Restaurants Failing Their Patrons: Scores Below 80 Show a Serious Problem

At Risky Bites, we believe the health and safety of diners should always be the top priority. That’s why inspection scores matter – they’re a direct reflection of how seriously a restaurant takes food safety and public health.

In our opinion, it’s actually hard for a business to score below an 85. By the time you’re in the 70s, it’s not just a slip-up – it’s laziness and a clear disregard for the customers who trust you with their food. Any restaurant getting below an 80 is sending a strong message: “We don’t care enough.” Most restaurants start inspections with a high baseline, and minor issues might only drop a score a few points.

To fall below an 80, however, an establishment usually has multiple critical violations at once. Common examples include employees not washing their hands between tasks, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, storing raw meat above vegetables, or keeping food at unsafe temperatures. Each of these practices increases the risk of foodborne illness, and when they add up, the score can plummet. What makes this more concerning is that repeat offenses don’t count twice – once a violation is marked, it isn’t re-added for every instance. That means a low score already reflects just a portion of the unsafe practices happening during an inspection.

Recently, several businesses across Austin and surrounding areas have scored below 80 on their inspections. A few examples include:

• China Harbor Austin – 70 (E William Cannon Dr., Austin)

• Hula Hut – 70 (Lake Austin Blvd., Austin)

• 888 Pan Asian Restaurant – 70 (E Oltorf St., Austin) (Popular on Tiktok for best Austin restaurants)

• Hunan Lion Restaurant – 70 (S Lamar Blvd., Austin)

• Pho Van – 70 (Research Blvd., Austin)

• Buffet King – 72 (N IH-35, Austin)

• Southside Flying Pizza – 73 (S Lamar Blvd., Austin)

• Perfect 10 Men’s Club – 78 (Bratton Ln., Austin) (Gentlemen’s Club)

These aren’t just mom-and-pop corner markets – some are high-profile or long-standing establishments in our city. When you dine out, you’re trusting that basic food safety is being followed. These scores show otherwise. Failing to meet even the minimum standards not only violates health codes, it puts the community at risk of foodborne illness.

The bottom line:
It shouldn’t take a health inspector to force a restaurant to do the right thing. Scoring below 80 is a red flag, and it’s time customers start holding these businesses accountable. Austin deserves better.

The Full List (source: Austin Public Health):