Pancho & Lefty鈥檚 Cantina & Restaurante in Kailua-Kona has been shut down due to numerous food safety violations including the presence of cockroaches in the kitchen and 鈥渋n ready-to eat foods.鈥�
According to the state Department of Health, the establishment, operated by Kailua-Kona Restaurants Inc., received a red placard on Thursday and must remain closed until the DOH conducts a follow-up inspection and all critical violations are resolved.
During a routine inspection, a DOH inspector observed the following violations: Live and dead cockroaches on food-contact surfaces, in ready-to-eat foods and in kitchen and food storage areas; equipment, food-contact surfaces and utensils were not clean to sight and touch; physical facilities were neither maintained nor cleaned; handwashing sink was obstructed and not supplied with disposable towels; refrigerated foods were not separated and protected to prevent cross-contamination; and no certified safe food handler was on-site during operations.
The DOH is requiring the restaurant to take corrective actions before it can repoen.
It must discard all contaminated food products; have a professional pest control operator perform service and submit the service report to the DOH; complete a deep cleaning and disinfection of all food- and non-food contact surfaces; retrain employees on proper food storage requirements; ensure all handwashing stations are unobstructed and equipped with disposable towels; and ensure at least one employee with a valid Safe Food Handler certificate is on duty during operational hours.
Pancho & Lefty鈥檚 is required to remain closed for business until all violations have been corrected and the DOH has conducted a follow-up inspection.