A DeKalb County steakhouse is temporarily closed after receiving a shockingly low score on its health inspection this week — before failing again on the follow-up review a day later.
Arizona’s, located near The Mall at Stonecrest, received a score of 21 on its Tuesday inspection by the DeKalb County Board of Health. The following day, it scored a 46, reports show.
The restaurant racked up two dozen violations on its first inspection, including flies and gnats in the kitchen, coolers not being cold enough and an employee touching chicken with his bare hands.
Credit: � 2019 Cox Media Group.
Credit: � 2019 Cox Media Group.
The next day, a county health inspector “observed 2 employees flick their nose or touch the area under their nose and then touch food equipment or pans holding food.” It also received some repeat violations from the first inspection.
Arizona's, which serves a wide variety of meat dishes and American-style cuisine, said in a statement that it "has been one of Stonecrest's favorite restaurants for more than 14 years."
Management temporarily closed the establishment Wednesday “and is working diligently with the Health Department to bring the restaurant into compliance with state standards and reopen.”
“We were appalled at the results of the inspection issued by state,” Roberto Woods, a spokesman for Arizona’s, said in a statement. “We are not only employees and owners of Arizona’s Restaurant, but we also live in the community and our families and friends dine here.”
Woods said management has not yet decided when it will reopen.
Arizona’s plans to implement additional training and food safety measures to improve on the failing scores, Woods said.
A commercial kitchen equipment repair truck was outside Arizona's on Wednesday, Channel 2 Action News reported.
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