Latest local news, weather, high school sports in the Rio Grande Valley

Parents were on edge after the health department shut down the playground area at Burger King on 3235 International Boulevard in Brownsville due to a rat infestation.

Sonia Leal, a concerned parent, said her children have played on the equipment in the past.

"It's not good news because it's rats,” said Leal. “They can do something to the kids. Get your act together.”

A dead rat was caught on camera during a health inspection, near equipment for kids.

It's not the first time this Burger King's playground was cited by the health department. 

The Food Patrol exposed problems with dirty playgrounds in an October, 2011 Food 4 Thought report.

Burger king was given 24 hours to clean up and Action 4’s Food Patrol went to see if any action had been taken since Tuesday’s inspection.

Once inside, workers scurried away like mice, and management kicked the Food Patrol out.

Ryan: “Do you think the public deserves an answer?”

Burger King: ”I'm not going to answer... One of our people will get in contact with you."

The Food Patrol never heard back from Burger King management as of Wednesday evening.

More rodents were exposed, this time at a Raymondville convenience store.
           
The Raymondville Superette on 594 North 7th Street scored 21 demerits for multiple health code violations including: off-temperature food, improper hand washing, dirty equipment, rodent contamination with one dozen fresh droppings discovered in wood cabinets at the food preparation table.

Two live roaches were also found crawling around a sink.

A worker, who signed the inspection report, said she didn’t think it was dirty inside.

“I take my kids to eat here,” Rebecca Cardona said.

Edgar Torres calls her response ridiculous and said, “It’s not acceptable. You never know what’s in the food.”

Other customers said the rodent poop and roaches were enough for them to stay away.

But it wasn’t all demerits and droppings in Raymondville.

Pizza hut on 501 East Hidalgo Avenue was this week's featured top performer!

It was the restaurant’s first sticker.

Assistant Manager, Jerry Reta, couldn’t be happier with a zero demerit health score.

“The manager is always on top of us,” said Reta. “We have a guy in the a.m. who comes and cleans his butt off.”

 Click here to follow Ryan Wolf on Facebook
Click here to watch past episodes of Food 4 Thought                      
Top Performers List                                                                                  
Low Performers List                                                                                        
   

               
Weekly Low Performer List: (total # of demerits)

Brownsville
Burger King 3235 International Blvd *Rat Infestation in Playground Area*

Raymondville
Raymondville Superette 594 N 7th St (21) *Fresh Rodent Droppings, Live Roaches*

Weekly Top Performer List: (0 demerits)

Raymondville
Pizza Hut 501 East Avenue

Edinburg
Tacos El Rey 2314 E Richardson
Luby’s 2201 W University Dr
Papa John’s 1723 W University Dr
Whataburger 2107 S Hwy 281

Harlingen
Burger King 1921 W Tyler
Lil Rita’s 410 E Tyler
Domino’s N 77 Sunshine

Primera
Loya’s Prime Time Smokehouse 16560 Primera St

La Joya
McDonald’s 401 E Exp 83

San Juan
McDonald’s 824 W Bus 83
Smokey’s BBQ 608 W Bus 83

Palmview
Church’s 1117 Veteran’s Blvd
Burger King 2120 N La Homa Rd

Brownsville
KFC 2701 Boca Chica Blvd
Rudy’s 2780 N Exp 77
Italia Express 2370 N Exp 77
Chick Fil A 2370 N Exp 77