Health Dept. Finds Multiple 'Critical' Violations at Columbia Bar

Editor’s note: Soon after our publication of the , representatives of several of the Phoenixville eateries that had been surveyed expressed the view that the reports were unfit to publish. They argued that the language in the health department’s reports is notoriously ambiguous and even misleading. The reports, they said, tend to frame potential hazards as actual hazards and generally overstate the extent of specific problems within the restaurants.

 (A representative from the county health department later corroborated this. In an email exchange with Patch, she acknowledged that the wording of the reports is imperfect and said the county is weighing changes to its health inspection system.)

Concerns noted, Phoenixville Patch proceeded to verify what seemed the plain claims of the May reports–namely that there was “insect/rodent harborage” at Boston Market. To this end I filed a Right to Know request with Chester County to obtain the complete results of two of the inspections. (The county makes available only the areas where restaurants were in violation, but not the precise reasons for the violations. To get this information, one must directly request it from the county). The Chester County Health Department, as of July 10, for reasons that are unclear, has not complied with this request.

Which brings us to here. The June reports are out now and we have decided to run them. Though we acknowledge the below information is incomplete–and promise to continue to do our best to complete it–Phoenixville Patch has determined that what little we have is still sufficiently useful our readers to warrant publication. If you disagree, you can tell us why in the comments, or at tom.sunnergren@patch.com. Thank you, as always, for reading.

The following health inspection results from June 2012 were provided by the Chester County Health Department. The results of each of the county's 2012 health inspections are available here.

148 Bridge St

Inspection Date: 6/21

Total Score (out of 100): 70

Critical Violations

• Food received in unsound condition; spoilage found; food from an unapproved source
• Food did not meet temperature requirements
• Food not protected from contamination/cross contamination
• Restroom or handwashing facilities not provided, accessible
• Presence of rodents/insects; harborage; breeding; outer openings not protected

Non-Critical Violations

• Restrooms/Handwashing facilities found unclean; not provided with necessary supplies
• Non-food-contact surfaces of equipment found unclean; improperly maintained
• Single-service items being re-used; improper handling; improper storage 
• Floors/walls/ceilings found unclean, in disrepair
• Plumbing leaks or disrepair found

165 Nutt Rd

Inspection Date: 6/12

Total Score (out of 100): 90

Critical Violations

• Food received in unsound condition; spoilage found; food from an unapproved source
• Food not protected from contamination/cross contamination

450–452 Bridge St

Inspection Date: 6/12

Total Score (out of 100): 75

Critical Violations

• Food did not meet temperature requirements
• Food not protected from contamination/cross contamination
• Food not thawed properly
• Improper handwashing techniques by food workers

Non-Critical Violations

• Non-food-contact surfaces of equipment found unclean; improperly maintained
• Dishwashing facilities improperly designed, constructed, maintained
• Floors/walls/ceilings found unclean, in disrepair
• Plumbing leaks or disrepair found
• Improper ventilation found

138 Bridge St

Inspection Date: 6/6

Total Score (out of 100): 94

Critical Violation

• Food not protected from contamination/cross contamination

Non-Critical Violation

• Restrooms/Handwashing facilities found unclean; not provided with necessary supplies

24 S Main St

Inspection Date: 6/22

Total Score (out of 100): 98

Non-Critical Violations

• Restrooms/Handwashing facilities found unclean; not provided with necessary supplies
• Food service equipment improperly stored and handled