One of my favorite rainy-day activities is scrolling through Dallas food inspection scores. I search by ZIP code to see how my favorites ranked on their last three or four reviews. Then, for fun, I’ll key in on the scores, and scroll until I spot an unusually low number. Anything below a 69 is considered a failing mark and requires a follow-up inspection within 10 days. You can’t judge the cleanliness of a business on just one poor score, though. The ratings are based on many factors and represent a snapshot of the restaurant at the time, but repetitively low marks indicate a problem. And a potentially dangerous one at that.
The March, 1996 D Magazine cover story, “The Dirtiest Restaurants in Dallas,” highlights the grimiest establishments in the city. (There was a similar story in the magazine in 1977, my favorite tale from which is about Campisi’s on Mockingbird being ordered to get rid of a pet monkey who lived in the kitchen.)
The feature touches on the checkup process; there were only 15 health inspectors at the time for the city’s 4,850 food-service establishments, 2,770 of which were restaurants. The piece also calls out the most disgusting restaurants, and exposes how the inspection system is, at times, flawed.
“Any critical violation or repeat non-critical violation can result in a citation,” writes Dan Michalski. “Most restaurant managers pay the standard fine of $200, but if they wish, they can contest the citation in court. Though it has never happened, a judge or jury conviction can raise the fine as high as $2,000…In fact, paying a citation essentially gives a restaurant a clean slate, so the next violation will merit only a warning-even for critical violations.”
While many of the restaurants in the feature have since shuttered, a handful are still operational. But don’t let this two-decade-old story skew your judgement. Chances are they’ve since cleaned up. Plus, you can always check the food inspection scores for yourself.
Click the images below and take a step back in Dallas dining history.
