Behind the Kitchen Door: Bugs in restaurant kitchens lead to low scores

Inspectors find roaches and ants crawling near cooked food, weevils in flour

SAN ANTONIO – Ants in one restaurant kitchen and roaches hanging out near cooked chicken in another establishment top the list of violations reported by Metro Health inspectors in this week’s Behind the Kitchen Door.

El Taco Feliz

El Taco Feliz, located in the 2200 block of Quintana Road, received a 78 on its recent restaurant inspection.

The inspector found eggs stored in a cold unit overnight that were 63 degrees, well above the required temperature of 41 degrees. The eggs were tossed out.

Inspectors found bug spray not approved for use in a restaurant in the kitchen and ants that made their way into the dining room.

Fans coated with grease and debris build-up were blowing over the food prep area, and the inspector noted the manager on duty wasn’t certified.

The violations earned the establishment a re-inspection.

Paul’s Pizza Roma and Pub/Sun Sun Chinese Restaurant

Paul’s Pizza Roma and Pub and Sun Sun Chinese Restaurant, located in the 5100 block of Fredericksburg, scored 80 when a Metro Health inspector stopped by the establishment.

The inspector noted small brown and black bugs known as weevils found crawling around in the flour. More of the little bugs were also spotted in a storage room.

Also dropping their score, a standing freezer was not freezing. Food was thawing and soft to the touch and there was a puddle of food liquids pooling at the bottom of that freezer.

Bush’s Chicken

Finally, a Bush’s Chicken, located in the 8800 block of Potranco Road, earned an 83 from Metro Health inspectors.

Roaches were found in the kitchen near cooked chicken, and more were found in an area where other foods were being prepped.

The ice machine was dirty with black residue, and the hot lamps needed to be cleaned to remove dust and grease.

The inspector gave the manager 48 hours to treat for the roaches before he came back for a re-inspection.

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About the Authors

Dale Keller is senior news photographer at KSAT-12.

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