Restaurant Report Card: Lots of roaches

HOUSTON – Health inspectors recently found some not-so-appetizing things when they checked out several Houston restaurants.

You know the place where you raise the flag on your table to get a refill? This week, it's health inspectors raising a red flag at the Pancho's Mexican Buffet on Interstate 45 near Crosstimbers. Inspectors said they saw a roach infestation on flour bags, roach droppings and dead roaches in the kitchen. They also asked Pancho's to stop serving the pico de gallo in painted decorative plates that contain high levels of lead.

"You guys fixed that problem?" consumer investigator Amy Davis asked the manager on duty.  

"Everything is fixed," he answered. "They came back, and we got a clean bill of health." 

That manager refused to show Davis around his kitchen, but she noticed they're no longer using those lead-filled plates to serve sauces.

"Anything you would want to say to customers about the bad inspection, about why you guys had an infestation in the first place?" Davis asked Pancho's manager.

"We didn't have an infestation," he said.

"You think the health inspector was wrong? Did he make that up?" Davis asked.  

"I don't care what the health inspection said," the manager replied.  "I know what we got right now."

The party's over for two mice at the Traditional Party Hall at 148 East Little York. Inspectors said the rodents were trapped on a glue board in the kitchen. 

Employees at Which Wich at 8205 South Main had to toss 155 pounds of meat and cheese that inspectors said was too warm and potentially hazardous.

It was the same story at La Madeleine in Meyerland Plaza, where employees had to toss 37 pounds of food that was off temperature.

Inspectors found two baby roaches at Pho Tung Hai at 12519 North Freeway. 

Inspectors asked employees at The Seafood Center at 8112 Homestead to minimize the presence of cockroaches.

Inspectors didn't find a single thing to write up at the Far Seas Grill on the Katy Freeway near Barker Cypress or at the McDonald's on 290 at Fairbanks North Houston. We're giving both businesses A's in this week's Restaurant Report Card.


About the Author:

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