A restaurant is back open a week after Metro Health shut it down for “gross and unsanitary conditions,” with the health report detailing a laundry list of issues.
Behind the Kitchen Door is an ongoing series where KSAT investigates health inspections of restaurants in San Antonio.
El Pirata Seafood & Mexican Sports Bar, located at 2525 S W.W. White, earned a 91 after Metro Health reinspected it on Oct. 16.
During the original inspection on Oct. 12, records show Metro Health ordered the restaurant to shut down until the 15 because of “gross and unsanitary conditions.”
KSAT visited the restaurant on Wednesday to speak with a supervisor about the violations, but a waitress stopped our crew at the door.
We asked the waitress to call the owner so we could speak with her about the 27 issues listed in the report, which include dead pests on shelves and stuck in grease, rodent droppings and a cook not washing their hands or changing cloves.
The report also noted that octopus was left in a sink to thaw without running water, which could lead to a bacteria issue.
A longtime customer told KSAT he was surprised at the findings, but still planned to eat lunch.
After an inspection on Oct. 6, records show Metro Health shut down the bakery, located at 9155 Zarzamora, because of roach and rodent activity.
The bakery was allowed to reopen back on Oct. 9, Metro Health confirmed.
KSAT stopped by the restaurant on Wednesday and spoke with the owner, Chica. She said she expected Behind the Kitchen Door to stop by after the bakery was given a score of 71.
“I cannot just hide,” she said.
Chica said there were several issues found during the inspection, adding that the building was old.
“It says on the inspection report that there were some dead roaches in the freezer along the bottom shelf,” said KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra. “How does that get in there?”
“So if your gaskets are worn out, that can happen,” said Chica. “We had one disconnected.”
Chica showed our cameras the improvements made inside and outside of the building, including pest control measures and new cleaning protocols.
She told KSAT she took over the bakery a decade ago, and she’s proud of all the challenges she’s overcome, including leaving an abusive relationship, rebuilding her business and the temporary shut down of Chica’s Bakery y Mas.
“Why hide it?” she told KSAT. “Things happen. It’s food is gonna be completely impossible to keep any ant away, any rodent. It’s possible it’s gonna happen, but it’s our job just to keep them away.”
Other scores from the week of Oct. 4 through Oct. 10:
McDonalds, 100
1846 S General McMullen
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Smokey Mo’s BBQ, 100
6010 UTSA Blvd
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Bakery Lorraine, 100
7338 Louis Pasteur
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La Popular Bakery, 100
1318 Cupples Road
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Super Shawarma, 100
6909 N 1604 E
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Yaghi’s Pizzeria, 100
5910 Babcock
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Primo’s, 100
720 Mistletoe Ave
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Subway, 100
12639 Blanco Road
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54th Street Restaurant & Drafthouse, 100
9907 I-10 W
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Bibbles Brew, 100
9355 Bandera
100-90 = A (Very Good to Acceptable)
89-80 = B (Acceptable to Marginal)
79 or lower = C (Marginal to Poor)
You can catch Daniela’s BKD reports on Thursdays on the Nightbeat.
Watch other Behind the Kitchen Door stories here
