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Dirty Dining: Cockroaches and mold in Chinatown

Posted at 10:45 PM, Mar 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-10 15:28:37-05

Dirty Dining is back in Chinatown for the second week in a row. 

Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears has some images you'll find hard to forget.

In one of the Southern Nevada Health District's pictures, you might ask yourself, what the heck is that??? 

If you do, you're probably looking at the photo of a smashed cockroach stuck to the side of a raw pig that's been hung to dry in the kitchen of BBQ King. 

The restaurant on Spring Mountain near Lindell got a 39-demerit C grade, which we spotted hidden behind the paper in the fax machine on a small table just inside the front door.

Keeping the grade out of public view is a violation, but that's nothing compared to conditions in the kitchen. 

In addition to that dead cockroach stuck on the pig, there were live roaches too. 

A baby roach on the pass-through shelf and a large one on a stock pot. 

Another pig hanging in the walk-in was touching a wall with mold growing on it. 

There was food on the floor in the freezer. 

And both the floor and walls in the freezer were filthy with food debris and dried blood.

"There was a lot of stuff in the health inspection, including a cockroach that was smashed to the side of a raw pig and an absolutely filthy kitchen. We want to know how the conditions got like that back in the kitchen.  Why so dirty?" Darcy Spears asked the person in charge at BBQ King.

She shakes her head, stammers, and backs away, saying, "I don't know."

Darcy: Is there somebody who does know?

Person in charge: I'm sorry. No.

Inside the kitchen, inspectors found the floor in need of major repairs. 

There was dirty equipment, dirt and grease dripping off the hood and hood filters, dirty walls and dirty floors, particularly under the wok where there was a thick build-up of filth and muck.

The person in charge on inspection day was not knowledgeable about basic food safety. 

Inspectors found trash bags used to cover food on the make table and a dirty shirt on the rice bin. 

Most of the food contact surfaces and food containers were dirty. 

So were cutting boards and utensils.  

Darcy: Do you want to try to call the manager?
Person in charge: Later.
Darcy: You want to call him later?  Can you call him now since we're here? We just want to give you a chance to share your side of the story.

Which clearly they don't want to do, since she just walks away.

Moving on to our imminent health hazard closures, Pho Bistro on Sandhill and Flamingo was shut down due to a cockroach infestation. 

Multi-generational roaches were crawling on the deli slicer, the sink, on food bins, in bulk corn starch and even inside the fridge. 

The infestation spread from the kitchen, down the storage hallway to the restroom.

The two other closures were two outdoor bars. 

The Flamingo Hotel and Casino's Southwest corner bar was shut down for no hot water. 

And Mermaids Casino bar cart on Fremont Street was closed for repeat major violations.

Pho Bistro, Mermaids Casino bar and that outdoor bar at the Flamingo Hotel all re-opened with A grades. 

BBQ King still has a C.

And in case you haven't seen it yet, we've started a new feature with Dirty Dining. 

A digital extra available only on the web. 

Join Darcy from the moment she walks in to each restaurant to see all she encounters. 

This week, a customer flies off the handle when he sees our camera. 

Dirty details available only at http://www.ktnv.com/dirtydining.