When a kitchen cooks up demerit-less dishes, it scores the Food Patrol's ultimate honor for clean.
Villa Del Mar in Palmview is this week's featured top performer.
Reporter: When you walk in the restaurant and see that on the door (Food 4 Thought sticker)…What do you think?
“That I can come here every single time... Clean forks... Clean trays... Clean cups... Everything clean,” said waitress Maria Pacheco.
Carlos Cobos and his family love to eat at the seafood eatery on 910 Veterans Blvd.
"Makes me feel great,” said the Food 4 Thought fan. “Quality of food... I enjoy coming here just about every Sunday."
The staff is excited to be recognized.
It's not just the jumbo shrimp they want customers to sink their teeth into.
Workers want them to get a taste of their kitchen cleanliness, even before walking through the restaurant’s door, by seeing their top performer sticker.
"I love that you guys are going out there and staying on top of things,” said Cabos. “You’re making Valley residents feel comfortable about restaurants in our Valley!"
It’s a different story in Pharr.
That’s where a public health complaint at Taco Fiesta on 1101 North Cage Blvd in Pharr, leads to the discovery of moldy corn tortillas.
About 40 of them are voluntarily destroyed because mold is detected, according to a health inspector.
He says moldy food is a health risk.
The inspector added how the business thought the mold was actually burn marks on the corn tortillas.
The Food Patrol is told burn marks are typically brown in color, mold is black.
The tortillas in question are not made on the restaurant’s premises, according to the report.
Demerits aren’t typically issued on check-ups as a result of a public health complaint in the City of Pharr.
Once the tortillas were removed, no further action was taken.
Taco Fiesta did not comment on the inspector’s findings when the Food Patrol tried to inquire about the health violation.
Palm Lounge Bar and Grill on 757 E. Elizabeth St. in Brownsville is back on the low performer list with a score of 28 demerits.
A refrigerator is off temperature at 64 degrees when it should be 41 degrees, according to a health report.
There’s also no water pressure for proper sanitation, no soap or towels and a note about the need to fumigate because of roaches.
The creepy crawlers were caught on tape, along with other filthy conditions.
It's the second time this restaurant has cooked up insect contamination in less than a year.
You know what we say to that!
"Keep it clean!"
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Top Performers List
Low Performers List
Weekly Low Performers: (total # of demerits)
Brownsville
Palm Lounge Bar & Grill (28) *Roaches, Off Temp Fridge*
Pharr
Taco Fiesta 1101 N Cage Blvd (complaint) *Moldy Tortillas*
Weekly Top Performers: (0 demerits)
Palmview
Villa Del Mar 910 Veteran’s Blvd
San Benito
Subway 1220 W Hwy 77
KFC 1120 W Hwy 77
Elsa
Los Trijoles 720 E Edinburg
Mission
Rodriguez Restaurant 3227 W Mile 7
Subway 4416 N Conway
Taqueria Don Felipe 2600 Mile 5
Harlingen
Church’s 921 W Tyler
Taco Bell 1518 Ed Carey
Peter Piper Pizza 306 N 77
Edinburg
Church’s 1607 S McColl
Church’s 1201 S Closner
Jack in the Box 1602 W University
Subway 102 S 2nd St
Brownsville
Taco Chino 5075 Austin Rd
Wingstop 5850 FM 802
Long John Silvers 1165 FM 802
SPI
Padre Brewing Co. 3400 Padre Blvd
Rio Hondo
Deep River Bar & Grill 28734 FM 106
Donna
Pizza Hut 1309 E Bus 83
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT