11 Lubbock Restaurants Have Health Violations

Eleven restaurants in Lubbock, Texas were hit with health violations last week. Ten of those restaurants had multiple violations.

Six restaurants had no critical violations:

  • Main Event Entertainment on Marsha Sharp Freeway
  • Gore Nuts on Slide Road
  • Walgreens Drug Store on Fourth St.
  • United Fuel Express on Frankford Ave.
  • Starbucks on Slide Road

The Sonic Drive-In on Milwaukee Avenue had one critical violation. The restaurant had a damaged seal on a three-compartment sink, which was corrected by the next inspection.

Several restaurants had at least two critical violations.

The Kentucky Fried Chicken on 19th St. had multiple broken gaskets on its reach-in coolers. Inspectors also found that employees were storing their own beverages above service items. They also found a bottle of skin cream stored just above the chicken battering area. A soiled area was found below a drink machine.

At Main Event Entertainment on Marsha Sharp Freeway, inspectors found multiple kitchen utensils that were damaged. They also found food storage containers with sticker residue. These issues were corrected on site.

Papa John’s Pizza on Slide Road had improper plumbing underneath the prep sink. That issue was corrected by the next inspection. Inspectors also found improper storage of kitchen utensils and food trays being stored on the floor. There was no certified food manager on site at the time of the inspection.

The Pizza Hut on 50th St. also had improper plumbing issues. A hand sink in the restaurant also failed to reach the appropriate temperatures at the time of the inspection. Inspectors also observed a soiled fan in the walk-in cooler and soiled walls in the dish-sanitation area.

At Nothin Butt Smokes on Slide Road, employees were storing single-service items on the floor and storing their personal food items in the cooling unit along with food service items. Inspectors also found a damaged ice scoop, and no lid on the trashcan in the restroom. The restaurant was also lacking a two-compartment sink and a hand sink.

The Dollar General on 34th St. had damaged ceiling tiles, a gap in the back door and no thermometers in their reach-in cooling unit. Shelves storing canned goods were soiled, and the store had no adequate labeling system.

Possible cross-contamination was discovered at Cast Iron Grill on 19th St. Inspectors found unlabeled spray bottles that contained toxic liquids. The restaurant was also lacking a shatterproof guard on the walk-in cooler, and there was no thermometer on the reach-in cooler.

Paradise in a Cup on 4930 S. Loop 289 had several violations. Inspectors found possible cross-contamination and improper storage of toxic items. Several areas of the restaurant were soiled, including the prep services, reach-in cooling unit and food storage shelves. Single-service items were being stored on the floor, and the ice machine was soiled. Both the walls and the floors were soiled. Inspectors also found pet food, pet beds and children’s furniture in the kitchen area. At the time of inspection, the restaurant lacked the proper food handler certifications.

Dollar General on Fourth St. had molded cheese in the cooling unit, and several expired items were available for sale.

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.