Feb 19, 2007 5:53 pm US/Central
CBS 11 News Investigates Dirty Dallas Dining
by Bennett Cunningham
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Rodent droppings and buzzing flies are typical in a garbage dump, but they could also be in your neighborhood restaurant. After 2 years off, CBS 11 Consumer Reporter Bennett Cunningham is back and putting restaurants kitchens under the microscope.
Mei-Mei's Chinese Buffet in Dallas [10455 N. Central Expressway] recently failed a routine food inspection. They scored 67 out of 100.
The inspector found:
• An employee wiping his nose and not washing his hands
• Employees handling salad and fruit items with their bare hands
• Crab meat at potentially hazardous temperatures
We went to Mei-Mei's for a visit. Right away we found these potential code violations:
• Bags of shrimp defrosting at room temperature and dripping on the floor
• Raw spareribs in a container on the floor
• Food boxes were on the freezer floor
• No soap at the hand sink
We asked Ashan Kahn, the Dallas official in charge of the food inspection program, if Mei Mei's Chinese Buffet would pass a city food inspection on the day we visited. "No, I don't think so," he said.
We also went to Hardeman's Bar-B-Q in Dallas [2901 S. Lancaster Rd]. It has been around for decades. It failed a recent routine food inspection with a score of 61.
The inspector found:
• Rodent droppings and flies
• Sausage and ribs at potentially unsafe temperatures
• On re-inspection, droppings were found near the bread warmer
George Hardeman Jr., of Hardeman's Bar-B-Q, said the city has made it tougher to pass inspections. But the city hasn't changed their tolerance on bugs in the restaurant.
"We don't live in Seattle where they don't have bugs," Hardeman said. "I am sure you have rodent dropping in your house."
We also went to The Little Mexico in Dallas [8424 Park Lane]. It failed with a score of 62.
The inspector found:
• WD40 improperly stored under the kitchen sink
• Employees handling 'sopas' with their bare hands
• Utensils stored in stagnant water
On our visit, we found these potential code violations:
• Stuffed peppers sitting out at room temperature
• Refried beans that weren't hot enough to serve
• WD40 was still under the kitchen sink
All the restaurants in this story passed a re-inspection and are open for business.
These Dallas restaurants scored exceptionally well (97 or above) on food inspections:
Porkie's BBQ - 100 [perfect score]
6530 E. NW highway
Backyard burgers - 97
10930 N. Central Expy
Taco Cabana - 97
4360 DFW Turnpike
(CBS 11 News)
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