SALSAS MEXICAN RESTAURANT
4578 SW HERITAGE OAKS CIR · LAKE CITY · Columbia County · FL 32024
Inspection Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
All DBPR Inspector Observations
36 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 10
03D-02-5High Priority – Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 hours. Items stored in walk-in cooler: cooked pork (50F – Cooling); cooked hamburger (49F – Cooling); cooked peppers (51F – Cooling); cooked chicken (51F – Cooling). Manager stated items prepared the previous day and placed in cooler to cool. **Warning**
01B-36-5High Priority – Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within six hours. See stop sale. Items stored in walk-in cooler: cooked pork (50F – Cooling); cooked hamburger (49F – Cooling); cooked peppers (51F – Cooling); cooked chicken (51F – Cooling). Manager stated items prepared the previous day and placed in cooler to cool. **Warning**
12A-13-4High Priority – Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee in dish area handled dirty dishes, and proceeded to handle clean dishes without washing hands. Manager had employee wash hands and rewash dishes. **Corrective Action Taken**
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 touched cooked rice with bare hands. Manager had employee reheat rice. **Corrective Action Taken**
08A-05-6High Priority – Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Shell eggs stored over cheese in walk-in cooler. Manager placed eggs on bottom shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
12A-09-4High Priority – Single-use gloves not changed as needed after changing tasks or when damaged or soiled. Employee placed raw chicken on grill and proceeded to handle clean bowl without washing hands and changing gloves. Manager had employee wash, hands, change gloves, and use a new bowl. **Corrective Action Taken**
03A-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Items stored in walk-in cooler: beef (50F – Cold Holding); milk (51F – Cold Holding); cheese (50F – Cold Holding). Manager stated door to walk-in cooler was open during delivery. Manager placed bags of ice on items to reduce temperature to 41F. Item stored on counter across from cook line fryer: cheese (58F – Cold Holding). Manager stated cheese was placed on counter one hour prior to temperature being taken. Manager added ice to ice bath to reduce temperature to 41F. Items stored in cook line drawers: pork (47F Cold Holding); tomatoes (46F – Cold Holding); chicken (46F – Cold Holding); beef (45F – Cold Holding). Manager stated items placed in cooler two hours prior to temperature being taken. Manager placed bags of ice on items to reduce temperature to 41F. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**
03E-06-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food reheated in a microwave oven for hot holding not covered during reheating process. Employee reheating rice in cook line microwave without cover. Manager placed cover on rice to finish reheating. **Corrected On-Site**
03B-01-6High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Items stored on cook line stove: beans (110F – Hot Holding). Manager stated beans placed on stovetop thirty minutes prior to temperature being taken. Manager began to reheat beans on stovetop, 178F. **Corrected On-Site**
41-10-4High Priority – Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Motor oil stored next to beans in storage shed. Manager removed oil during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
Intermediate 6
05-05-4Intermediate – Ambient air thermometer in holding unit not accurate within plus or minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Ambient thermometer for walk-in cooler reading 55F, ambient temperature 46F.
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Blade of can opener on kitchen prep table soiled with old food debris. Soda gun in bar area soiled with mold like substance. Cutting board on cook line steam table stained. Behind deflector plate of wait station ice machine soiled with mold like substance. Water nozzle of wait station coffee machine. **Repeat Violation**
31A-04-4Intermediate – Handwash sink removed from food preparation/dishwashing area. Must be reinstalled in the same location where removed. Cook line hand washing sink. **Warning**
53B-01-5Intermediate – No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. No proof of training for any employees. **Warning**
02C-02-5Intermediate – Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. Cooked pork stored in walk-in cooler. Manager stated pork prepared the previous morning. **Repeat Violation**
41-17-4Intermediate – Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Spray bottle of cleaner in dish area.
Basic 20
16-03-4Basic – Accumulation of debris inside warewashing machine. Dish area dish machine.
14-01-5Basic – Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Bowl used to scoop salt from container on bottom shelf of kitchen prep table. **Repeat Violation**
35A-03-4Basic – Dead roaches on premises. One dead roach on floor in wait station. Manager discarded dead roach. **Corrected On-Site**
29-18-4Basic – Drain cover(s) missing. Floor drain in bar area.
14-71-4Basic – Duct tape used to repair nonfood-contact surface. Duct tape on side of cook line drawers.
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee drinks on prep tables and shelves throughout the kitchen. **Repeat Violation**
08B-49-4Basic – Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Employee Gatorade in cook line reach-in freezer. Manager removed Gatorade during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5Basic – Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Sun glasses and apron stored on dry storage shelf next to back door.
24-08-4Basic – Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried – wet nesting. Cups stored in wait station.
36-22-4Basic – Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Standing water on floor across from cook line prep table.
08B-38-4Basic – Food stored on floor. Cases of soda stored on floor in storage shed. **Repeat Violation**
36-24-5Basic – Hole in or other damage to wall. Hole in wall next to kitchen prep sink. Cove molding of wall across from kitchen prep table.
10-14-5Basic – Ice bucket not inverted between uses. Ice buckets stored on wait station ice machine. **Repeat Violation**
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood vents above cook line greasy. Fan covers for wait station ice machine dusty. Fan covers in walk-in cooler dusty. **Repeat Violation**
33-16-4Basic – Open dumpster lid. Dumpster behind building. **Repeat Violation**
25-32-4Basic – Reuse of single-service or single-use articles. Employee on cook line spraying margarine on grill from old Gatorade bottle. Manager had employee discard Gatorade bottle and fill up a ketchup squirt bottle with margarine. **Corrected On-Site**
25-06-4Basic – Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Aluminum to go pans on kitchen shelf. Manager turned pans over during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
29-49-6Basic – Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Bar area keg coolers.
08B-12-5Basic – Stored food not covered. Pan of scallops in cook line reach-in freezer. Manager placed lid on pan. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
14-17-4Basic – Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Walk-in cooler shelves.
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on August 13, 2026 12:12 PM.
Violation category totals
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 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.