The Department of Health issued a red “CLOSED” placard Wednesday to Manoa Bar B Que Restaurant for safety violations found during an inspection that day and previous inspections.

But after the violations were corrected, the restaurant was re-inspected late this afternoon and issued a green placard and allowed to reopen.

The restaurant has had repeated violations of unsafe temperature control of cooked foods, the Health Department said in a news release today.

In fact, Health Department records show that Manoa Bar B Que had 21 critical repeat violations over the past two years.

On April 30 of this year, it was cited for five violations, including food separated and protected (three counts), proper hot holding temperatures and proper date marking and disposition.

The red placard temporarily suspends the food establishment’s permit to operate, and the restaurant must close immediately. It must remain closed until a re-inspection is requested and all violations have been corrected.

The earliest a re-inspection may occur is 24 hours after the placard is posted.

Health inspectors met on May 7 with owner Steve Chan to reinforce the importance of “managerial control” to ensure food safety with regard to proper time and temperature controls.

Routine inspections have revealed violations and a pattern of inconsistent compliance with regulations to prevent bacterial growth on cooked foods.

The Health Department said it encourages voluntary compliance through education to avoid fines and closures.