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El Taquero

1-1443 Ellis St Kelowna BC V1Y 2A3 · Restaurant - Food Service

Official record from Interior Health →

Inspection summary

El Taquero has been inspected 7 times by Interior Health Authority since March 2, 2016. The most recent inspection, on February 26, 2025, recorded 1 infraction.

1 of 7 inspections on record found no infractions at all. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Protecting food from contamination and Cleaning and sanitizing.

Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • Food temperature controlHigher risk

    Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.

    Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on February 26, 2025. For example: 2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on May 23, 2019. For example: 7 Are foods protected from contamination?

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on May 23, 2019. For example: 3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?

  • Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

    Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

    Recorded once on May 23, 2019. For example: 7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?

  • Equipment and utensilsLower risk

    Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.

    Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on March 14, 2018. For example: 4 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?

About this data

These results come from Interior Health Authority, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

7 inspections

  1. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
      • Observation(s): Walk In Cooler meets requirements Corrected at time of inspection - Front cooler had an issue with a power outage earlier and was at a higher temperature than normal with the food inside of it being at 10-13C. Operator voluntarily discarded all foods. Main fridge with stock of this food was at 2-3C when checked at time of inspection
  2. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F1.2 Are proper temperature controls maintained to ensure safe storage and display of foods?
      • Observation(s): Walk in fridge to be assessed by professional maintenance to ensure that it is able to keep foods at 4C or less. When checked it was found to be at 7C in some areas, this could be due to defrost cycle. Operator is aware of the walk in fridge having issues in the past and has contacted a maintenance professional already to assess the equipment
      • F1.2D Potentially hazardous foods must be transported at a temperature of 4 °C (40 °F) or colder.
  3. Monitoring

    0 infractions

  4. Monitoring

    7 infractions

    • F1.7 Are foods protected from contamination?
      • Observation(s): Cooked protein stored in walk in cooler uncovered. Employee was moving raw proteins in a tub into the walk in cooler and some splashing of liquid observed in the vicinity. This was corrected during inspection.
      • F1.7B Ready-to-eat foods must be stored in a manner that prevents cross contamination.
    • F2.3 Are food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment washed and sanitized in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): Dishwasher noted at 73.2 degrees C. QUATs sanitizer in sanitizer bottle at the front of the premise below 200 ppm. This was corrected during inspection. QUATs sanitizer noted in bucket where utensils are kept. This was noted at 50 ppm. Utensils are also stored in sanitizer then directly used to handle RTE food product.
      • F2.3B Manual dishwashing procedure must provide sufficient washing and sanitizing action to remove contamination.
      • F2.3D Sanitizer solution must be available and kept at the correct levels for adequate sanitizing action.
    • F2.5 Are the premises and equipment properly maintained and operated in a sanitary manner (i.e. ongoing maintenance)?
      • Observation(s): Some used food equipment seen stored on the floor underneath a prep table.
      • F2.5K Storage of equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils must prevent contamination.
    • F2.7 Are there handwashing stations available and properly supplied?
      • Observation(s): Janitorial bucket and crates were stored in front of the hand wash station in the back prep area. This was corrected during inspection.
      • F2.7E Handwashing stations must remain accessible at all times.
    • F3.3 Are written food handling procedures (Food Safety Plan) current and available on site?
      • Observation(s): Not available on site at the time of inspection.
    • F3.4 Are written sanitation procedures (Sanitation Plan) current and available on site?
      • Observation(s): Not available on site at the time of inspection.
    • F3.6 Are the FOODSAFE training requirements being met?
      • Observation(s): Unable to verify FOODSAFE certification.
  5. Monitoring

    3 infractions

    • F2.3 - Are equipment, food contact surfaces and utensils washed, sanitized and stored in a manner that removes/prevents contamination?
      • Observation(s): Dishwasher noted at 72.4 degrees C on the first run detected at the dishes. Two sanitizer bottle tested did not detect any QUATs sanitizer. Bottle was refilled and 200 ppm QUATS detected; this was corrected during inspection.
    • F2.4 - Are foods handled in a sanitary manner and protected from contamination?
      • Observation(s): Ice scoop seen with the handle touching the ice. This was corrected during inspection.
    • F3.4 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
      • Observation(s): Large stand up display fridge just outside the kitchen is not functioning properly. Refrigerated unit is malfunctioning and freezing food instead. Operator has stated technician will be called in to repair unit.
  6. Monitoring

    1 infraction

    • F3.4 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
      • Observation(s): Light bulb in walk-in freezer had burnt out and was replaced at the time of inspection
      • F3.4A - Premises must be provided with artificial lighting that is sufficient to permit sanitary operation and maintenance of the premises.
  7. Monitoring

    2 infractions

    • 3 - Are proper cooling procedures followed?
      • Observation(s): *The food cooling chart is not maintained properly.
    • 14 - Are the premises, equipment and utensils designed and maintained to ensure safe and sanitary food handling?
      • Observation(s): *The test strip kit for the sanitizing solution is not available. *Some chemical products were stored on the dry food storage shelves and it was corrected by the operator during the inspection.

Nearby inspected facilities

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