An Ethiopian restaurant on Clairmont Road failed two routine health inspections in December and had its food permit suspended.
At Mena Restaurant and Bar inside Bethlehem Market in Brookhaven, several potentially hazardous foods were left out in the kitchen at unsafe temperatures for more than four hours, according to the latest inspection report. Raw eggs, raw beef, ground beef in a sauce, cheese, pasta and butter were all discarded.
Lamb soup in a walk-in cooler was also discarded because it had been cooked the previous day but had not cooled properly. The soup had been placed in a large container but should have been divided into smaller containers for rapid cooling, the inspector said.
Points were also taken off because raw meats, such as cut beef stomach, or tripe, was stored next to cut vegetables in a cooler. They were also stored uncovered and subject to contamination, according to the inspection report.
In addition, food items such as tripe, pasta and cheese prepared in-house had been prepared and stored for more than a day but were not date-marked for disposal.
No written procedures were available for cooking and serving the tripe, which is only partially cooked initially. The inspector told them to stop serving this dish until written cooking procedures are submitted and approved by the health department.
Mena Restaurant, 3680 Clairmont Road, Brookhaven, scored 61/U on the inspection. Earlier in December, the restaurant scored 64/U on a routine inspection. Previously, Mena had a health score of 90/A.
Mena will be re-inspected.
