San Antonio: Struggling with Restaurant Hygiene Scores in August
In August this year, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District carried-out its routine restaurant inspections around the city, discovering some unsettling conditions in many eateries. While some of the eateries passed with flying colors, scoring 100-out-of-100, others failed to meet the standard threshold of 90 points or an “A” grade, with some registering as low as 78 points.
El Manantial Mexican Restaurant: The Least Score
The least score was 76 points, indicted by El Manantial Mexican Restaurant located at 1136 W. Hildebrand Ave. The restaurant was inspected on August 8th, with the inspector finding troubling conditions. Inside an unused ice machine, three pests were discovered, a leaky kitchen sink discharging dirty water onto the kitchen floor, and a soiled towel hanging on a fridge. The staff did not seem to adhere to adequate cleaning and sanitation methods for dishes and utensils, with even surface cleaners noticed to possess a low concentration of sanitizer.
Further, a container of diced nopales was found with a “white fuzzy substance growing on it.” The storage and labeling of food items seemed unprofessional, with most of the food either being old or not properly tagged with expiration dates. Moreover, a fridge was failing in its duty to adequately cool the food.
T. Jin China Diner: Second-Least Score
Next on the list is the T. Jin China Diner, located at 119 SW Loop 410. The restaurant, which was visited by the city inspector on August 19, secured just 77 points. In this restaurant, the inspector found a series of food storage and labeling recklessness. The staff employed T-shirt bags for food storage and were inconsistent with the date labels on containers, in some instances, they were either misplaced or entirely missing.
Hon Machi Korean BBQ: Notorious Reoccurrence
Also, worth noting is the Hon Machi Korean BBQ restaurant at 842 NW Loop 410 Ste. 115. The restaurant that was initially shut down by the health department in April after scoring a concerning 64, managed a slightly better score in the August inspection – 78 points. Several violations identified during April still persisted; these included uncovered rat bait, uncovered beef, a dirty ice machine, and a lack of trained food handlers or their supervisors in the establishment. New issues were also discovered, including unlabeled bulk food containers and dirty food container lids.
The city inspector beseeched a general deep cleaning for this establishment. As of yet, no comments have been received from the criticized restaurants.
The Inspection Implication
These regular inspections are a critical part of maintaining food safety and vital in protecting the health of the public. San Antonio Metropolitan Health District would continue with their restaurant checks to ensure establishments comply with health standards and regulations necessary for safe dining.