SAN ANTONIO – Inspectors from Metro Health recently handed out demerits scores of 37, 40 and 52 to three local restaurants. Any score over 30 is ranked as a poor score in San Antonio.
El Taco Mexicano, located at 6506 S. Zarzamora St., received 37 demerits for the following:
- Insect parts mixed with spices.
- Raw meat was found on top of jalapenos.
- The inspector reported an obnoxious odor coming from a reach in freezer.
When Behind the Kitchen Door stopped by El Taco Mexicano, the lights were off and the doors were locked, with signs instructing customers to visit a restaurant at a different address.
A customer walking by during KSAT's visit said the restaurant has been closed down for days.
Metro Health confirms that El Taco Mexicano is now out of business.
Las Brazas at 2527 Vance Jackson Road was given 40 demerits on its latest inspection.
When BKD walked into the restaurant with our camera rolling, the cashier said, "I know why you're here. Let me call the owner."
Her attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, so we left our number.
Among their demerits:
- Several food temperature violations.
- Small insects were seen in a container of potatoes and a bag of onions.
- A vent was dripping onto diced onions and jalapenos.
Las Brazas had a third re-inspection Tuesday and the report shows most violations were corrected. We never heard from the owner.
East Buffet is located just inside Loop 410 at 5830 Bandera Road.
The restaurant recently received the worst inspection score of the year, with 52 demerits.
Among their long list of demerits:
- The buffet was the source of food temperature violations.
- The kitchen staff was multitasking without washing their hands.
- The inspector spotted several sources of possible cross-contamination (raw meat being prepared near ready-to-eat foods).
An assistant manager at East Buffet asked us to turn off our camera when we tried to interview him.
Off camera, he told Behind the Kitchen Door that they try their best. He added, "No restaurant is 100 percent."
The assistant manager said it took a few days but all corrections were made.
Metro Health sent an inspector back to East Buffet right after our visit, and we're told that several violations still need to be addressed.
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District rates restaurant scores excellent to poor based on a demerit system.
The scoring is as follows:
| 0-10 | Excellent |
|---|---|
| 11-20 | Good |
| 21-30 | Acceptable |
| 31 or More | Poor |