Jefferson County Department of Health

EL TACO LOCO

702 VALLEY AVE BIRMINGHAM 35209

10/9/202510/8/202510/6/20259/17/2025

93 Score
Smoke Free	Y
Inspection Type	Regular
Inspected Date	10/9/2025

Deducted	Remarks
1	ADPH 420-3-22-.08, 8-304.11 Post current permit in public view. Permit remains the property of JCDH./ Inspection report 08 OCT 2025, score 82, is not posted.
1	6-303.11(C) Provide at least 50 foot candles of light in food prep areas./ Blown and dimmed bulbs in fixture over the work table in the rear prep area. (additional light strips have been added to improve light intensity, however it is still too low in this area).
2	2-401.11 Cease chewing gum in areas where food, utensils, equipment, linens, or unwrapped single service/single use articles may become contaminated.
1	4-202.16 Provide smooth, easily cleanable nonfood contact surfaces./ Remove the cardboard end panels on the storage shelving in the rear prep area, and the foil-lined wood panels in the 2-door RI cooler and at the bar. Replace the cracked lid on the rice storage bin.
1	3-304.14. 4-501.114 Provide chlorine solution at 50 to 200 ppm for storing cloths used to wipe counters and equipment./ Sanitizing solutions for between-use storage of wet wiping cloths tested <50ppm chlorine: solutions were replaced during the inspection which tested 100-200ppm.
1	3-304.12 Provide a utensil with a handle for serving or dispensing food./ Dispensing rice from the storage bin with a lexan pan, and flour from its container with a bowl.

82 Score
Smoke Free	Y
Inspection Type	Regular
Inspected Date	10/8/2025

Deducted	Critical	Remarks
5	Yes	3-501.16 (A)(2) Maintain TCS food at 41 F or below./ Air temp of the WI cooler is reading minimum 41F on the gauge and with a min-registering thermometer. Stored variety block and shredded cheeses, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cooked variety vegetable salsas, seafood and meat stews, cooked chicken and beef tongue, and raw meat measuring 43F-47F were voluntarily discarded. Cease storing TCS food in the WI cooler until holding food at proper temperature. Repeat violation under Official Notice #EH17001744 issued 06 OCT 2025.
4	Yes	3-501.17(A) Properly date mark all TCS food prepared in-house, when held for more than 24 hours, with the preparation date and date of discard—not to exceed 7 days including the date of preparation./ Multiple storage containers and slider bags of variety cooked meats were found stored in the WI cooler with no date marks (and the foods were voluntarily discarded since they were also temp-abused).
1	No	4-601.11(C) Keep the storage shelves in the WI cooler free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.
1	No	5-205.15(B) Maintain plumbing in good repair./ Repair the leak from the warewashing sink drain line.
1	No	3-307.11 Store raw animal products below and away from produce and ready to eat foods./ Raw meat was stored over shredded cheese and condiments in the WI cooler.
1	No	4-202.16 Provide smooth, easily cleanable nonfood contact surfaces./ Remove the cardboard end panels on the storage shelving in the rear prep area, and the foiled-lined wood panels in the 2-door RI cooler and at the bar. Replace the cracked lid on the rice storage bin.
1	No	6-303.11(C) Provide at least 50 foot candles of light in food prep areas./ Blown and dimmed bulbs in fixture over the work table in the rear prep area (additional light strips have been added to improve light intensity, however it is still to low in this area).
1	No	3-304.12 Provide a utensil with a handle for serving or dispensing food./ Dispensing rice from the storage bin with a lexan pan, and flour from its container with a bowl.
2	No	2-303.11 Cease wearing jewelry on the arms and hands (other than a plain ring) while preparing food./ Foodhandlers with wristwear.
1	No	ADPH 420-3-22-.08, 8-403.50 Post current inspection report in a conspicuous place inside the food establishment. Report remains the property of JCDH./ Inspection report 06 OCT 2025, score 57, is not posted.

57 Score
Smoke Free	Y
Inspection Type	Regular
Inspected Date	10/6/2025

Deducted

Remarks

6-303.11(C) Provide at least 50 foot candles of light in food prep and ware washing areas where employee safety is a factor./ Lighting is still too dim at in the rear prep and warewashing area (additional light strips were added; intensity is still too dim at the warewashing sink).

6-305.11 Provide lockers or other suitable facilities for storage of employees’ personal belongings./ Employee personal belongings are stored on the counter at the waitstation in contact with food service items.

3-501.13 (E) Remove ROP packaged fish from package prior to thawing under refrigeration or immediately after thawing under running water./ Thawed, ROP packaged fish stored inside the make table cooler.

JCDH 2.2 Provide food safety training for all foodhandlers, within 21 days of hire, as required; keep documentation of current training for all employees readily available for inspection at all hours of operation./ Foodhandlers on duty who are overdue for food safety training.

4-602.11 Wash, rinse and sanitize the food slicing machine as often as necessary to prevent the accumulation of soil, or at least every 4 hours during continuous use./ Dried and impacted residue remaining at the top of the inside of the blade ring. Continuing violation under Official Notice EH17001713 issued 17 SEP 2025 (the inadequate lighting in the rear prep and warewashing area is contributing to deficient cleaning of this hard-to-clean piece of equipment).

4-903.11 Store clean equipment and utensils covered or inverted.

4-202.11 Provide multi-use food contact surfaces that are smooth, in good condition and easy to disassemble when necessary for cleaning./ A power drill is stored on the shelving in the rear prep area; a paint mixer drill attachment with visible food residue was found on the utensil shelving in the warewashing area. Remove the drill and paint mixer attachment from the food operations areas (provide a commercial-grade food mixing appliance for mixing foods such as beans).

2-401.11 Cease smoking, eating, or drinking in areas where food, utensils, equipment, linens, or unwrapped single service/single use articles may become contaminated./ Employees were observed eating in the food operations areas.

5-205.11 Cease using hand sinks for any purpose other than handwashing./ Servers were observed repeatedly dumping waste liquids from customer drinkware into the handsink at the waitstation after waiting tables. Repeat violation under Official Notice #EH17001716 issued 17 SEP 2025.

4-601.11(C) Keep nonfood contact surfaces of equipment (interiors of refrigeration units and cooking equipment, exteriors of equipment, storage shelves, etc.) free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris. Defrost and clean the interior of the RI cooler at the entrance to the bar.

65 Score
Smoke Free	Y
Inspection Type	Regular
Inspected Date	9/17/2025

Deducted

Remarks

7-102.11 Label all toxic items not in original containers with the common name of the product./ Unidentified spray containers of degreaser found stored in the warewashing area were labeled during the inspection.

3-501.13 (E) Remove ROP packaged fish from package prior to thawing under refrigeration or immediately after thawing under running water./ Thawed ROP packaged fish stored inside the make table cooler.

5-205.15(B) Repair condensate leak in the RI cooler at the entrance to the bar./ Condensate leakage onto shelving and inverted barware stored inside the cooler.

3-305.11 Store food at least 6 inches above the floor./ Boxes of food on the floor in the WI freezer; box of tea bags on the floor at the waitstation.

4-602.11 Wash, rinse and sanitize the food slicing machine as often as necessary to prevent the accumulation of soil, or at least every 4 hours during continuous use./ The food slicer was not cleaned after last use; there is accumulated, dried and impacted food residue in the blade ring. Disassemble the slicer to its fullest extent; W-R-S all surfaces and do not use it again until properly cleaned and sanitized.

ADPH 420-2-22-.03(3) Provide the country of origin of a covered commodity and differentiate for farm-raised or wild caught fish as required by the Alabama Seafood Labeling Law./ The FSE was briefed on the revised Alabama Seafood Labeling Law and provided a copy along with the updated signage for posting as required by the law.

4-202.16 Provide smooth, easily cleanable nonfood contact surfaces./ Remove the peeling and flaking shipping film from the exterior of the ice machine, and the cardboard and aluminum foil linings from shelving throughout the food operations areas.

5-501.113 Keep the dumpster lid closed.

3-304.12 Store between-use utensils in a container of water at 135 F or above./ Utensils stored between-use in a pail of water at ambient temperature on the cook line (alternatively, store the utensils between-use on a clean, sanitized surface in a protected location).

4-302.12(B) Provide a readily available temperature measuring device with a suitable small-diameter probe that is designed to measure the temperature of thin foods such as meat strips and fish filets./ The only probe thermometers available are frothing beverage thermometers: provide a probe thermometer designed to measure thin foods, such as digital-style thermometer.