Seafood restaurant passes county food test, though inspectors note some concerns

Harris County food safety inspectors recently gave a passing grade to a local seafood restaurant, though some problems were noted.

Captain Tom's Seafood & Oyster Bar, 9651 FM 1960 W., received its regular visit from county staff on Feb. 21. In their official report, inspectors gave the restaurant a score of seven demerits out of a possible 100. An establishment must earn 20 demerits to be considered "of concern" and in need of a follow-up visit.

Inspectors recorded two violations in their report. The first was an "approved systems" problem, which could indicate improper time marking of food held over 24 hours or similar lapses in procedure. The other violation was a problem with the restaurant's thermometers. Neither of these violations is on the county website's list of problems most associated with food-borne illness by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The score of seven demerits is relatively good for Captain Tom's. The restaurant received the same score in November 2010, but earned 14 demerits in August 2010 and eight demerits in May 2010.

For more information on how Harris County conducts food safety inspections, visit www.hcphes.org.