Unwashed hands, too-warm food. See latest Whatcom County restaurant inspections
Too-warm food, unlabeled items and handwashing issues.
These were some of the health code violations discovered by Whatcom County health inspectors at local eateries during the month of May.
Whatcom County Health and Community Services inspects about 850 restaurants and other food-serving facilities each year, holding every eatery to the same high standards.
While most eateries pass their inspections with few issues, a few have health code violations that require a follow-up, re-inspection or, occasionally, permit suspension.
In May, the county inspected a total of 80 permanent food establishments and mobile eateries.
Here’s what to know:
What do Whatcom County Health Inspectors look for?
Whatcom County Health and Community Services said it regularly inspects “restaurants, food trucks, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores and more to make sure that food is handled properly so it is safe to eat.”
The Washington State Retail Food Code outlines the rules for safely handling food that’s served to the public.
Examples of high-risk violations, which can contribute directly to foodborne illness, include:
- Cooking meats to the incorrect temperature.
- Not keeping cold food cold enough.
- Food contamination.
- Handwashing.
- Serving food that is not from an approved source.
- Worker health and hygiene.
Low-risk violations related to maintenance and sanitation are “less likely to cause illness,” Whatcom County health officials said, but must also be corrected.
What happens after Whatcom County restaurants are inspected?
According to Whatcom County health officials, inspections of restaurants and other eateries fall into the following categories:
- Approved: The eatery had zero or very few safety violations, and there is no need for follow-up.
- Follow-up required: The eatery had some violations but doesn’t need to be re-inspected. Any high-risk violations are corrected right away, and inspectors usually check in with the establishment again within 60 days.
- Re-inspection required: The eatery had many high risk or repeat violations. All high-risk violations are corrected immediately. Inspectors increase the frequency of their inspections, and the establishment is re-inspected again within 60 days.
- Permit suspension: The eatery was ordered to close immediately on a temporary basis because there was a severe health hazard such an outbreak of illness, sewage backup or lack of water. When a permit is suspended, the person who operates the establishment must attend a hearing and correct all violations, and the establishment must be re-inspected before the permit is reinstated.
You can find the results of Whatcom County restaurant inspections online on the Food Safety Inspections page.
Search by the food establishment’s name, street name or city.
What happens if an eatery needs to be re-inspected?
If an establishment is in need a follow-up or re-inspection, Whatcom County Health and Community Services pays a courtesy visit to the owners, according to Tom Kunesh, Whatcom County food safety supervisor.
During this visit, health officials go through the health codes the eatery violated and explain the steps that can be taken to correct the situation.
“It’s a little bit of a complicated process that tries to focus more on education than enforcement,” Kunesh said. “If a restaurant operator has a series of problems, we’ll order immediate correction for everything that can be quickly corrected.”
Which restaurants passed health inspections in April?
In May, a total of 75 eateries passed their health inspections with few to no violations:
Bellingham
- The Bagelry
- Bellingham Food Bank
- Brandywine Kitchen
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Daytrip Cafe
- Diamond Pho & Bubble Tea
- Domino’s in Sehome
- Dumpling Girls
- Elk St. Tavern
- Feast
- Firs Conference Center
- Ginger Boat
- Happy Valley Elementary School
- Hela Provisions in Cornwall
- Lombardi’s in Bellingham
- Matthew’s of Bellingham
- New Public LLC
- Pho 99
- Rome Store
- Schooner Adventuress
- Shari’s Café and Pies
- Sol De Mexico
- Tadeo’s Authentic Mexican Food
- Tam Tam Pizza
- Texas Roadhouse
- Westside Pizza in Cordata
Blaine
- Baywood Coffee & Ice Cream
- Bob’s Burger and Brew
- Carl’s Jr.
- Loomis Trail Golf Club Bar and Grill
Everson
- Irene Reither School
- Nugents Corner Market deli
Ferndale
- Cedar’s
- Cruisin Coffee
- Haan Tandoor & Bar
- Cedar’s
Lynden
- Wiser Roots Farm and Garden Stand
Nooksack
- Nooksack Elementary School
- Nooksack Valley High School
What restaurants need to be re-inspected in Whatcom County?
A total of five food-serving facilities in Whatcom County will need to have follow-up inspections due to a high volume of health code violations, according to officials.
“Our goal is to complete follow-up inspections within 60 days after the routine (inspection),” Kunesh told The Bellingham Herald.
Here’s what health inspectors found:
Zhu Zhu’s Signature Dumpling, 2185 Alpine Way, Suite A101, in Bellingham, had two health code violations on May 1.
A pot of soup and two pans of bao buns store in a reach-in cooler didn’t have the appropriate date label.
A chicken in a Crockpot-style unit had not been reheated to 165 degrees within two hours. The appliance was set on “low.”
During the inspection of the food truck, staff completed reheating the chicken within a few minutes using microwave. Workers then put the bird back in the unit, now set to “high.“
As of Wednesday, June 3, the restaurant had not been inspected. The Bellingham Herald could not reach for comment.
Mi Mexico, 241 Telegraph Road in Bellingham, had two health code violations on May 8.
A Whatcom County health inspector watched a food worker handle carne asada without removing their gloves or washing their hands before continuing food service.
The “food worker then removed carne asada from the grill and cut the carne asada, touching the cooked beef with gloved hands,” the May 8 report said.
Pico de gallo on a countertop measured too warm to be considered safe.
When reached Wednesday by the Herald, restaurant representatives declined to comment.
The restaurant had yet to be reinspected.
Safeway, 8071 Guide Meridian, Suite No. 101, in Lynden, had three health code violations on May 20.
An employee’s food worker’s card was out of date as of 2025, according to the report.
Foods stored in the China case lacked proper time labels, and sesame chicken was outside of the temperature range considered safe. A food worker began filling out the time control log during the inspector’s visit.
Single-use towels were used alongside spray bottles of ammonium solution for surface sanitation. Solution in a spray bottle had the wrong concentration when tested with a strip at the time of inspection.
Safeway could not be reached Wednesday for comment. The grocery store had not been reinspected yet.
Mt. Baker Lanes, 1788 Labounty Drive in Ferndale, had two health code violations on May 21.
A handwashing sink near the bowling alley’s pizza area was not stocked with paper towels or soap. The hand sink near the bar didn’t have paper towels.
Cooked sausage in a two-door prep cooler and aioli in a single-door under-counter cooler were not being held at the right temperatures.
Mt. Baker Lanes could not be reached Wednesday for comment, and the bowling alley had yet to under another inspection.
Thai House Restaurant, 187 Telegraph Road in Bellingham, had three health code violations on May 21.
Metal trays used to hold raw meats were used for chicken, then reused for beef, the report said, resulting in cross-contamination risks.
A bowl that was used to hold raw eggs before being cooked was reused for multiple eggs instead of being washed.
Three containers of cooked rice were covered and stacked on top of each both. The rice was discarded.
According to manager Kom Laorprechavasin, the Bellingham restaurant has changed the way it cooks and stores rice since the inspection.
The restaurant has also purchased color-coded preparation trays, designating a specific type of meat to a different colored tray to avoid contamination.
As of Wednesday, Thai House Restaurant had yet to be reinspected.