SALSAS MEXICAN RESTAURANT
4578 SW HERITAGE OAKS CIR · LAKE CITY · Columbia County · FL 32024
Inspection Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
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All DBPR Inspector Observations
30 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 5
12A-10-4High Priority – Employee touched bare body part and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee swept hand over ear to brush back her hair then placed her thumb in plate of food being delivered to a customer.
09-01-4High Priority – Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands – food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Employee with bare hands dragged cup through ice to fill. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
35A-02-7High Priority – Live, small flying insects found. Two live flies in kitchen.
12A-09-4High Priority – Single-use gloves not changed as needed after changing tasks or when damaged or soiled. Employee touched gloved hand to pants and continued food prep with no glove change and hand wash. Employee on cookline wiped face with wrist/hand and continued food prep with washing hands and changing gloves. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
03A-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. On serving line table: potatoes (53F – Cold Holding). In drawer cooler on cookline: tomatoes (48F – Cold Holding); chicken (50F – Cold Holding); pork (51F – Cold Holding); shrimp (47F – Cold Holding). In walk-in cooler: beef (52F, 55F – Cold Holding); chicken (52F – Cold Holding); chicken (53F – Cold Holding); beef (52F – Cold Holding); sausage (51F – Cold Holding); shrimp (51F, 49F – Cold Holding); ceviche (52F – Cold Holding); shell eggs (51F – Cold Holding). **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
Intermediate 2
13-06-4Intermediate – Employee with artificial nails/nail polish working with exposed food without wearing intact gloves. Server wearing nail polish and bracelet dispensing salsa. Server wearing nail polish and scooping ice by dragging cup, no gloves. **Repeat Violation**
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Soiled rag on clean plate stored on shelf under steam table. Mold-like substances on white deflector plate of ice machine. Can opener blade soiled with old food debris. Cutting boards soiled with mold-like substances. **Repeat Violation**
Basic 23
14-01-5Basic – Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. No-handle plate used to scoop rice in walk-in cooler. **Repeat Violation**
51-11-4Basic – Carbon dioxide/helium tanks not adequately secured. Carbon dioxide tank outside near back door not secured.
24-27-4Basic – Clean equipment/dishware/utensils stored next to handwash/food preparation sink exposed to splash. Container of utensils and clean plates on shelf next to handwashing sink across from tea machines exposed to splash.
24-05-4Basic – Clean glasses, cups, bowls, plates, pots and pans not stored inverted or in a protected manner. Ice buckets stored not inverted or protected. Plates not inverted or protected near hand wash sink at end of service line.
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Multiple employee drinks on prep tables. **Repeat Violation**
12B-02-4Basic – Employee eating in a food preparation or other restricted area. Employee eating in kitchen area at dish machine/prep table.
08B-49-4Basic – Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Employee ice cream bars in reach-in freezer not segregated or marked. **Repeat Violation**
40-06-5Basic – Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employee speaker on shelf over prep table. Backpacks, keys, and pullover over open bucket of beans on shelf next to back door.
24-08-4Basic – Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried – wet nesting. Wet nesting pans on shelf across from three compartment sink.
14-11-5Basic – Equipment in poor repair. Ice buildup in reach-in freezer in storage shed. Reach-in cooler gaskets at cookline torn. **Repeat Violation**
35B-01-4Basic – Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. Daylight visible through bottom gap at back door. **Repeat Violation**
08B-38-4Basic – Food stored on floor. Oil on floor near back door. Chicken on floor of walk-in cooler. **Repeat Violation**
10-20-4Basic – In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Two pair of tongs on oven door handle.
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Reach-in cooler gaskets throughout soiled with old food debris and mold-like substances. Mold-like substances on backsplash of soda machine next to ice machine. **Repeat Violation**
16-46-4Basic – Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. Throughout kitchen and walk-in cooler. **Repeat Violation**
33-16-4Basic – Open dumpster lid. Both lids open. **Repeat Violation**
12B-13-4Basic – Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Multiple employee drinks in multiple reach-in coolers on prep line. **Repeat Violation**
25-32-4Basic – Reuse of single-service or single-use articles. White sauce in bottle labeled "Sweet Red Chili" in reach-in cooler on cookline. Gatoraide bottle use to stored liquid butter on cook line. **Repeat Violation**
29-49-6Basic – Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Standing water in reach-in cooler in bar area. **Repeat Violation**
42-03-5Basic – Storage of maintenance equipment/tools in areas that may result in cross contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens and/or single-service and single-use articles. Roll of duct tape on shelf over pass-through service window in kitchen. Round chainsaw file stored on prep table against clean dishes. Metal flat file stored in bin with clean food bin lids. Package of nuts and bolts on top of tea machine.
08B-12-5Basic – Stored food not covered. Beans, rice, chicken in walk-in cooler not covered. **Repeat Violation**
14-12-4Basic – Utensils in poor condition. Chipped knife blade on magnetic storage rack. Melted knife handle on magnetic storage rack.
21-12-4Basic – Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. Wet wiping cloth on prep table. Employee removed. **Corrected On-Site**
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on August 19, 2026 7:47 AM.
Violation category totals
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
5 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
Inspection records and inspector observations reflect conditions documented by DBPR at the time of the inspection and may not reflect current conditions.