Mom's Pizza in Wilmington closed after report of moldy meat, old pizza, rodent droppings
Meredith NewmanCorrection: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified one of the reasons for the restaurant's temporary closure.
A Wilmington pizza shop was closed by the health department after a state official saw old pizzas in the kitchen, moldy roast beef and corned beef in the fridge, and rodent droppings throughout the business.
Mom's Pizza, at 204 N. Maryland Ave., was closed April 1 due to the "imminent health hazard of gross unsanitary conditions," according to the inspection report. The eatery was allowed to reopen April 3.
The inspection stemmed from a complaint, which said the store "was not cleaned" and that an employee "did not look clean." Another employee was "fixing a car outside the store" and walked back into the food area with dirty hands, according to the complaint.
MORE RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS
State temporarily closes Newark restaurant after official spots dead roaches in ice machine
New Castle Chinese buffet closed after inspector finds rodent droppings in food bins
During the inspection, the state official saw mouse droppings throughout the entire establishment, including behind a freezer, the back of a prep table, the back of a dough sheeter and the dry food storage rack, according to the report.
Employees were seen not washing hands and not wearing hair restraints, the report said. Sauce was splattered on the walls.
Dead roaches were under the sink and by the dough mixer, the report said. The inspector saw heavy debris and grease saturation "under, behind, between" cooking equipment.
The state official also reported cooked chicken breast and cooked steak that were at incorrect temperatures.
The inspector wrote that all the refrigeration units needed a deep cleaning as well as all surfaces. The plumbing and hand sinks needed to be repaired and pest services were needed, the report said.
During a re-inspection on April 3, the state official found that many of these issues, including pests and the needed cleaning, were corrected. But the prep table, dough sheeter, dough mixer bowl and pizza tray were "still encrusted with flour and dough."
The inspector wrote in the report that the eatery needs to clean the sides of the cooking equipment and pizza oven.
The state official allowed the restaurant to reopen on the condition that all the violations be fixed by April 10, when the next re-inspection will occur.
At least 18 food establishments have been ordered closed by the state since the start of 2019. This includes Hong Kong Chinese Buffet in New Castle, Old Town Buffet in Dover, the bar of Bowlero near Prices Corner, China Taste in Milford and Tasti Thai in New Castle.
Customers who want to anonymously report unsanitary conditions at Delaware food establishments and restaurants can call a consumer complaint hotline at 302-744-4736. Inspectors follow up on complaints.
DELAWARE HEALTH NEWS
State: 24 Delawareans have died of the flu so far this season; 3rd deadliest season ever
Fertility preservation gives more child cancer patients hope for parenthood
Contact Meredith Newman at 302-324-2386 or mnewman@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @MereNewman.