BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Another restaurant faces health code violation issues in St. Clair County, Illinois. Inspectors found the restaurant still operating despite suspending their permit two days prior.
Hundreds of patrons of the LongHorn Steakhouse in St. Clair County retained an attorney after an outbreak of Shigella. That steakhouse in Fairview Heights reopened its dining area Monday after approval from the St. Clair County Health Department.
St. Clair County residents have been recently learning some disturbing news about health inspections at a Belleville restaurant in September.
According to a September health inspection of China Quick by local health department officials, there were 56 health code violations. That inspection ended with the restaurant's permit being suspended.
"Food handlers should be wearing gloves when necessary," the health inspection document said.
The person in charge of the restaurant during the time of the inspection wasn't sufficiently certified, and utensils and dishware were unclean and improperly handled, the inspection said.
"[An] employee did not wash hands after eating, drinking, or smoking," the document said. "Various frozen foods were stored below raw chicken."
Inspectors found the meat wasn't cooked at a sufficient temperature or for a sufficient amount of time, and fried rice and chicken had to be discarded because it wasn't stored or dated properly, according to the report.
"Rodent and cockroach droppings [were] observed in the facility around baseboards," the inspection found.
The report said the coolers were too warm and small for the business to cool food properly, and the staff didn't have proper sanitizing tools.
Returning to issue a formal permit suspension letter, a health official found the restaurant was still cooking and feeding people despite their permit being suspended two days prior.
"[The] establishment cannot store, prepare or serve food until an inspection from St. Clair County Health Department is performed and the retail food permit is reissued," comments from the inspection said. "Permit was suspended on 9/4/24. Food prep was being done onsite today (9/6/24)."
The inspector found several of the same health code violations they pointed out during the inspection.
"Three cases of egg rolls and two cases of fish were discarded because establishment did not have receipts," the document said. "A bin of flour was discarded due to live and dead cockroaches inside the food."
A person in charge at the restaurant on Sept. 5 told inspectors they would discard various foods in the broken walk-in cooler, but the food was still there when inspectors returned, the report said.
The person in charge on Sept. 6 refused to discard the food.
"Law enforcement and the State's Attorney were onsite and ensured food items were thrown away by health department staff and bleach was poured on everything in the dumpster," the document said. "Single-use items are contaminated with rodent feces and live cockroaches. These items were discarded."
Pest traps were found in the bottom of steam table pans, and eggs from an unapproved source were found, the health department report said.
Here are the conditions the business has to meet before a permit will be reissued.
Establish Integrated Pest Management
- Deep clean
- Repair physical facilities
- Eliminate pest entry points
- Have adequate cold holding and cooling equipment for the current operation
- Comply with all violations from previous routine inspection
China Quick is located at 940 Carlyle Ave in Belleville, across the street from Belleville Township East High School.
The 5 On Your Side newsroom has tried to reach the restaurant by phone, but their voicemail has not been set up yet.
