How did your favorite coffee, taco or pizza shop perform? Our searchable database includes every inspection from eateries in this Hill Country gem.
On a chilly day this past April, a City of New Braunfels sanitarian stepped into a local buffet to perform a routine restaurant inspection.
They noted a total of 25 violations, ranging from an accumulation of grease on the floors to food stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer. But one observation stands out above the rest: They caught a roach crawling out of the crab salad that was out on the buffet line.
This inspection is just one of over 400 that the City of New Braunfels has carried out since the beginning of the year.
Overall, New Braunfels inspection grading appears to be tougher than that of San Antonio. Only 82.9 percent of inspections resulted in a grade of 80 or better in New Braunfels. This is in stark contrast to San Antonio, where 99.2 percent of its inspections scored a B or better during the first half of 2022. Eight New Braunfels restaurants received a score lower than 60, something that no San Antonio restaurant has achieved.
Those eight restaurants are included in our roundup of the worst inspections so far this year in New Braunfels. We also included a searchable table with every score the city has handed out this year, a listing that does not exist on the city’s food safety page.
Happy Dragon, 1671 IH 35 S 311, New Braunfels
Address: 1671 IH 35 S 311, New Braunfels
Observed raw chicken being prepped directly next to salads and the same prep cook moving back and forth between the two, raw shrimp stored next to cooked shrimp; raw eggs stored above vegetables; and raw food stored over ready-to-eat food.
Observed evidence of rodents in the front area cabinets.
Observed raw chicken thawing at room temperature while waiting to be prepped (over 7 boxes).
Observed debris on the can opener blade and on the grinder blades.
Observed employee personal items such as food, beverages, and cellphones on food prep surfaces near food.
Observed an employees change tasks, handle cellphone and then return to cooking, and put on gloves without washing hands.
Observed an employees handle ready-to-eat food such as cooked egg rolls and crispies with their bare hands.
Observed wet wiping cloths on surfaces.
Observed a lack of managerial control in regards to improper cooling of food, improper method of cooling, and a lack of training with hand washing and bare hand contact.
El Tamarindo, 1836 Spur Street, New Braunfels
Address: 1836 Spur Street, New Braunfels
Observed raw chicken stored next to cooked chicken, raw eggs stored above cooked food, and raw meat next to cooked.
The establishment has an expired permit and was at risk of being shut down if it did not pay.
The handsink is not in the kitchen, and a door blocks easy access to and from the kitchen. The handsink did not have paper towels.
The establishment does not have a certified food manager.
The establishment did not have chlorine chemical test strips.
Did not observe any bleach or other sanitizer in the establishment.
Observed employees not washing their hands between changing gloves.
Observed spray bottles outside the range of acceptable chlorine concentration.
Observed the three-compartment sink leaking and wastewater collecting in a bucket underneath the sink.
Observed moldy, water-filled ceiling tiles, cracked floors and building issues.
Pho NB, 1050 IH 35 N Ste 100, New Braunfels
Address: 1050 IH 35 N Ste 100, New Braunfels
Observed employee eating while on the cooking line and employee food intermixed with customer food.
One cooler was broken and awaiting parts. It had been emptied and was not in use.
The person in charge/ certified food manager demonstrated a lack of food safety knowledge. Handwashing in the facility was almost non existent, bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food was occurring, and lack of on high-risk processes and procedures such as cooling and taking temperatures of product. The person in charge did not know the correlation between time/temperature foods and risks for foodborne illnesses. Food was sitting out at room temperature in various stages of cooling and no one could provide answers as to how long it had been out.
The person in charge did not know chlorine test strips were nor how to use them properly.
Observed food being delivered to establishment; the inside of the truck was between 50 and 60 degrees and several of the frozen meat items, although still frozen, were showing signs of thaw. Management did not check food for signs of temperature abuse nor take any temperatures.
Observed spring rolls and cut lemons outside of mechanical refrigeration without time stamps.
Observed in the prep cooler, raw chicken stored behind the cooked beef tendon.
Employees were observed changing their gloves without washing their hands or leaving their work area with the same gloves, doing other tasks, and never changing their gloves. An employee had on the same pair of gloves for the entire inspection and never took them off to wash their hands and change them.
Observed cooked chicken that was cooling on a rack at room temperature without any means of active cooling. Manager described that they let it cool there before placing in a large plastic container, covering it, and putting it in the walk-in cooler to finish cooling.
Frozen egg rolls were sitting out and had begun to thaw. There was a lot of food siting out at room temperature without a process to control time nor temperature. There is not enough equipment to maintain product temperature since time as a control is often abused and misleading.
Observed food stored on the floor in the kitchen and in the walk in coolers.
Observed utensils stored in dirty water.
Cancun Mexican Restaurant, 636 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels
Address: 636 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels
Observed heavy presence of rodents in the facility. There were nests upstairs and feces all over the floor. Observed rat trails along the walls where pipes are flush against the walls, serving as walkways and excrement on shelves, floors, and around bottles beverages. Establishment does not currently have a rodent control plan with a pest control company. Due to the extreme infestation, the establishment has been temporarily closed for an imminent health hazard.
Food is being cooked outside on the patio under a beam and tarp roof without a vent hood with adequate fire suppression.
Observed holes in floors and walls, the floor in the kitchen is rotting out and patched with sheets of plywood and diamond-plated metal sheets. The back storage area does not have a drop ceiling and water leaks during rain events.
Observed residential use only can on raid, rat poison on an open plate, and unlabeled spray bottles.
Observed over 8 boxes of meat thawing at room temperature.
Observed time/temperature-controlled foods such as cut onions and eggs stored outside of mechanical refrigeration and without time stamps.
Observed raw fish stored over pico de gallo and raw fish stored over cooked meat.
Observed debris on the deli slicer.
Observed employee handle cellphone and then put gloves on without washing their hands.
Observed employee handle ready-to-eat tomatoes with their bare hands.
The certified food manager did not demonstrate general food safety.
Observed food in the walk in with date label marked from Jan. 26 and Feb. 2; over 7 days.
Observed employee beverages stored on deli slicer and on food prep surfaces while food was being prepped.
Observed food stored on the floor.
Granzins BBQ, 660 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
Address: 660 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
Observed raw ground beef stored on top of cheese, raw poultry stored over sausage, and raw meat over ready-to-eat foods.
Observed fruit flies all over the kitchen and in the bathrooms.
Observed debris in the ice tea urn nozzles, dirty utensils, debris on the can opener blade, debris on the stand mixer, debris on the potato chopper, and mold in both the ice machines.
Observed employees putting on gloves without washing their hands. Employees were observed misusing gloves, such as when handling trash, cleaning equipment, and then handling ready-to-eat food.
Observed certified food manager’s lack of demonstration of knowledge and inability to lead and train other staff for the afternoon shift.
Observed broken utensils, burnt/melted cutting boards, equipment with tape on it, a sponge at a prep sink, and non-NSF utensils such as paint brushes.
Observed time/temperature-controlled foods such as salsa, cheese, and mayo that was not held in mechanical refrigeration and without time stamps.
Observed food stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler.
Observed meats from Granzins Meat Market that were packaged in boxes without labeling.
Uwes Bakery and Deli, 1024 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
Address: 1024 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels
Observed butter left in bakery at room temperature after staff had left for the day.
Observed raw eggs and raw meat stored above ready-to-eat foods.
There was ice machine buildup, no sanitizer in the dishwasher, and a dirty can opener blade.
Observed a large number of foods, salads, and sauces produced in-house that were out-of-date per the seven-day rule.
Observed food stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler and freezer.
Observed large amounts of flour and buildup on multiple machines.
Address: 494 N. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels
Observed lack of managerial control. At the time of the inspection, there was not a manager on site and the staff were not able to answer basic questions about food safety. There is a lack of training from managers in regards to cleaning procedures, cooling, hot holding, cold holding, time stamps, hand washing, and barehand contact.
Observed cut tomatoes, feta, green sauce in small containers stored at room temperature without time stamps.
Observed employee drinking uncovered beverage while prepping with gloves on and storing beverage on food contact surfaces.
Observed heavy accumulation of debris on the can opener blade, heavy accumulation of debris on the deli slicer, mold in the ice machine, and dishes washed but no sanitizer in the three-compartment sink while dishes were being washed.
Observed employee change gloves without washing their hands, employees never washed hands during the inspection.
Observed employee cutting ready-to-eat onions with their bare hands.
Observed unlabeled spray bottles and spray bottles with chemicals stored directly next to and above food.
Observed improper cooling procedures with food being cooled at room temperature for hours before being placed in the refrigerator in a closed container.
Observed cooked/prepped food such as yogurt and chicken salad stored for over 24 hours without a date label.
Establishment did not have chemical test strips.
Observed a non-self-closing back door and a bug light directly on a food contact surface.
Guadalajara Meat Market Deli, 135 Ih 35 S, New Braunfels
Address: 135 Ih 35 S, New Braunfels
Observed overall lack of handwashing between tasks and after handling raw meat.
The original food manager certificate and food permit shall be posted in a location in the food establishment that is conspicuous to consumers.
Observed raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food.
Observed accumulation of debris in the plastic meat containers (they're cleaned every 2 days), debris on the deli slicer, dirty counters, and food contact surfaces not sanitized properly.
Observed food sitting out at room temperature.
Did not observe test strips in the establishment.
Observed the hand sink used for tasks other than washing hands.
Observed non-self closing back door.
Observed drinks on food prep surfaces.
Cancun Mexican Restaurant, 636 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels
Address: 636 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels
Observed infestation of roaches in the establishment that were on the prep line and in the main kitchen. Due to the overwhelming amount of cockroaches observed, inspectors temporarily closed the establishment.
Observed many German cockroaches in the kitchen.
Observed raw meat thawing at room temperature.
Observed staff with long nails. Food employees shall keep their fingernails trimmed, filed, and maintained so the edges and surfaces are cleanable and not rough.
Observed employee put on gloves without washing their hands, and inspectors did not observe employees wash their hands during the duration of the inspection.
Observed employee handle read-to-eat food with their bare hands.
Observed lack of demonstration of knowledge from the management by not knowing proper cooling methods, date labeling, staff training, bare hand contact, and roaches.
Observed items in the hand sink.
Observed food on the floor in the walk-in cooler.
Garden Buffet, 651 N. Business 35, New Braunfels
Address: 651 N. Business 35, New Braunfels
Observed a roach crawl out of the crab salad that was out on the buffet line.
Observed a cup of lemons stored in the bin of consumable ice. Observed raw chicken stored next to raw beef, raw chicken stored next to raw fish, and raw food stored over ready-to-eat/cooked food.
The person in charge demonstrated a lack of knowledge.
Observed customers getting their own ice cream at the ice cream station. Per previous conversations, customers are not allowed to scoop their own ice cream, an attendant must scoop all ice cream.
Did not observe any thermometers or chemical test strips.
Observed sushi rice that had been sitting out at room temperature and the sushi chef put the whole container in the refrigerator when they saw the inspector.
Observed employee change tasks and put on gloves without washing their hands.
Observed open employee beverages and cellphones on food prep surfaces.
Observed food on the floor in the walk-in freezer and in the walk-in refrigerator floor.
Ryan Serpico is a graphics reporter at the San Antonio Express-News. Before joining in in 2020, he studied data journalism and web development at the University of Florida.