more at miottawa.org/food

Posted by OC Department of Public Health on Friday, March 21, 2025

Evergreen Commons – Serving Site

55 W. 16th St. in Holland

Priority Foundation: Two handwashing sinks in the front kitchen were being used for other purposes. The staff dumped ice in the small handwashing sink and dirty cups were being held inside the larger, two-compartment sink. Handwashing sinks must be accessible, clean and used only for handwashing. The person in charge re-trained staff on proper use of hand sinks. The person in charge noted the two-compartment sink will no longer be used for handwashing because the other sink is so close.

Great Wall

226 N. River Ave. in Holland

Corrections: Several previous violations were corrected. The front cooler has been cleaned, the facility has additional documents showing the chicken processing unit is certified and a container of cooked chicken by the fryer was labeled with a discard time. No further follow-up is required.

GVSU – Kirkhof Center

1 Campus Drive in Allendale

Priority: The reach-in cooler by the pasta station was holding food at 45-48 degrees. This included cooked pasta, ham and sausage. Such items must be held at or below 41 degrees to limit the growth of harmful bacteria and production of toxins. The person in charge voluntarily discarded the items.

Core: The walk-in cooler wasn’t holding food at or below 41 degrees. All equipment must be maintained in good working order for the facility to operate as designed. To correct, repair the cooler so it holds food properly.

The cabinet under the continuous flow well is dirty and has a significant build-up of dust and debris. All areas must be cleaned often enough to prevent such build-up.

The fire suppression nozzles on the grill in the Laker Grill were loose and have tilted, so they no longer aim at the fryer or grill. To correct, adjust the fire suppression nozzles so they are aimed correctly.

Corrections: Several previous violations were corrected. The handles on the rice makers cabinets are clean, return air vents are clean and the food law license is posted.

Jhomary’s Paradise

441 Washington Ave. in Holland

Correction: Previous violations have been corrected. The facility is now properly cooling cooked meats in an ice bath. No further follow-up is required.

Lotus Pier Café

222 N. River Ave. in Holland

Priority: Cooked noodles sitting on the counter had a temperature of 65 degrees. Foods held cold must be at or below 41 degrees. The noodles were prepared less than an hour prior to the inspection and the person in charge put a four-hour discard time on the noodles. This is a repeat violation and has been cited at two consecutive routine inspections. The facility qualifies for a risk control plan.

Core: Several containers with sauces inside were unlabeled. Foods in a working container must be labeled so they’re easily identifiable. The person in charge labeled the containers. The inside of the reach-in coolers had a build-up of food debris along the bottom shelves. Non-food-contact surfaces of equipment must be clean and cleaned often enough to prevent the accumulation of food debris.

The floor underneath the cook line had a significant build-up of grime and food debris. Facilities must be cleaned frequently to prevent the accumulation of debris and eliminate pest harborage conditions.

Correction: A previous violation from a past inspection was corrected. The scored cutting board has been replaced.

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Mr. Burger

5835 Balsam Drive in Hudsonville

Priority: At the time of inspection, chili marked to discard the previous day was still being served. Ready-to-eat food must be discarded by the date mark to avoid harmful bacteria being served to the public. The person in charge discarded the chili.

During the inspection, pea soup in the front-of-house holding unit had a temperature of 125 degrees. Potentially hazardous foods held hot must be at or above 135 degrees to limit the growth of bacteria and production of toxins. The person in charge reheated the soup to 165 degrees, then moved it to a different unit to hold at 135 degrees. This is a repeat violation.

The potatoes prepared earlier weren’t being held under refrigeration and had a temperature of 47 degrees. Cold items must be held at or below 41 degrees. The person in charge put the product in the walk-in cooler to rapidly cool. This is a repeat violation.

Priority Foundation: The person in charge wasn’t ensuring employees complied with Food Code. This was demonstrated in the improper monitoring of potentially hazardous foods meant to be kept cold. To correct, increase management and staff training regarding food safety and the requirements of the Food Code. This is a repeat violation.

Core: The hot holding unit in the front of house wasn’t holding contents at or above 135 degrees. The facility was aware of the equipment issue, but wasn’t monitoring temperatures. To correct, the restaurant must have the unit repaired or replaced.

The sanitizer solution in the buckets on the front cook line weren’t at the correct levels of bleach sanitizer solution. Too weak sanitizer won’t effectively kill harmful organisms that can cause illness. The person in charge refreshed all buckets and tested them appropriately.

Due to the repeat violations following an informal hearing, the facility qualifies for a formal hearing. More information on this enforcement to follow.

New Beginnings

2722 Port Sheldon St. in Jenison

Priority: The dish machine was dispensing chlorine sanitizer solution at too low of levels at the time of inspection. Sanitizer that’s too weak will not effectively kill harmful organisms that can cause illness. To correct, the person in charge switched to washing and sanitizing dishes in the three-day sink and manually making a sanitizer solution.

Raw meat was being stored next to lettuce on a shelf in the walk-in cooler. Such storage practices are dangerous and can lead to cross-contamination. Raw animal foods must be stored based on the minimum internal cooking temperature with the lowest on higher shelves than those with higher cooking temperatures. To correct, store raw product below ready-to-eat foods.

Priority Foundation: The facility wasn’t date marking product in the flip-top coolers on the cook line. Ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous foods must be date marked for no more than seven days to limit the growth of harmful bacteria.

Core: Eggs were found stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler. Product must be stored at least six inches off the floor to prevent possible contamination.

The area around the cook line had an accumulation of excess grease and food debris. Facilities must be properly maintained and cleaned to prevent contamination and the attraction of pests. This is a repeat violation and qualifies the facility for a civil citation.

The egg pans have caked-on grease around the outside, rim and handles. Food contact surfaces should be kept free of encrusted grease deposits and other soil accumulations to prevent contamination. This is a repeat violation.

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The sink in the server area wasn’t sealed to the counter. Equipment that’s fixed must be installed so that it’s sealed to other equipment and walls to prevent exposed spillage or seepage.

The dish machine was unable to dispense the correct amount of sanitizer solution at the time of inspection. Equipment must be kept in good working repair according to manufacturer standards to properly sanitize dishes.

The ventilation system had drips of grease and debris at the time of the inspection. All parts of the ventilation system must be cleaned enough to prevent build-up.

The person in charge indicated the whole ventilation system, from the ceiling through the roof, hasn’t been cleaned in years. This is a public health/fire hazard. To correct, have the whole ventilation system professionally cleaned and checked.

Pho Mekong

143 Douglas Ave. in Holland

Priority: Multiple buckets of pho were holding at 42-45 degrees. Potentially hazardous foods must be cooled appropriately to get to 70 degrees in two hours and to 41 degrees or lower within the subsequent four hours. The person in charge discarded the pho.

The blades and interior of the meat slicer was coated in build-up of caked-on food debris and grease deposits. Such equipment must be cleaned when contamination occurs to prevent the possible growth of bacteria and spreading of contaminants to food.

Priority Foundation: Pho broth was cooked and then placed in a large, tall bucket in the walk-in cooler. Potentially hazardous foods must be cooled properly using ice wands, ice and other methods. To correct, the pho was discarded.

Core: Multiple foods were left on the floor in the walk-in cooler, including buckets of pho, buckets of bean sprouts, a jug of curry sauce and boxes of broccoli. Items must be stored at least six inches above the floor. The person in charge moved all food off the floor.

The meat slicer is not smooth and easily cleanable. Clean-in-place equipment must be smooth and easily cleanable. To correct, obtain a new meat slicer.

Qdoba Mexican Grill

3155 West Shore Drive in Holland

The facility does not currently have a food safety certified manager. Each establishment must have at least one certified manager employed to ensure proper food safety practices are being followed.

Priority Foundation: The guacamole was temping at 50 degrees in a small, covered container in the walk-in cooler, preventing proper cooling. Proper cooling methods must be used to ensure foods cool within the six-hour window. The guacamole was uncovered and put in an ice bath.

The paper towel dispenser wasn’t working for the hand sink by the three-bay sink. The person in charge determined the batteries had died. To correct, obtain batteries for the dispenser or replace with a new one.

Core: The hood filters above the grill had a build-up of grease and debris. All parts of the ventilation system must be cleaned frequently enough to prevent build-up to protect food and equipment from contamination. This violation has been cited during three consecutive routine inspections. If cited a fourth time, it will qualify for a citation.

Russ’ Northtown

210 N. River Ave. in Holland

Correction: The facility corrected a previous violation. The menu is now properly asterisked for items that can be served undercooked. No further follow-up is required.

Starbucks Coffee

590 16th St. in Holland

Corrections: Multiple items were corrected from a previous inspection. There is now hand soap available in the handwashing sink and the food probe thermometer is functional and calibrated. No further follow-up is required.

Tropical Smoothie

3155 West Shore Drive in Holland

Priority: Several potentially hazardous foods were found holding between 43-48 degrees in the flip-top cooler beside the oven. This included tomatoes, cheese, sausage, pesto and egg. Such items must be held at or below 41 degrees. Staff discarded all food at unsafe temperatures. The remaining items were temping properly. This is a repeat violation.

Priority Foundation: Bags of diced chicken at 50 degrees were tightly packed in covered containers in the cooler, preventing proper cooling. Staff spread the bags of chicken onto uncovered trays.

Core: The dish machine was dispensing chlorine sanitizer at a concentration of 0ppm. Equipment must be maintained in good repair so it dispenses properly to kill germs. The person in charge replaced the sanitizer bottle.

Correction: One item was corrected from a previous inspection. The hand sink was properly sealed to the wall.

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Perfect Inspections

The following restaurants, schools and churches had no core, priority foundation or priority violations upon their visit from the health department last week:

• Alward Elementary School at 3811 Port Sheldon St. in Hudsonville

• Arby’s at 241 Church St. in Jenison

• Burger Bros Bar and Grill at 428 Douglas Ave. in Holland

• Charles A. Conklin American Legion at 700 S. Harbor Drive in Grand Haven

• Knights of Columbus at 21130 32nd Ave. in Conklin

• Lakeshore Lutheran Fellowship at 16790 Van Wagoner Road in Spring Lake

• Lazy P BBQ at 14485 Cleveland St. in Spring Lake

• Lucky Tea Shop at 1700 S. Beacon Boulevard in Grand Haven

• Rosewood Elementary School at 2370 Tyler St. in Jenison

• Teriyaki Madness at 3155 West Shore Drive in Holland

• Zeeland Recreation at 3751 104th Ave. in Holland

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Ottawa County eateries hit with wide range of violations