Well-Known Pittsburgh Restaurant Hit With Consumer Alert

Health & Fitness

Well-Known Pittsburgh Restaurant Hit With Consumer Alert You might find the results of an Allegheny County Health Department inspection of this popular Pittsburgh restaurant very unappetizing.

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Allegheny County Health Department has issued a consumer alert for Nakama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar on East Carson Street on the South Side.

A Sept. 18 inspection revealed three dead mice in the basement and a dead mouse under a hibachi grill in the dining area. Nesting materials were found underneath the hibachi grills in the dining area. Rub marks, chewed through holes and droppings were found under and behind the booth

customer seating in the dining room.

Droppings present in the back of the sushi bar prep area and under a three bowl sink and dish machine. Droppings also were prevalent in the entire basement area, along the perimeters, in unused side rooms, on storage shelves with food service items and food and underneath all storage shelves and on top of bulk storage containers in the basement. Droppings also were found inside of a large stock pot stored near the basement prep area.

Chewed-through insulation was discovered along the hibachi grill ventilation ducts in the basement, as was chewed through rags sitting on the basement storage shelves used for more nesting material.

Several open bait stations were found in the basement.

Employee restrooms in the basement have toilets and hand sinks heavily soiled with fecal matter and bodily fluids.

Moldy packages of lo mein noodles were found in a basement cooler.

Cooked crab, fried tofu and cooked octopus in the sushi display coolers and prep cooler were found to have unsafe temperatures.

Old food debris build up was present on a can opener blade. There was a dark, residue buildup on the deflector panel of the ice machine in the basement and the soiled parts of the deflector panel are in contact with ice for beverages.

Heavy grease and old food debris accumulations were found underneath all of the dining room hibachi grills.

A restaurant with a consumer alert placard is allowed to operate for a temporary period not exceeding 10 days. Another inspection is conducted either prior to the expiration of the temporary period upon request of the eatery owner or on the tenth day.

See the entire inspection report here.