To best illustrate the “filthy” conditions at Su Taqueria El Gallo Bravo, a Mexican eatery at 3156 N. Austin Ave. in Belmont-Cragin, Department of Streets and Sanitation spokesman Matt Smith offered the following anecdote.
“While we were there, the guy who worked in the kitchen took his dish towel, killed flies and flying insects with his towel on the cutting board, wiped his cutting knife with the dish towel, put food on the cutting board — we think it was cilantro — and proceeded to chop away,” Smith said. “It was a blatant disregard for any semblance of sanitation.”
Inspectors with Mayor Daley’s Dumpster Task Force closed the taqueria after visiting Thursday afternoon in response to customer complaints about conditions there, Smith said.
They found more than 170 live flying insects in the dining room, kitchen, food preparation area and basement food storage area, he said.
The bugs were crawling on clean pots and pans and were found inside a large storage container of rice.
The task force gave the restaurant three citations for inadequate pest control, not having hot water (a problem that was later rectified) and contamination. It also issued three citations for food not protected from contamination, no certified manager on the premises, and a grease container inadequately maintained.
