Food for Thought Report 1.11 - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

They were the first Chinese restaurant ever bestowed the prestigious honors of top performer, and they've done it again.  Located at 5217 82nd Street, China Town restaurant was flawless.

Next, if you're looking for sweet eats for a special treat, Cookie Bouquet at 3310 82nd Street is blooming with a perfect score.

And whether it's a confectionery masterpiece, a plethora of pomegranates and pears or the glimpse of a gourmet meal in preparation, you'll find nothing but perfection in the bakery, cooking cottage and produce departments at the new United Market Street at 4205 98th.

Food for Thought 1.11 Here is a complete list of the restaurants and their violations for the week ending on 1/11/07.

Now to our low performers.

We begin at Whataburger at 1702 19th Street where there were five critical violations.

• Tomatoes were 52 degrees.  They must be 41 degrees or colder.
• Uncovered drinks were found in the kitchen.
• An employee was not wearing gloves when handling ready to eat foods.
• There were no towels at a hand sink.
• Ice scoops were stored in soiled containers.   A knife was chipped.  And several food storage containers were soiled.

Lubbock area manager, Carey Hewett says they serve hundreds every day, and from day one their employees are trained how to serve food safely, "We will review any issues that came up during the inspection with our crews and we'll re-train as need to make sure they don't happen again."

Hewett adds that their customers are their number one priority, "It's very important to us that our customers know how vigilantly we protect the food that we serve.  At Whataburger we expect very high standards to be met and exceeded, and it's very important for our customers to know."

Hewett says all violations were corrected during the inspection.  The report shows that as well.

Lone Star Oyster Bar at 5116 58th Street had six critical violations.

• Uncovered drinks were found in the food prep area.
• A dented can was found.
• Ham and milk were not date-marked.
• Coolers did not have thermometers.
• A can opener and utensil bin were soiled and several plates were chipped.
• There was no Heimlich poster on display.

Management says all violations have been corrected.  The report shows most were corrected during the inspection.

Town & Country at 3401 Clovis had seven critical violations.

• An employee did not wash their hands before putting on gloves.
• A soiled cloth and a bottle of water were in a hand wash sink.
• Cans were dented.
• Glass cleaner was next to cups.
• The wrong type of thermometer was used.
• Plastic and metal bins were soiled and a knife was chipped.

Management says all violations have been corrected.  According to the report all but one was corrected while the inspector was there.