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.”
Kendall County Health Inspector David Sueltenfuss is back on the streets, this time to check out five popular chain restaurants.
Each restaurant earned a passing score, but Sueltenfuss issued some lower scores due to compliance issues.
All ratings are based on county health records, which are available to the public.
Marco’s Pizza, 1560 River Road, Suite 103
This popular pizza eatery offers a variety of pies and toppings, along with their new Inferno CheezyBread, made with a blend of Carolina reaper and cheese. The pizzeria also offers pizza bowls, calzones, subs and wings.
The store’s October inspection found a few items to correct, including: A spray nozzle that couldn’t be turned off, an employee’s food-handler certificate was not available, rusted walk-in cooler shelves, a missing hair restraint on one employee and unclean cooler floors. Sueltenfuss worked with on-site manager Eric Perez to make some corrections. The store was also given three days to fix the nozzle.
Score: 91
Dairy Queen, 436 W.
Bandera Road
The chain, known for its homemade Blizzards and Stackburgers, also offers special- occasion cakes. Other menu items are chicken fingers, baked pretzels and slushies.
Sueltenfuss made a few observations here: No certified food manager on-site at the beginning of the inspection, two employees without hair restraints, a wiping cloth on the prep cooler cutting board was unclean, unclean floors under the prep cooler and grout between the floor tiles at the prep cooler with food debris buildup.
On-site corrections were made by manager Melissa Herrera, the health inspector noted.
Score: 94
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, 1406 S. Main St.
For those who crave fried chicken, Raising Cane’s offers fried-chicken combos, accompanied by its special sauce and crinkle-cut fries. Other menu items include coleslaw, Texas toast and a glass of freshsqueezed lemonade.
Sueltenfuss marked off points for just two items: The front ice machine had mildew and some employees were missing hair restraints at the start of the inspection. The mildewed ice bin was discarded, and restraints were donned by employees.
Score: 96
Sonic, 121 W. Bandera Road
Sonic serves up an expansive menu of slushies, including some infused with Nerds candy. Food options range from burgers and hot dogs to breakfast burritos. Sides include fries, mozzarella sticks and, for the early risers, French toast sticks.
Several points were taken off by Sueltenfuss during the October survey: An ice machine and soft-drink ice bins had mildew, rusted shelves in the toppings cooler, a backflow device sprayed water when the hose was used, water pooled by the walk-in cooler and unclean air vents in the food area. The employees took immediate action to make corrections, the inspector noted.
Score: 87
Bush’s Chicken, 1550 River Road
Another option for fried chicken lovers is Bush’s chicken serving tenders, whole chicken pieces, mashed potatoes, okra, green beans, corn nuggets and pepper poppers. The store also offers livers and gizzards. Sides for meals include a roll, gravy and a large drink.
Sueltenfuss observed 20 items out of compliance during his visit, among them: Chicken being stored at the wrong temperature for an unknown amount of time, black mildew inside an ice bin, heavy mildew and spiderwebs inside the soft-drink ice machine, unclean heating lamps in the hot-hold area, discharge water pooled around equipment, fryers being run at the incorrect temperature, missing beard restraints, unclean shelves, and unclean and rusted ceiling tiles. The store worked to bring some issues back into compliance, according to the report.
Score: 80
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