Sam Amico
A Chinese restaurant in San Antonio was shut down for what the health department referred to as “gross and (unsanitary) conditions,” after an inspector noticed that tongs used to serve food were hanging from a trash can, according to KSAT.
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The tongs used at Beijing Express were placed on the food prep table by an employee and continued to be used after the inspector had asked that they be washed, the inspection report stated. It wasn’t until later that the tongs were removed from service and cleaned. “Other cooking utensils were also found stuffed in crevices with heavy grease buildup,” KSAT noted.
Along with that, workers used their bare hands to handle food, sometimes without properly washing their hands first, the inspection found.
Food had also been stored in coolers that were considerably above the required 41 degrees, and some food that should have been frozen was left out at room temperature, the report stated.
Inspectors also noticed a fluid leak from a vent in a cooler had dripped into large tubs that had been stored on top of food.
Basically, per the report, the entire establishment needed a deep cleaning.
This particular Beijing Express — located in the 2900 block of Nogalitos Street — has been closed temporarily for what it is calling a remodel. A construction worker at the establishment told KSAT that the owner plans to reopen “when repairs are complete.”
