Restaurant Report Card for June 27: Slime, gnats and off-temperature food

HOUSTON – Just in time to make your weekend dining plans, Local 2 consumer expert Amy Davis has this week's Restaurant Report Card.

Inspectors arrived at La Casa de Frida Mexican restaurant at 3452 Ella to find raw chicken at a warm 59 degrees. Anything above 41 degrees is in the danger zone for bacteria like salmonella.

"Can you tell us what happened," Davis asked chef Linda Plascencia. The chef told Davis the kitchen manager left the meat in the sink overnight. The first employee to arrive the next morning put it back in the cooler; and that's where the inspector discovered it.

"What if the health inspector hadn't have pointed out that this food was way off temperature," Davis asked. "It would have been served?"

"No, cause I come in the morning and check out everything with my thermometer," Plascencia answered.

It was the same story at Sarita's Taqueria at 10305 Bauman. Inspectors condemned 30 pounds of off-temperature beef there. At Akashi Sushi at 2271 Northpark in Kingwood, inspectors found pink and black slime in the ice machine. Investigators say there were gnats in the bar of Fogo de Chao at 8250 Westheimer.

Our A's this week go to Luby's at 1414 Waugh Drive and Lucio's at 905 Taft. Both restaurants had spotless inspections.

Click here to see this week's restaurant violations.


About the Author:

Passionate consumer advocate, mom of 3, addicted to coffee, hairspray and pastries.