Restaurant Report Card for June 28: Live roach on plate

HOUSTON – Imagine sitting down for a bite to eat with a friend, and then realizing it's not just the two of you at your table. When an uninvited guest made one woman lose her appetite, she called KPRC Local 2 consumer investigator Amy Davis to get the restaurant on this week's Restaurant Report Card.

"I picked up my fork to eat the rice and a live cockroach just ran out of my plate," said Emma Coll.

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Coll said she went to Pho Saigon on Highway 6 near Dulles in Sugar Land on June 12.  When she saw the roach, Coll said she dropped her fork, left the restaurant and then called the Sugar Land Health Department. When inspectors stopped by two days later, they said they also observed "live roach activity."

When Davis stopped by Pho Saigon, employees said neither the owner nor manager was there to talk about the health inspector's findings. The owner called later to say that he's switched pest control companies to get the roach problem under control.

At Sarita's Bakery, doing business as Tomas Bakery at 1307 Yale, inspectors said they saw roaches in an unused ice machine and freezer. 

There was a roach crawling across the floor and another on the wall above the steam table at Juanita's Mexican Restaurant at 2728 West T.C. Jester, inspectors said.

In the kitchen of Vintage Place at 3402 Vintage, inspectors said employees were not using effective measures to minimize the presence of cockroaches.

It was weevils in the bags of flour that got inspector's attention at India Grocery & Spices at 4007 Ade.

Pies by Simon Hugh at 6607 South Gessner is back for a repeat mention. Back in December, inspectors told employees to put out more rat traps. Apparently that didn't work because this time inspectors said they found mouse droppings on top of canned goods, behind the freezer and behind a desk. They asked employees to put out more glue traps and bait and seal the hole at the bottom of the back door.

How about a cold drink?  You can hold the ice at Starbucks at 2801 South Shepherd, Bouray's Burrito Bar at 609 Clay and Lone Star College at 20000 Kingwood Drive. All three had slime or black mold in their ice machines, inspectors said.

There was no slime and no violations at Papa's Burgers at 5815 Westheimer or at Tastee Kreme Ice Cream at 2523 Fairway Park Drive. Both places earn A's in this week's Restaurant Report Card.


About the Author:

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