Orange County Health Inspector James Scales made 37 inspections during the final half of April and gave 12 perfect scores, mostly to school cafeterias. The lowest score was a 64 to Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant on Bridge City. The restaurant scored a 90 in a follow-up visit.
Original violations included cheese enchiladas, fajita beef and tomatoes not at proper temperatures. The ice machine had “HEAVY mold,” according to Scales, and the kitchen used warm water for washing dishes. Also, roach and mice feces were in the storage room.
The follow-up inspection included finding live roaches in unused ovens, and beef enchiladas and beef fajita meet at improper temperatures.
Other low scores went to New York Pizza and Pasta in Vidor with 76, and Pinehurst BBQ in Bridge City with 79.
The perfect scores for schools went to Bridge City High, Orangefield Elementary, Mauriceville Middle-Elementary, Little Cypress Intermediate, Vidor High, and Orangefield Junior High.
Businesses receiving perfect scores were New Begininz Academy in Orange, Brown Estate in Orange, Little Cypress Learning Center, Main Street Seafood in Vidor, Simply Sweet Treats in Orange, and Circle K on North Main Street in Vidor.
The first inspection at Tequila’s was made on April 16. Demerits included: Jalapeno peppers stored inside container on top of counter, dishes cleaned in warm water at 100 degrees not the 118 as required, containers of food had expired in 2017, non-food grade chemicals like WD-40 and Hot Shot found in kitchen, dates needed on products inside freezers and coolers, three-compartment sink did not have hot water, ice was inside the hand-washing station, walk-in freezer had build-up of ice and needed to be repaired, employee was eating in kitchen, wiping cloths were stored on the prep table, Vent-a-Hood along with storage shelves and equipment needed cleaning, floors and walls needed to be cleaned and sanitized, floor and wall tiles were missing, area outside back door needed to be cleaned and organized, broken equipment needed to be repaired or discarded, no certified food handler certificate was found, current health inspection report and food manager certificate were not posted in front of restaurant.
The follow-up inspection with the score of 90 led Scales to say “lots of progress has been made.” Demerits were given for beef enchiladas and beef fajita meat not at proper temperatures, walk-in freezer door had ice build-up and needed to be repaired, a couple of live roaches were in unused ovens, employee drinks were stored improperly, Vent-a-Hood needed to be cleaned, outside storage area needed to be cleaned, current health inspection was not posted in front.
New York Pizza and Pasta, 18635 Interstate 10 in Vidor, had a 76 and the inspector said follow-up visits are needed. The demerits were: build-up of ice on foods inside the walk-in cooler and freezer with foods needing to be covered, chemicals were stored improperly on storage shelves, a hose coming from the ice machine did not empty into the floor drain, no certified food manager was on staff, no food landlers were on staff, the walk-in freezer motor had iced over and was not working properly, dates were needed on products inside the coolers and freezers, the hand-washing station did not have paper towels, gaskets needed to be repaired and the door to the walk-in freezer was not able to close, Vent-a-Hood area and areas around the store needed to be cleaned of old foods, the current health inspection report plus the certificates for food manager were not posted in front of restaurant.
Pinehurst BBQ, 2100 Texas Avenue in Bridge City, had a 79, The demerits were: chopped brisket was not at proper temperature, foods inside coolers and freezers needed to be covered, dates were needed on products inside freezers and coolers, the front warmer was not working and foods were being served from it, the mop sink was dirty and needed to be cleaned, employee drink was on top of reach-in freezer, employee was wearing improper jewelry, wiping cloths were stored on the prep table, foods were stored on the floor inside the walk-in freezer, Vent-a-Hood and outside of equipment needed to be cleaned of old foods, floors and walls needed to be cleaned, back storage area needed to be cleaned and organized, unused equipment needed to be discarded, three-compartment sink was not connected to the floor drain, current food service permit along with food manager certificate and current health report were not posted in front.
Other scores and demerits are:
Dollar General, 1752 Highway 12 in Vidor: 95. Inspector pulled several expired foods from shelves, spider webs were throughout the store, the inside of the milk cooler needed to be cleaned.
Fastlan, 695 West Railroad in Vidor: 96. Slime was inside the ice machine, back storage area needed to be cleaned and organized.
Chef Leon’s China Bistro, 345 North Main Street in Vidor: 95. Foods inside the coolers and freezers needed to be covered and dated, Vent-a-Hood along with equipment plus floors and walls needed to be cleaned of old foods, outside storage are needed to be cleaned, restaurant needed to dispose old trash cans, ceiling was damaged.
Smoke Shop, 585 North Main Street in Vidor: 96. Employee restroom needed soap and paper towels, drinks were stored on the floor in the back storage area, storage area needed to be cleaned and organized, store needed to dispose broken and unused equipment.
Healthy Wahys Cafe, 160 Vernon Street in Vidor: 96. Three-compartment sink was dripping water into buckets and needed repair, current health inspection and food manager certificates were not posted in front.
Meals 2 Go, 160 Vernon Street in Vidor: 97. Three-compartment sink was dripping water into buckets.
Homsi’s, 7247 Interstate 10 East in Orange: 89. Raw chicken was not at proper temperatures, food inside coolers and freezers needed to be covered and dated, employee drink was on prep table, outside of all garbage cans needed to be cleaned, floors inside walk-in freezer needed to be cleaned of old foods, current health inspection was not posted in front.
Boardwalk Grille, 109 Fifth Street in Orange: 92. Barbecue pit needed to be covered and enclosed outside. Dates were needed on products inside coolers and freezers, paper towels were needed at the hand-washing station, area outside the back door needed to be cleaned. Trash and broken or unused equipment needed to be discarded.
donut Palace, 4455 North Main Street in Vidor: 88. Sausage, egg, and boudin were not at proper temperatures, no record of holding time was kept on foods, foods inside coolers and freezers needed to be covered and dated, employee food and drink were stored improperly in the coolers and freezers.
Super Stop, 2590 North Main Street in Vidor: 89. Inspector pulled several expired foods from shelves, thermometers were needed inside coolers, soap and paper towels were needed inside employee restroom, drinks were stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler, light shields needed to be repaired, light fixtures in back storage area needed to be repaired, back storage area needed to be cleaned and organized, current health inspection report needed to be posted in front.
Little Pirate Learning Center, 240 South Main Street in Vidor: 99. Inside of cooler needed to be cleaned.
Subway, 2496 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Orange: 98. Employee drink was on top of prep table, current health inspection report was not posted in front.
Family Dollar, 1540 Strickland Drive in Orange: 92. Inspector pulled several expired foods and dented cans from shelves, inspector reported “lots” of spider webs were throughout the store, the restroom needed to be cleaned, products needed to be stored off the floor.
Papa John’s Pizza, 2305 MacArthur Drive in West Orange: 97. Dates were needed on products, employee drinks were stored improperly inside the reach-in cooler, inspector found evidence of employee smoking in the back storage area.
Dollar Tree, 170 Strickland Drive in Orange: 89. Inspector pulled several expired and dented cans from shelves, foods were stored on the floor, floors inside walk-in cooler and freezer needed to be cleaned of old foods, store had damaged and missing ceiling tiles, floor tiles were beginning to come apart, employee restroom needed to be cleaned and sanitized, paper towels were stored on top of the toilet in the men’s restroom, current food service permit and health inspection were not posted in front.
Country Corner, 1810 South Main Street in Vidor: 85. Inspector pulled several expired foods from shelves, ice scoop was on top of boxes inside storage room, chemicals were stored above pet foods, outside pipes that came from the ice machine were broken with water dripping onto the parking lot, paper towels were neded in employee restroom, ceiling tiles were missing, store had a problem with gnats.
Big Lots, 2260 MacArthur Drive in Pinehurst: 97. Employee restroom needed hot water, employee restroom needed to be cleaned and sanitized. Store is being remodeled and the issues are being addressed.
Walgreen’s, 1790 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 99. Floors inside the walk-in cooler and freezer needed to be cleaned.
Pizza Hut, 1152 Texas Avenue in Bridge City: 89. Foods were being stored and used past their stamped dates, cleaned dishes still had food on them (inspector pulled and ordered all dishes rewashed), hand-washing station near prep table did not have hot water, employee drinks were stored on top of cooler, Vent-a-Hood, along with oven, storage shelves, equipment, floors and walls needed to be cleaned of old foods. Inspector recommended “lots of cleaning.”
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