BEAUMONT, Texas — The Beaumont Health Department created an interactive map that displays inspection grades of restaurants and places that sell food in the city.
The new map went live Thursday, December 7, 2023 and it shows detailed information about every business listed with a letter grade of "A" through "F."
With the weekend around the corner and the holiday season in full swing, many Southeast Texans take the time to go out to eat at their favorite restaurants with their families.
Beaumont Health Director Kenneth Coleman says this took shows which restaurants to visit and others you may want to avoid.
The Beaumont Health Department has a mission.
"To prevent disease, protect the health of the community, and promote healthy lifestyles. When you go to the hospital you are an individual patient to that physician. Public health, the whole entire community is our patient," Coleman said.
Better care needs better tools.
That's why the Beaumont Public Health Department has implemented a new Interactive map that grades every food service establishment in Beaumont on cleanliness and safety.
"It's kind of like the school grading system it's a points system. It's an inspection log with forty-seven items that we concentrate on," he said.
Inspected businesses receive a letter grade of an "A" through "F."
For instance:
- Three points can be deducted for improper food temperatures, reheating procedures or food storage.
- Two points can be deducted from unlabeled packaged food or lack of cold and hot water.
- One point can be deducted for insect contamination or inadequate ventilation.
"We see a lot of time and temperature control, or handwashing," Coleman said.
According to the map, businesses such as Sweet Basil, Crumbl Cookies and BB's Seafood and Wings were all rated with a 90 or above scoring an "A."
While businesses such as Tony's Barbecue located off of Calder, The Rock'N Crab and Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse off of Dowlen Road were rated a 73 or lower scoring a "D."
"Sixty-nine is failing. A 70 is a "D."
Coleman says the new online tool will give the public transparency and a piece of mind.
"The community has been asking for it for a while. You have a right to know that 'if I'm going here to eat, now it's at your fingertips. Let me see what their last inspection was,'" he said.
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