Forum Archive

There seem to be several new restaurants opening every month here in Bk, especially in fort green, where I live. I love to eat in different restaurants and will try pretty much anything. But I have issues with unsanitary restaurants.
Recently, some friends and I went to Habana Outpost for drinks and a bite to eat, I had my drink but refused to order from their truck like kitchen because, just watching them work, I can only image how they work behind the scenes. In fact, I glad I didn’t eat there because my friend had stomach cramps for three days.
So, out of curiosity I did a search on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website. and WOW! what a consistent record of unsanitary practices they have. apparently the fines and being shut down by the city doesn’t detour the owners Sean Meenan and Lopeti Etu from neglecting the basic rule of owning a restaurant, practice safe hygiene! what’s more offending they are selling this as a environmentally restaurant.
According to the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE’S last 3 inspections Habana outpost received 164 sanitary violations. This is outrageous and dangerous!

THIS IS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHS WEBSITE
HABANA OUTPOST
757 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN 11217
718-858-9500
05/19/2009
757 FULTON STREET, BROOKLYN 11217
Inspection Date: 05/19/2009
Violation points: 94
Establishment Closed by DOHMH. Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
Sanitary Violations 1.Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

Sanitary Violations
1.)Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.)Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
• Improper personal hygiene practices and poor food-worker health.
• Improper hand washing and bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
• Improper cooking, holding, and re-heating temperatures.
• Cross-contamination of food and food equipment.
• Food from unapproved sources.
Food Service Establishment Inspections:
Bureau of Food Safety and Community Sanitation (BFSCS) Public Health Sanitarians (PHS) conduct unannounced annual inspections of food service establishments (FSEs). During inspections, PHS’s evaluate a FSE’s conditions and practices and identify risk factors for food-borne illnesses. These risk factors include:
• Improper personal hygiene practices and poor food-worker health.
Improper hand washing and bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
Improper cooking, holding, and re-heating temperatures.
•Cross-contamination of food and food equipment.
•Food from unapproved sources.
Sanitary Violations 1.)Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.)Food contact surface not properly maintained.
3.)No facility available to wash, rinse, and sanitize utensils and/or equipment not provided.

I hope for our community well being, they cleaned all the rats out of there.
Places like this should not be allowed to remain open nor be accepted by our community, they are a disaster waiting to happen. I guess it is a good thing they have a medical center not far on Dekalb to pump out stomachs.