Food for Thought Report 8.2 - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

It may be a new location, but it's a repeat top performance for Williams Chicken at 1620 Avenue Q.  All they serve is chicken, and they right with zero violations.

Now to our only other top performer.

The South Plains is home to only one micro-brewery and it's sits at 19th Street and Buddy Holly Ave. Open just about a year, Teh three J's in Triple J Chophouse spell perfection. 

"It started out my husband John and his best friend Joe from college. College buddies decided to take it on - turn it into something great along with Joyce, that's where you get the three Js. So there is actually a 'Triple J,'" Dena Sautter said.

Open from lunch to dinner, and a little later, Dena says Triple J Chophouse is perfect for anyone.

"I think we have a very diverse menu, really great menu for anyone, any kind of palate, any kind of diet," Dena adds.

No matter what's on your plate, Dena says they take a lot pride in getting it there, "From our hand cut, hand-breaded chicken fried steaks, we hand cut all of our steaks, hand make all of our desserts and soups."

"The green chili burger probably one of the best sellers," Joyce Bigham said. "We do a hand made burger - all the way from the patties hand formed to the home made buns," Dena said.

And if you think that bread you sink your teeth into has a unique taste to it - there's a reason, "The bread we have with all our meals is made from the different mash from our beers, so our bread may taste different from time to time depending on which kind of beer were brewing," Joyce said.

When it comes to brewing, "Our hand-crafted beer, which is a lot better than most domestics, you can take it home with you," Dena said.

It's not just the health inspector Triple Js has to deal with, add the TABC, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and OSHA to the mix. But Dena says it's all worth it, "We kind of think that great streaks and beer kind of go hand and hand."

Food for Thought 8.2 Here is a complete list of the restaurants and their violations for the week ending on 8/2/07.

Now to our low performers.

After receiving customer complaints the health department inspected the Fortune Cookie Restaurant at 7006 University where they found six critical violations.

• Cold foods were above 41 degrees.
• Rice was thrown out after it was found to be only 95 degrees. It must be at least 135 degrees.
• Employee food was on shelves throughout the building.
• Several cans were dented.
• Employees were touching ready to eat foods with their bare hands.
• Utensil bins with clean utensils were extremely soiled.

Hong Kong Super Buffet at 4845 50th also had six critical violations.

• Cold foods were not held at their correct temperatures.
• Hot foods were not held at their correct temperatures.
• Employee's uncovered drinks were on food contact surfaces.
• Toxic items were not properly labeled or stored.
• A dish wash machine was not sanitizing.
• A knife and can opener were soiled.

For the fourth time this year, China Star at 1919 50th Street is yet again a low performer. Inspectors found seven critical violations.

• Cold food was as high as 87 degrees. That's more than double the safe temperature of 41 degrees.
• Hot foods were more than 30 degrees below the regulated temperature of 135 degrees.
• There were multiple dented cans with usable cans.
• Large chunks of debris were in the baking powder, and an ice scoop was sitting on top of an extremely soiled ice machine.
• A dishwasher was not sanitizing.
• A reach-in cooler did not have a thermometer.
• Several items were soiled, including: a can opener and meat slicer.

Taste of China at 5606 Slide Road had eight critical violations.

• Cold foods not at their safe temperatures.
• Hot foods were not at their safe temperatures.
• According to the report, a warning was issued after an inspector found smoking paraphernalia in an office with a strong smoke odor. A personal drink was near ready to eat foods. An employee rinsed a washcloth in a hand sink.
• There was no hot water at a hand sink.
• A hand wash station was not properly dispensing soap.
• Five cans were sharply dented.
• An employee did not wash their hands in between job duties.
• A cutting board was heavily soiled.

And finally Taqueria Jalisco at 2211 Avenue Q had nine critical violations.

• Multiple cold and
• Hot foods were not at the right temperatures.
• Personal drinks were stored above food.
• An employee handled tortillas with their bare hands.
• Several items were touching ready to eat foods, posing the risk for cross contamination.
• There was no back flow preventor on a hose. This protects the water supply from contamination.
• Dead insects were found in a sack of flour.
• A thermometer was not properly calibrated.
• Several food contact items were soiled or broken.

Management at all five low performing restaurants say all violations have been corrected. The reports show most violations were corrected during the inspection.