Grand Junction Sentinel biweekly blotter lists Mesa County restaurant inspections, violations

The Grand Junction Sentinel’s Restaurant Blotter lists routine inspections on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 and a routine inspection on Dec. 9 that recorded 10 violations at Smile Hot Pot, 550 South Ave. The blotter shows a re-inspection at Leon’s Taqueria Restaurant, 507 30 Road, on Dec. 2 with nine violations, and routine Dec. 1 inspections at The Scramble, 2508 Blichmann Ave (at Colorado Mesa University Tech) with two violations and Central High School, 550 Warrior Way with one violation.

Also appearing under the blotter’s “PASSED:” header are Grand Mesa Middle School, 585 31 1/2 Road (routine inspection on Dec. 1; two violations), Strayhorn Grill, 456 Kokopelli Blvd in Fruita (routine Dec. 1; six violations), Palisade Pies, 3415 C 1/2 Road in Palisade (routine Dec. 1; three violations), and Pizza Hut #250, 417 Monument Road (routine inspection on Dec. 2; two violations). The entry for Grand Junction High School, 1400 N 5th St., appears after the Pizza Hut line in the excerpt but does not include a violation count.

The blotter itself describes its aim and limits: "The Sentinel’s Restaurant Blotter summarizes inspection outcomes for local eateries every two weeks, empowering the reader to make informed dining decisions in the future." It adds that "Because of the high volume of restaurant inspections, this blotter is exclusive to the Sentinel’s website" and cautions that "This series is not produced or endorsed by Mesa County Public Health."

Mesa County Public Health remains the issuer of the official inspection reports and notes that it uses a "risk index" to score establishments on safety and quality practices, a measure that helps determine whether to pass, close, or require re-inspection. The county’s wording on outcomes is explicit: "A passing result means the establishment met essential food safety standards, with some or no violations found. A business can still pass with some violations, as long as most or all of them are corrected during the inspection." The county also states that "Inspection Reports are only a snapshot of the day and time of the inspection."

Consumers who want to file complaints about "Air quality / Body art business / Child care facility / Public swimming pool or hot tub / Restaurant safety and cleanliness" can call 970-248-6900 or complete an online complaint form on Mesa County Public Health’s site. The county provides tools to "Find reports for any place in Mesa County who sells or serves food" and to "Look up a restaurant inspection" and advises readers to learn the inspection process and violation types before interpreting reports.

The Sentinel excerpt omits some details: the Dec. inspection dates carry no year in the provided text, the Smile Hot Pot line shows 10 violations without an explicit pass/fail designation, Leon’s Taqueria lists nine violations at re-inspection but the final disposition is not given, and Grand Junction High School’s entry lacks a violation count. For complete violation descriptions, inspector notes, and final dispositions, consult the full Mesa County Public Health inspection reports and the county’s published records.