The Great Wall Chinese restaurant, located at 3500 Golden Gate Way in Lafayette, was closed on Friday by the Contra Costa County Health Department due to what they’re calling an ‘imminent hazard.’
The 14 violations the inspector found were:
- Minor violation – Food separated and protected
- Minor violation – Adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas, use
- MAJOR violation – No insects, rodents, birds or animals present
- Minor violation – Equipment/utensils-approved; installed; clean; good repair; capacity
- Minor violation – Food storage; food storage containers identified
- Minor violation – Floors, walls and ceiling: built, maintained and clean
- Minor violation – Toxic substances properly identified, stored and used
- Minor violation – Approved thawing methods in use
- Minor violation – Premises; personal/cleaning items; vermin proofing
- MAJOR violation – Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
- Minor violation – Plumbing; fixtures, back flow devices, drainage
- Minor violation – Nonfood contact surfaces clean
- Minor violation – Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized
- Minor violation – Wiping cloths; properly used and stored
The restaurant has been inspected several times throughout the years, and in 2014, inspectors found 25 violations, including six major violations.
Please click on the ‘Dirty Dining‘ link to view all the most recent restaurant closures in Contra Costa County.
About a week ago I was at the Lafayette library, across the street from the Great Wall. A giant Roto Rooter truck was backed up to the restaurant’s side entrance with a thick hose leading into the kitchen. The smell of sewage made me gag from 100 feet away. I made a mental note to avoid that place. Now this news.
That was a pump truck pumping out the grease interceptor which they do quarterly.
All restaurants have grease traps in their sewer lines to reduce grease and oils entering the city sewer system. The grease traps are regularly pumped out by companies that specialize in that service. Roto Rooter offers a wide range of plumbing services and was probably working on the plumbing problems mentioned in the report.
I know that some businesses don’t do their share of maintenance.
The number of restaurant closures seems alarming to me. Is the City of Concord doing their part on vermin contol?
Curious, we live in open space….
It’s in every city
I used to eat there with relatives back in the 1990s as we would see a movie afterwards at the Park Theater. They had good food and friendly staff. Sorry to hear the problems but it’s probably getting harder these days to stay on top of problems given our inflated economy.
Another “Tomain Palace” to avoid-pretty common to see Chinese Restaurants
having problems with the codes. Vermin and temp control are usually the issues. Just look at prior reports on Claycord. They’re aren’t the only ones, but are over-represented as a food choice with violations.
Cpt Bebops- Our economy has had low inflation for quite awhile now. It’s probably a matter of the owners not spending the money for infestation removal. Typical.
It’s ptomain, not tomain.
It’s ptomaine, not ptomain.
I stopped eating at Chinese restaurants years ago. My mom was Chinese and she told me about their restaurants’ lack of clealiness and shortcuts. Especially how they use day-old food and serve it as fresh by covering the it up with sauce. Not saying all Chinese restaurants are like this, but enough are.
“but it’s probably getting harder these days to stay on top of problems given our inflated economy.”
*********** no excuse – can’t keep it legal – shut it down
That’s the rule “no pests”, they violated, “do have pests”. I read it the same way until I realized it’s the opposite.
PO’d, surely you don’t believe the government statistics on inflation? Those are distorted so they don’t need to higher COLAS for Social Security and other programs. Either that or you don’t dine out much and didn’t watch the price of restaurant meals and sandwiches at shops skyrocket. Fast food places used to post their prices on their web sites. They don’t anymore because they can be different from region to region.
Interest rates are low, usually a good sign that inflation is reasonable. About the only thing besides rent that’s through the roof are all the new taxes, tolls and fees. Oil goes up then comes down, then goes up again-it’s a yo-yo.
If your not using the treasury stats, then what are you basing your contention on?
I work in a restaurant.
PO’d, I have a memory and remember what prices were and today’s prices are way exceeding any propaganda the government reports on inflation. I’m not the only one here who notices others have too. Here is a blog about the subject that cites a “Burrito Index”.
https://www.oftwominds.com/blogmay18/burrito-update5-18.html
Interest rates are being kept low to spur a sagging economy.
This comes up everytime. They violated the condition of “[n]o insects, rodents, birds or animals present”.
I am shocked! I like this restaurant very much! The main reason was I was impressed with their clean environment! Yipes!! The food is delicious! I sure hope they get their act together!
I don’t eat out much, and haven’t been to any of the places listed here.
Thank You Claycord!,….for posting of these places for folk to see.
A restaurant should be handling and storing their food properly and maintaining cleanliness. That alone should discourage any rodent and insect problems. However, there is definitely a rise in rodent populations in California. It’s mainly due extreme weather we’ve had in the past year. The large amount of rain we had last year coupled with the heat caused an increase in reproduction for rodents. There’s been articles about it and it is an issue plaguing many cities in California.
At this point I’d be shocked if there is any restaurant around that doesn’t have rodents. The good places will do their best to keep a clean kitchen and storage area to discourage the rodents. To anyone wondering about the cleanliness of a place, just take one step into their bathroom.
That’s interesting, my whole family has eaten there regularly, about once a week for years, including last weekend, and none of us or anyone else we know has ever gotten sick from the food, and it’s delicious.
When you realize that you live in an unsanitary world, yet you never get sick.
It’s crazy how food places get shut down but nursing homes can be just as bad. We have annual inspections done by the State, fire Marshall etc and we have a crap load of roaches etc yet they tell us, what do u expect from an old building? Like really guy!!!!? People live here, this should’nt be like this! Thanks San Miguel
I’m surprised that El charro also in Lafayette hasn’t been shut down. That place is a dump.