WHERE BOERNE EATS: A CLOSER LOOK
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Boerne Star meets twice monthly with Kendall County Health Inspector Brenda Bell and her staff, to bring us our newest feature, “Where Boerne Eats: A Closer Look.”
Everything’s bigger in Texas — the Southern hospitality, the love of Friday night football and the appetite for good Tex-Mex food.
This week, Kendall County Health Inspector David Sueltenfuss covered six popular local Tex-Mex eateries: El Chaparral, Taco Cabana, El Rio Restaurant, Las Palapas, and Mi Pueblo Mexican Bakery.
Each garnered a passing score, though some had initial violations that were immediately corrected or were given a deadline for compliance during a return inspection.
The top score is 100.
El Chaparral, 38 Old School Road
The restaurant bills itself as offering “an authentic Mexican dining experience” along with an expansive margarita cocktail menu.
During a 90-minute inspection, Sueltenfuss noted mildew in the ice machine, unclean food containers, multiple dates on containers, missing internal thermometers for the flautas freezer and gnats by the margarita machine.
The inspector also knocked off points for unclean grill coolers, conduit electrical lines with heavy food buildup, and trash cans stored next to food areas.
Employees took immediate corrective action, cleaning surfaces, marking dates, checking in with pest control for the gnats, placing thermometers where needed and covering receptacles.
Score: 84
Taco Cabana, Bandera Road (Texas 46) and Interstate 10
The popular chain restaurant is known for cabana bowls, tacos and quesadillas. Sueltenfuss only had a few corrective observations noted: Several shelves were rusting, facial hair restraints were not worn, and he found unclean door slides behind the salsa bar.
Staff took immediate action to ensure compliance.
Score: 96 Las Palapas, 114 Herff Road The San Antonio- based family chain is known for its award-winning tortilla soup, along with other Tex-Mex options for breakfast and dinner.
Sueltenfuss noted a few out-of-compliance issues: An employee not washing hands before putting on gloves, date marks missing, rusting shelves in the a soft-drink cooler, a live roach behind the grill area, room temperatures for the rice and barbacoa in noncompliance, drink cups not stored in designated area, and flies in the kitchen.
The onsite staff went to work, marking dates on food items, cleaning areas with heavy food debris, working with pest control and making necessary repairs.
Score: 85 El Rio Restaurant, 1361 S.
Main St., Suite 600 According to its marketing, El Rio “strives for every customer to enjoy their quick, friendly service and quick meals.”
The health inspector’s report noted borracho beans and red salsa had to be discarded, meat was improperly stored, there were freezer-burned foods and uncovered foods in the prep cooler, unclean hands before putting on gloves, torn dining room seats, broken shelves in a few freezers, un-sanitized wiping cloths, improper cutting boards and chipped plates.
Sueltenfuss worked with the staff to bring them into compliance. Employees cleaned the restaurant, threw out unusable food and told the official the rest of the eatery would comply by the deadline he gave them for a return inspection.
Score: 77
Mi Pueblo Mexican Bakery, 1008 N. Main St.
This is the place to go for those with a sweet tooth, featuring conchas, pan dulce and other popular Mexican delights.
Previously inspected in April, Sueltenfuss still noted a few issues: Unclean freezer and warmer box, soap and no hand towels for employees, hair and facial restraints not worn, chlorine test strips not available, unclean floors and restroom, and unmarked dates for certain items.
Employees took immediate action to mitigate the noted issues, including donning hair restraints, marking dates for food and sanitizing areas.
Score: 82
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