Food for Thought Report 5.15 - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

Health inspectors were busy out in the county and inside the city limits stepping into the kitchens of 40 food establishments. What they found equals a full plate in this installment of Food for Thought. Four Low Performers with a combined 18 critical violations will really add some meat to this week's report. But let's first wet our taste buds with those Top Performing restaurants as we take a bite our of this week's edition of NewsChannel 11's Food for Thought.

Food for Thought 5.15 Here is a complete list of the restaurants and their violations for the week ending on 5/15/03. More >>

Next time you've got to take donuts to the office, why not buy them from a Top Performer? Rise N Shine at 6302 Frankford earns a perfect score this week with zero critical violations.

If tacos, tortillas and other Mexican favorites are what you're looking for, then look no further than this popular local fast food chain. Taco Villa at 7110 Quaker also earns a perfect score with zero critical violations.

The first Low Performer this time is Buns Over Texas at 3402 73rd St. That's where four critical violations were found. Violations including:

• Cheese found at 66 degrees. Cold foods must be kept at 45 degrees or cooler.
• The date marking system was not accurate for hot dogs, shredded cheese and sliced cheese, products that are potentially hazardous or ready to eat must be date marked once they are opened or prepared.
• Toxic items were not properly labeled and stored.
• Food contact surfaces were not being maintained, equipment was cracked and unclean.

Other violations included a soiled floor in a freezer and tomatoes on the floor. The Manager at Buns Over Texas told me all violations have been corrected and everything has been taken care of.

New York Bakery at 7239 Quaker is next with four critical violations.

• Milk was found at 98 degrees. Cold food products must be kept at 45 degrees or cooler.
• Good hygienic practices were not being followed. An open lidded drink container was found in the kitchen and a closed lidded container was found on a food prep surface.
• Toxic items were not properly stored or labeled. Oil and furniture polish were found above the food prep surface and a spray bottle's contents were mislabeled.
• Food contact utensils in the espresso station were being stored in spoiled water.

Other violations included wiping cloths not being properly stored when not in use and heavily soiled seals on cooling units. A staff member at New York Bagel told me the Manager was not there to answer our questions and would not be back for the day. When I asked if he could contact the manager and have him call me, he said they did not have the Manager's phone number. The inspection report says all critical violations were corrected on site.

Third on the Low Performing list is Whataburger at 7201 Quaker with five critical violations.

• A hand sink was being used for purposes other than hand washing.
• Employees were handling ready to eat food items without washing hands prior to the use of hand sanitizer.
• The hand wash facility was not accessible due to the storage of lids in front of the sink.
• A toxic item in the form of blue liquid was not in it's original container and had no label.
• Food contact surfaces were not being cleaned--a mixing stem on a shake machine had dried ice cream and shake mix on it, and cookie tongs were heavily soiled.

Other violations included broken seals on cooling units, food not covered during storage, a soiled ice machine and a problem with the date marking system. The Manager at Whataburger told us the violations received were just mistakes that had been overlooked, and that the restaurant is one of the cleanest in the Whataburger chain. He said everything was corrected on site, and the report states that as well.

Finally, Cattlebaron at 8201 Quaker gets five critical violations.

• Bean sprouts found at 54 degrees. Cold foods must be kept at 45 degrees or cooler.
• There was cross contamination potential. Wiping cloths were being used improperly in the kitchen, onions were stored on a shelf with clean dishes, and cooked chicken was stored with raw chicken inside a cooler.
• There was also improper food protection during storage. Food products were not covered in a walk in and dry storage.
• The date marking system was not maintained. Stew was found with an expired date and mashed potatoes and potato wedges had not date mark. A hand wash facility had no paper towels.
• Food contact surfaces were not being maintained. Clean dishes were soiled, the shelf holding dishes was soiled and dishes on the cook line were soiled.

Other violations included walls, food containers and other areas in the kitchen that were soiled, and there was a problem with lighting in the freezer. The Manager at Cattlebaron did not wish to comment. The inspection report shows all critical violations were corrected on site.