A downtown Puyallup staple, Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge, was hit with 55 red points during a May 28 routine visit from Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department inspectors, a score that puts the business on the list for mandatory follow-up. Inspectors cited raw meats stored above ready-to-eat foods, uneven hot-holding temperatures and problems with using time as a control for food safety, all of which pushed the restaurant past routine thresholds.
The May 28 inspection was one of several in Pierce County that week in which restaurants racked up 35 or more red points. The health department typically inspects more than 100 establishments every week, according to reporting by the Tacoma News Tribune.
How the system works
The county uses a point system that puts the most weight on critical violations, the issues most likely to make people sick. Lower-risk problems still count, but they add fewer points to the total.
According to the agency’s closures guidance, inspectors can shut down an establishment for repeated critical violations or for imminent health threats such as loss of refrigeration, sewage backing up or very unsanitary conditions. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Other inspections that raised flags
The Tacoma News Tribune roundup of health department reports shows Charlie’s was not alone that week. Several other Pierce County spots also drew high red-point totals, including Pho Ever & Wok in Puyallup (50 red points), Andale Feast Mexican Restaurant in Tacoma (50), Trapper’s Sushi in Tacoma (45), Maritime Mart in Gig Harbor (45) and Indochine Asian Dining Lounge in Tacoma (40).
Itemized inspection reports for those businesses list issues such as improper cooling, lapses in hand washing and cross-contamination risks, as reflected in the health department records summarized by the Tacoma News Tribune.
What operators and diners should know
When a routine inspection hits 35 or more red points, it triggers a required re-inspection and a corresponding fee. Health department guidance for temporary events and vendor permits notes that follow-up visits are required for facilities that receive 35 or more red points or fail to meet sanitation standards, and that a re-inspection fee applies in those situations. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Inspection reports are public by design, giving operators a checklist for fixing problems and offering diners a way to see how a business has addressed past violations. If you believe you are seeing an imminent food safety hazard, the health department asks that you report it so inspectors can follow up.
