Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org — Cockroaches, rodent droppings and flies were among dozens of violations that prompted health inspectors to fail four restaurants and shut down three last month.

A health inspector found “numerous flies,” rodent droppings and a live cockroach in the dry storage area of Mandarin Wok at 403 1/2 E. Green St. in Champaign during its Oct. 22 inspection. The restaurant received an adjusted score of 29 out of 100 and a yellow “reinspection required” placard.

Food establishments are scored on a 100-point scale and fail with an adjusted score below 36. Points are deducted for critical and non-critical violations. Inspectors then deduct additional points based on the number of repeat violations and the number of critical violations to get an adjusted score.

Restaurants that fail below zero or have critical violations that pose threats to consumers are immediately shut down.

Under a new system launched this year, restaurants in Champaign-Urbana are required to post a color-coded placard based on health inspection results. A red placard means the restaurant was shut down.  A yellow placard means the restaurant failed its inspection but was allowed to remain open. A green placard means it passed its inspection.

Mandarin Wok was reinspected on Nov. 6 and received an adjusted score of 60 and a green “satisfactory” placard from the health district.

A health inspector also saw cockroaches throughout the kitchen of Peking Garden, 206 N. Randolph St. in Champaign – one of five critical violations the restaurant netted. It received an adjusted score of seven out of 100 and was required to post a yellow “reinspection required” placard Oct. 6. The restaurant received an adjusted score of 43 during a reinspection on Oct. 20 and was allowed to post a green “satisfactory” placard.

During a complaint-based inspection on Oct. 7 at Panchero’s Mexican Grill, 102 E. University Ave., Urbana, the health inspector discovered there was no hot water, yet food production was still going on.

The inspector issued a red “closure” notice. When she went back the next day, the restaurant had hot water, yet continued food production when its permit was still suspended. She reinstated its permit that day.

“In the future, anytime there is no hot water or lack of water at your facility, you shall cease food preparation immediately and contact this office for guidance,” stated a closure notice from Jim Roberts, environmental health director for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

A health inspector also found “excessive amounts of drain flies” on Oct. 21 at Sushi Rock, 621 E. Green St. in Champaign. In addition, the inspector found large containers of chicken, mussels, shrimp and beef at improper temperatures. The inspector gave the restaurant an adjusted score of 16 and noted six critical violations.

At its reinspection on Oct. 29, the inspector found raw sewage discharging onto the kitchen floor. The restaurant was closed immediately, but allowed to open on Oct. 30 after it received an adjusted score of 84 on its follow-up inspection, according to health department records.

Sol Azteca at 405 S. Century Blvd. in Rantoul was also closed because it did not have any hot water.  During a routine inspection on Oct. 16, the health inspector issued a closure and its permit was not reinstated until Oct. 21 when repairs were made.

Food establishments outside of Champaign-Urbana are not required to post any placard based on health inspection results.  The Champaign County board voted down a move to do so for a second time in October.

CU-CitizenAccess.org obtained closure notices for the three restaurants shut down in October as only reinspection reports for these facilities are available online.  No failures were noted in the online system for November thus far.

In September, the Champaign-Urbana Health District released an online search tool (http://home/citizenaccess/public_html.c-uphd.org/foodinspections.html) that allows users to read inspection reports for all active food establishments.

Bo Bo China, 404 E. Green St., Champaign

Bo Bo China failed its health inspection on Oct. 22 with an adjusted score of 26 and seven critical violations, including no sanitizer in the dish machine and foods held at improper temperatures. The inspector noted an employee washed his or her hands in the sink without using soap. The restaurant was reinspected on Oct. 28 and received an adjusted score of 96.

Don Juan Cocina Mexicana & Cantina, 1106 W. University Ave., Urbana

The restaurant failed its health inspection on Oct. 24 with an adjusted score of 34 and six critical violations, including an employee’s cell phone left on the prep station counter and all hand sinks blocked by objects, such as strainers and pans. The restaurant was inspected Oct. 30 and received an adjusted score of 93.

Mandarin Wok, 403 ½ E. Green St., Champaign

The restaurant failed its health inspection on Oct. 22 with an adjusted score of 29 and four critical violations. The inspector noted there were “numerous flies” throughout the main kitchen and back prep room, and there were rodent droppings on the shelves in the dry storage area. The inspector also found a live cockroach in the dry storage room. The restaurant was reinspected on Nov. 6 and received an adjusted score of 60.

Peking Garden, 206 N. Randolph St., Champaign

The restaurant failed its health inspection on Oct. 6 with an adjusted score of seven and five critical violations including live cockroaches seen throughout the kitchen during the inspection. The dish machine was also not working correctly. The restaurant was reinspected on Oct. 20 and received an adjusted score of 43.

This story was updated on Nov. 14 to reflect new information provided by The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.