Thai Restaurant Gets One Last Chance with the Health Department

The Southern Nevada Health District shut down Pad Thai, the Thai restaurant at 860 S. Rancho Drive, for repeated food safety issues that date back to May 2012.

KTNV reports that the health department warned that restaurant that it would suspend the eatery’s permit and close the facility if it earned another downgrade. Last July, the health department shut down the restaurant after a 31-demerit inspection.

On March 26, inspectors issued a 31-demerit C grade for issues such as food ranging from cooked chicken, tofu, cooked pork, deep-fried chicken, and noodles left out for four hours and held at a dangerous temperature. The restaurant stacked food containers without safe coverings, left utensils standing in lukewarm water, didn’t clean utensils, and didn’t clean the restaurant. The TV station reports “excessive slime in the ice machine … and excessive grease and dirt throughout the facility, especially at the wok station.” The restaurant also kept expired food in the refrigerator and still used expired soda syrups.

Pad Thai met with the health department on Monday for a last chance to remain open. For the next 18 months, the restaurant must deep clean the restaurant monthly, replace old equipment, and hire a food safety consultant to visit twice a week.

Another condition of the restaurant’s reopening? No downgrades during future unannounced inspections. The restaurant re-opened on April 8 with a zero-demerit A grade.

The health district conducts unannounced inspections at least once a year. Inspections are posted online about five days after the inspection. The Southern Nevada Health District routinely shuts down restaurants that receive more than 40 demerits. Restaurants have the option of requesting a re-inspection before the next scheduled inspection.

• All DOH Chronicles [ELV]