Reinspection Shows Mouse Droppings Removed, Pest Issues Addressed at Quincy Restaurant
A Sept. 16 routine inspection documented mouse droppings in several areas of the Quincy restaurant, including inside a container of sugar. The Adams County Health Department identified the rodent issue as a repeat violation and ordered corrective action.
QUINCY, Ill. An Adams County Health Department inspection of Down Home Pub documented evidence of rodent activity in several areas of the restaurant, including mouse droppings inside a container of sugar in the dry storage area.
The findings were recorded during a routine inspection conducted Sept. 16 at Down Home Pub, 3364 Quincy Mall.
According to the inspection report, an inspector observed mouse droppings inside a sugar container in the restaurant’s dry storage area. The report states that management corrected that particular violation during the inspection by discarding the sugar.
The inspection also documented mouse droppings throughout the dry storage area, behind the buffet line and around the pizza conveyor oven.
The Health Department directed the establishment to clean the droppings, monitor the affected areas and provide pest control.
Rodent finding listed as repeat violation
The mouse droppings were not identified as a first-time finding.
In the notes accompanying the inspection, the Health Department stated that the violation involving mouse droppings in the dry storage area had not been corrected from previous inspections.
The department set Sept. 23 as the deadline for correction and stated that another inspection would occur if the violation remained unresolved. Under the procedure outlined in the report, a $100 fee could be assessed for an additional inspection if the violation was not corrected, with subsequent inspections subject to an additional $150 fee.
Gap found at front entrance
The inspector also identified a potential point of entry for pests.
According to the report, the restaurant’s exterior openings were not adequately protected against insects or rodents because of a gap at the front entrance door.
The report instructed the establishment to protect outside openings by closing gaps and maintaining tight-fitting doors, windows and other barriers. That issue was listed for correction by the restaurant’s next routine inspection.
The inspection did not state that a live mouse was observed. Instead, the findings specifically documented mouse droppings and cited the establishment for not maintaining the premises free of rodents and other pests.
Drain flies also documented
The Health Department separately reported seeing drain flies around a floor sink near the dish machine and another floor sink near the door to the walk-in cooler.
The restaurant was directed to use appropriate methods to eliminate the pests, including trapping, removing conditions that could harbor pests or obtaining service from a licensed pest control operator.
Additional cleaning and maintenance issues cited
Several other conditions were documented during the Sept. 16 inspection.
The report said a preparation cooler was accumulating water at the bottom of its shelving and needed to be serviced.
Inspectors also described the fan guard and shelving in the walk-in cooler as heavily soiled or grimy and ordered those surfaces cleaned. A follow-up for that condition was scheduled for Oct. 19.
On Page 3 of the report, inspectors documented filled fryer grease storage containers without tight-fitting lids in the kitchen. The Health Department also reported dirty floor drains and floor sinks throughout the kitchen and grease on floors along the cook line.
The report further directed the restaurant to remove unnecessary items from the kitchen and organize the area to reduce potential pest harborage. Inspectors identified that condition as another repeat issue that had been observed during previous routine inspections.
Several food safety areas found in compliance
The inspection also shows that numerous food safety requirements were found to be in compliance.
Among them were proper handwashing, adequately supplied handwashing sinks, food obtained from approved sources, food separation and protection, cleaned and sanitized food-contact surfaces, proper cooking procedures, hot and cold holding temperatures and date marking.
Temperature observations recorded during the inspection included milk at 37 degrees, chicken in a pizza preparation cooler at 40 degrees and taco meat on a steam table at 136 degrees.
The report also noted that a certified food protection manager was on record for the establishment.
The Sept. 16 inspection therefore documented both areas of compliance and several conditions requiring correction, with the most significant repeated concern involving evidence of rodent activity in and around the restaurant’s food storage and preparation areas.
Follow-Up Inspection
The Adams County Health Department returned to Down Home Pub on Sept. 23 for a reinspection focused on the pest-control issues documented during the restaurant’s Sept. 16 routine inspection. According to the follow-up report, the mouse droppings previously observed had been removed and the dry storage area had been cleaned. Pantry food items also had been placed into sealed plastic containers.
The Health Department noted that Down Home Pub receives pest-control services from Plunkett Pest Control. Inspectors also reported that floor sinks and drains had been cleaned to address the drain fly issue identified during the earlier inspection.
The restaurant was instructed to continue actively monitoring for pests, maintain pest-control services and continue organizing the kitchen and removing unnecessary items that could provide potential pest harborage. Inspectors also reviewed procedures for cleaning and sanitizing both food-contact and nonfood-contact surfaces with restaurant staff.
The Sept. 23 reinspection report does not list additional violations or further corrective actions on its observations page. The findings indicate that the specific mouse-dropping and drain-fly conditions targeted during the follow-up had been addressed by the time inspectors returned.
09/16/2026 Inspection
09/23/2026 Inspection
