Food for Thought Report 4.6 - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

One top performer and six low performers with 37 combined critical violations. That's the ingredients for this week's Food for Thought. This week's Food for Thought is a lot to chew on - so we're giving you half Thursday, and the rest Friday. We serve up the good news first.

Food for Thought 4.6 Here is a complete list of the restaurants and their violations for the week ending on 4/6/06.

We begin in East Lubbock at 1513 East 5th street, the Lunch House is not only a repeat top performer they're also this week's only top performer

"We sell more fish than anything," said Lunch House owner Charles Foster. "Folk come from out of town. We might be small, but we're good." The Lunch House opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and they've gotten so popular that soon they hope to have a sit-down place to cook up another perfect score!

Now to our low performers.

Cattle Barron at 8201 Quaker was sited for four critical violations.

• Inspectors found sliced turkey and roast beef at 52 degrees. Cold foods must be kept at 41 degrees or colder.
• Personal drinks were stored on a shelf above the food prep area and in the dessert cooling unit.
• Inspectors say bread used to make croutons was moldy.
• A can opener and chopper were found soiled. Inspectors noted other violations including: sunflower seeds, spices and rice without a cover - raw beef stored by cheese - the walk-in freezer floor was soiled - a wiping cloth stored on a chopping board and raw catfish above potatoes.

Management at Cattle Barron says, "All violations have been corrected and we have taken steps to make sure that won't happen again." The report also shows that all violations were corrected.

Our next low performer is Manila Cafe at 4917 34th.

• Inspectors found hot foods including fish, fish soup and vegetables not holding at at least 140 degrees.
• Cold fish and chicken not at 41 degrees or colder.
• Cross contamination was also noted: inspectors found raw pork stored above green beans, raw chicken stored on top of a pan of cooked chicken and raw fish stored above vegetables.
• A refrigerator did not have a thermometer.

Other violations include: MSG not properly labeled, storage racks and refrigerator shelves were soiled and the ceiling and vent hood in food prep area were dirty.

Manila management says, "We are striving to making everything 100% Ok." The report shows all but one violation were corrected on site.

We next stop at Sonic Drive In at 1901 34th Street.

• Burritos were found at 124-133 degrees. Hot food must be held at 140 degrees or hotter.
• Inspectors say a drink was found in a walk-in cooler.
• A hand washing sink was being used for more than just washing hands.
• Employees were observed wiping their hands on their apron and not washing their hands or using sanitizer before handling ready-to-eat foods.
• There was no date marking on ready to eat potentially hazardous foods.
• Food contact surfaces were in poor condition.

Sonic's supervisor says "This is a very clean store. And we take a great deal of pride in following sanitation guidelines."

Our second helping of Food for Thought begins with a comment from the City of Lubbock Health Department to our first low performer Kwik Stop #2. They say the "Facility is filthy" and "The facility cannot serve food until all violations are corrected." But it didn't end there. After their second follow-up they got this warning, "Any violations of the Texas Food Establishment Rules from this day forward may result in a fine as well as ability to cook and serve food in this facility."

Inspectors sited the convenience store at 5908 Ave P with eight critical violations.

• Food was found at 118 degrees. It must be kept at 140 degrees or hotter.
• Employees were handling food without washing hands between job duties.
• Food products were also coming from an unapproved source.
• Handwash facilities were not adequate in number.
• Toxic items were not properly stored.
• Inspectors say food contact surfaces were not properly being washed and/or sanitized.
• Thermometers were not properly calibrated and food contact surfaces were not kept clean or protected.

It took two follow-up inspections before violations were corrected and they could cook food again.

Now a week after their last follow-up NewsChannel 11 went inside the store for a first-hand-look to see if this low performer actually cleaned up.

"There was a comment here that said your facility is filthy," said NC11.   

"Yeah cause I was short of employees. I had three people who got fired and two people quit the job," said Kwik Stop Manager Chetan Talati.

Talati says everything is running smoothly. "I have enough help, but I'll make sure it won't happen again," Talati said.

Our next low performer, Taqueria Jalisco at 2211 Avenue Q, was sited for seven critical violations.

• Inspectors say food in a reach-in-cooler was found at 50 degrees. It must be 41 degrees or colder.
• Several plates were chipped and inspectors say that prohibits proper washing.
• Meat in a cooler was not dated. All ready-to-eat foods must be properly date marked.
• The temperature inside a reach-in cooler was between 47-50 degrees. It must maintain a temperature of 41 degrees or colder.
• The handwashing sink in the men's rest room had no soap.
• Spray bottles did not have labels.
• And finally soft drink nozzles had mold on them.

We contacted Taqueria Jalisco for comment but were told management would not be available until Saturday. The report states that most violations were corrected on site, all other violations were to be corrected the day of the inspection.

And finally we head to Carnecia Sonora at 2837 Clovis Road. Inspectors found eight critical violations at this butchery and deli.

• Beef was foundsitting on a table for more than four hours at 72 degrees. That's more than 30 degrees above the allowed temperature.
• The temperature inside a reach-in cooler was 49 degrees. It must be 41 degrees or colder.
• Pork was found in unsound condition
• Cold food was outside the restaurant on a rack.
• Inspectors also say dust and bird droppings were found on meat.
• A blender was found in a handwashing sink and another handwashing sink did not have towels.
• Handwashing sinks must be for handwashing only
• Handwashing sinks must have soap and towels present.

Manager Noi Rascon walked us through his establishment and showed us that all violations had been corrected. The report indicates that two violations were corrected on site, the others had to be corrected the same day.