Inspectors issue food safety citation at Spring-area Mexican restaurant

A Mexican restaurant in the Spring area passed a recent inspection by Harris County, but officials corrected several problems on-site and issued a citation.

The inspection of El Carbonero Restaurant, located at 13627 Veterans Memorial Drive in Houston, occurred on Feb. 8. Inspectors gave the establishment a score of 13 demerits out of a possible 100. An establishment must earn 20 demerits to be considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

The problems corrected by the inspectors included violation of "cold hold" and "good hygienic practices" requirements. The first problem usually means that food that needed to stay cool was held over 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours. The second can refer to a variety of problems, including open beverage containers in the kitchen, unsafe hand-washing practices, and eating, drinking or smoking in unapproved areas. Both of these problems are listed among those that the county website says are commonly associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inspectors also observed but did not correct a food labeling problem.

El Carbonero's past inspection scores are somewhat better. In August 2010, the restaurant earned nine demerits. In April 2010, it scored six.

For more information on how Harris County conducts restaurant inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.