Dead bugs, mice feces and mold led to demerits at food service businesses, but clutter led to Orange County Health Inspector James Scales threatening to suspend a permit at a convenience store.
During the last part of November, Scales inspected 23 food service places with 11, 10 of them schools, getting perfect scores. The lowest score was a 78 and went to Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant on Texas Avenue in Bridge City.
However, Scales criticized the Cypress Plaza store at 1610 W. Park Avenue for the amount of clutter. He said the operators “need to clean/organize all areas of the store” and throw away trash. He gave them two weeks to clean up, even though the store had an 87 score.
The only restaurant or business making a score of 100 was the Hamburger Depot on Texas Avenue in Bridge City. Other perfect scores went to Little Cypress Intermediate, Little Cypress Junior High, Mauriceville Middle, Oak Forest Elementary, Tekoa Academy in Orange, Bridge City Middle, Community Christian School, Orangefield High, West Orange-Stark High, and St. Mary’s School.
Scales made pre-opening inspections for All Things Cheesecake on Old Highway 62 in Mauriceville, Smoothie King in West Orange and Lee Seafood, a mobile shrimp vendor at the corner of 10th and Burton in Orange. In addition, he made inspections with no scores for the new owners of the former Moz Grill and Crawdad’s store on Highway 62 in Mauriceville.
Scores and demerits are:
Star Stop, 1101 Green Avenue in Orange: 93. Drinks were stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler and the storage room. Mold and slime were found on drink dispensers and inside the ice machine. The storage room needed to be cleaned and organized.
Big M’s Exxon Station, 1918 Strickland Drive in Pinehurst: 93. Store name and address were needed on bags of ice being sold. Chemicals were stored above paper goods and utensils.
Texas Country Store, 9508 Highway 12 in Mauriceville: 90. Mice feces were inside the back storage room. The store name and address were needed on bags of ice being sold. The cappuccino machine needed to be cleaned. Slight mold found on the slushy machine.
Cypress Plaza, 1610 W. Park Avenue in Orange: 87. Drinks were stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler and in front of the store. Gaskets needed to be replaced on the cooler doors. Roach feces were in the back storage room. Floors and coolers needed to be cleaned. Store had clutter throughout including mail and paperwork. Light bulbs were stored on an aisle floor. Light shields were needed. Ceiling tiles were damaged.
Jack in the Box, 2900 16th Street in Orange: 85. Foods inside the cooler and freezer needed to be covered. Chicken was stored above raw vegetables. The mop sink faucet needed to be repaired. All food contact surfaces including equipment, toasters, reach-in coolers and freezers needed to be cleaned of old foods. Store needed to discard broken and unused equipment. Damaged ceiling tiles needed to be replaced in the lobby of the restaurant. The food service permit needed to be posted in the front.
Food Mart, 915 FM 1131 in Vidor: 83. The store name and address were needed on bags of ice being sold. Dates were needed on sandwiches inside the cooler. The restroom sink did not have hot weather. No certified food manager was on staff. The hand-washing sink was draining slowly and needed repairing. The back storage room needed to be cleaned and organized. An ice scoop was sitting on top of empty bags of ice. Light shields were needed throughout the store and inside the walk-in cooler.
Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant, 1085 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 78. The cheese and beef enchiladas were at unsafe temperatures. Foods inside the cooler and freezer needed to be labeled, dated and covered. Light shields in the kitchen needed to be cleaned of dead bugs. The grill cleaner was stored on shelves with utensils. Floors and equipment throughout the restaurant needed to be cleaned of old foods. Storage buildings needed to be cleaned. Broken floor tiles needed to be repaired. Cutting boards needed to be replaced. Broken and unused equipment outside the back door needed to be removed. Mold was inside the ice machine. Vents needed to be cleaned.
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