Food for Thought Report 6.15 - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

If you're busy running kids around this summer you'll be happy to know at least one place where they play is cooking up perfection. The Berl Huffman Complex at 3302 Kent Avenue scores big this week with no critical violations.

Food for Thought 6.15 Here is a complete list of the restaurants and their violations for the week ending on 6/15/06.

Open only two weeks, the Mudhen Expresso at 5721 19th Street is blending up perfection. And if you need to cool off from the summer heat, Mudhen says a smoothie is the treat to do the trick. "They're made with ice and water and smoothie blend that's been in the refrigerator, so they're pretty cold. Drink one and it cools you off pretty quick," said Austin Bagwell.

Now to our low performer.

Open just three weeks, management at Mesquite's at 2419 Broadway is excited to bring back a Lubbock hot spot, but they say they are working through some kinks with equipment and the building itself. During a surprise inspection, health inspectors found six critical violations.

• Potentially hazardous foods were held above the safe temperature of 41 degrees. Beans were found at 46 degrees, ground beef at 45 degrees, ham at 48 degrees and raw sausage at 52 degrees.
• Employees were not thoroughly washing their hands.
• Powdered seasoning was not properly labeled.
• Employees were then handling ready-to-eat foods with unsanitzied bare hands. Employees must use gloves or hand sanitizer after a proper hand washing.
• Spray cleaner and a bucket of sanitizer were found stored over and above utensils and food.
• The mechanical warewash machine was not sanitizing.

Other violations found included:

• Missing paint of the kitchen floor
• A torn seal on a cooler door
• Lint on blowers in a walk-in cooler
• A bowl was being used as a flour scoop
• Wiping cloths were stored on kitchen counters
• The ladies' restroom door was not shutting properly 
• There was not a covered trash can in the ladies restroom.

Mesquite's management says all violations have been corrected. They say, "We hope to establish a long-lasting relationship with the community and the health department. Our utmost concern is the health and safety of their customers and employees." The report shows most of the violations were corrected on site.