Skillet Street Food update: OPEN despite Public Health action

This appeared in today’s bulletin from the King County Public Health Department – earlier this week, the popular mobile-food operation Skillet Street Food was closed while operating near Safeco Field. Inspectors cited these reasons:

Operating without valid food business permit or plan approval
Potentially hazardous foods at unsafe temperatures
Inadequate facilities to control temperatures of potentially hazardous foods
Handwashing facility not working
No available hot water

We’re checking to see if it means no Skillet in West Seattle this Sunday. They’ve been operating for several weeks in the Seattle Lutheran High School parking lot, 11 am-2 pm on Sundays. 12:06 PM: Just got this note from Josh Henderson at Skillet:

we aren’t shut down…. were down for that evening…they reinspected the
next day and we were good to go…

unfortunately, we had an issue with the one trailer, and had to in an emergency use a trailer that is finished being built, but not approved. We had everything on ice, however the trailer not being approved just was the clincher. We got very very unlucky… but oh well…we love the peeps from the HD, they gotta do what they gotta do.

So…open for biz as usual…

Jersey Jill June 5, 2009 (12:01 pm)

Humm interesting I wonder if the recent article in Wednesday’s Times “Mobil Vendors on a Roll” by Nancy Leson prompted this. I for one love these street food verdors do here’s hoping they get all their problems corrected and hit the streets once again.

Jersey Jill June 5, 2009 (12:02 pm)

Humm interesting I wonder if the recent article in Wednesday’s Times “Mobil Vendors on a Roll” by Nancy Leson prompted this. I for one love these street food verdors so here’s hoping they get all their problems corrected and hit the streets once again.

WSB June 5, 2009 (12:08 pm)

Just added an update. Josh says it was a temporary trailer and a temporary thing (I’m also going to check with the Health Department since their website as of a couple mins ago still says “closed” but might just mean THAT trailer and THAT location) … and they’re “open for business” … TR

Phil M June 5, 2009 (1:01 pm)

It would be great if you could ask Josh to comment not only on the inadequate facilities to control temperatures of potentially-hazardous foods, but also about the potentially-hazardous foods that *were* at unsafe temperatures, inoperable hand washing facility, and lack of hot water.

Yuck.

c'mon now June 5, 2009 (1:13 pm)

“We got very very unlucky… but oh well…”

You got caught.

toddinwestwood June 5, 2009 (1:35 pm)

well, so much for going there again. sad.

p June 5, 2009 (2:00 pm)

Check out some of your regular spots on the HD page. Remember about a year ago when people found the comments about the KFC on 35th?

brown June 5, 2009 (2:22 pm)

my wife hates these places becuase they are not clean typically, why risk it.

Michael June 5, 2009 (2:29 pm)

They were kind of overreaching to become the pre-game Mariners food vendor – I think the M’s were panicked after both Outback and whoever the other one was didn’t want to return – and this is an unfortunate consequence of not having the capability to quickly move into that role.
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Love to see the usual folks get worked up about it, though. (Their problems were corrected by the next day – reading is fundamental.)

ellenater June 5, 2009 (2:44 pm)

agreed.

so WHERE will they be Sunday? I want to try them.

WSB June 5, 2009 (2:49 pm)

Seattle Lutheran HS parking lot TFN as it’s been for a while – 41st/Genesee

West Side June 5, 2009 (3:36 pm)

We tried Skillet. Cold, greasy, stale. Health dept violations are another nail in the coffin. We won’t go again.

Michael June 5, 2009 (3:49 pm)

Ellen, according to their schedule they’ll be at Seattle Lutheran again, and they’ll be across from Safeco Field (they’re there before every M’s game).
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I might see you there – never tried them, but I’m thinking some the bandwagon-jumpers are jumping off now. :)

CD June 5, 2009 (4:01 pm)

Lack of handwashing facility is so disgusting.

rico June 5, 2009 (5:36 pm)

The attitude that we got caught, but did nothing wrong is a symbol of this vendor who shows seems to feel the rules do not apply to them. Let me explain further. From my office I see the exterior of their operation in Pioneer Square, and they continue to use the sidewalk as if they own it, causing pedestrians to walk in the street. Their dumpster blocks the sidewalk (even after SDOT has responded to complaints), they park on the sidewalk all the time, and I even watched the guy walks across the street mid-block right in front several cars en-route to a green light and he expected them to stop for him. The cars did stop for him by the way, and received not so much as a nod of thanks. Also, the building they are in is in a rodent infested area and their door has a significant hole at the bottom, I imagine the inside is questionable.

alki_2008 June 5, 2009 (8:38 pm)

It really concerns me that Skillet would use a vehicle that doesn’t have sufficient facilities. To NOT even have hot water? I would expect a vendor that actually cares about the quality/safety of their food and customers to just NOT work that day, if lacking adequate facilities. Their showing up to sell food is NOT an “emergency”.
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From what I’ve read about Skillet at WSB and other places, I’ve gotten the sense that the owner doesn’t respect health regulations…despite what he might say.

Jtk June 5, 2009 (11:40 pm)

I would be interested in seeing how many people post if and or when they got sick from the skillet!! Now that would be the deciding factor!!!! Im sure its not the only dirty truck out there. You get what you deserve if you eat out of the back of a truck.