Squirrel Hill restaurant hit with health department violations for roaches
Share this post:
Silk Elephant restaurant on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill received an Allegheny County Health Department consumer alert following an inspection on Monday.
The reinspection — following others in August and June — showed a number of safety violations, including cockroaches, potential for cross-contamination of food and sanitization problems.
According to the health department inspection report, four adult cockroaches were found on a wall , on a shelf and on the rice cooker on the restaurant’s food prep table.
It also showed mouse and cockroach droppings on a shelf in the dry storage area where sauces and condiments are stored, as well as unsafe cold-holding temperatures and unsafe cooling methods.
Other violations included the risk of cross-contamination with a bin of raw chicken stored directly over a bin of scallions in a walk-in cooler; and a container of raw beef stored directly over opened cans of sauce and cut pineapple, the report said.
The restaurant had an initial inspection on June 22, according to county health department records and was found to be in violation with several items, including its cold-holding temperatures, cross-contamination, cleaning and sanitization and handwashing.
At a reinspection on Aug. 12, the health department found several of the same violations, as well as problems with pest management.
Listed as high-risk, inspectors at the time found 15 to 20 German cockroaches in the kitchen, including under the prep table, crawling on boxes of canned jackfruit and rice, behind the ice machine and under the dish machine and handwashing sink.
A person who answered the phone at the restaurant Tuesday afternoon suggested the reporter call back later Tuesday to speak with a manager.