RKMBs
Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-17 4:50 AM
I have a twice ate from a food cart. I didn't get sick and die or anything so maybe they're ok to eat from. I don't know if they are any cheaper to eat from compared to a regular restaurant.
http://www.katu.com/news/problemsolver/Are-food-carts-subject-to-health-inspections-203311001.html

 Quote:

TIGARD, Ore. – Just because they’re miniature doesn’t mean they don’t get inspected just like full-service restaurants.

The hitch: food carts don’t receive a health score after inspections.

The Problem Solvers get a lot of questions about food carts: For instance, who’s checking up on them to ensure the food is safe?

To answer your questions and understand the healthy-cooking process in those tiny kitchens, we followed an inspector along as he scooped out a Tigard food cart, 808 Grinds.

Jeremy Long, a Washington County health inspector, showed us how he checks food temperatures – with a digital thermometer.

A top necessity for healthy food-keeping? Temperatures, especially dishes like the macaroni salad.

“…It’s nice and cold at about 39 degrees,” Long said, inspecting the salad. “So that’s perfect.”

The inspector also checked out where the cooks fill up water. He also examined bleach levels in the sanitizer bucket used to kill germs on counters.

At the end of the inspection, 808 Grinds co-owner Jensen Yip is not surprised to have no violations.

“We’re pretty confident about how we conduct ourselves in the kitchen,” he said.

Yip said his passion goes beyond receiving a perfect health score.

“The joy they express to us when they eat the food, the satisfaction they get really speaks to the heart,” he said.
Posted By: the G-man Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-17 5:27 AM
 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
I have a twice ate from a food cart. I didn't get sick and die or anything so maybe they're ok to eat from. I don't know if they are any cheaper to eat from compared to a regular restaurant.


20 some years ago in New York City I saw a pretzel vendor drop a pretzel on the ground in time square, pick it up, apply the five second rule and put it back on his car so no I would never eat off of a food cart
Posted By: Wonder Boy Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-17 9:25 PM
 Originally Posted By: the G-man
 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
I have a twice ate from a food cart. I didn't get sick and die or anything so maybe they're ok to eat from. I don't know if they are any cheaper to eat from compared to a regular restaurant.


20 some years ago in New York City I saw a pretzel vendor drop a pretzel on the ground in time square, pick it up, apply the five second rule and put it back on his car so no I would never eat off of a food cart


When I was 16, I worked ONE DAY in an italian restaurant where I saw that done (by the restaurant manager, who dropped a basket of garlic bread on the floor, put it back in the basket and sent it out to a table), and quit for precisely that reason. So it's not just in portable food carts where that unsanitary standard can occur.

But I'd generally agree, that the sanitary options are likely less aavailable in a portable food stand. It's like comparing slleping in a camper to sleeping in a hotel or your own bed. It's more improv, and therefore less clean.

If I was hungry enough, I'd take the chance, but generally I stick to real reastaurants.
Posted By: PCG342 Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-17 10:53 PM
Don't know if it qualifies but there used to be a bus in my city that was gutted and turned into a hot dog stand; rather than the carts most people see it was more like a mobile walk-up kitchen. I bought from them once or twice. Not bad hot dogs but excessive on the condiments (bacon, ranch, guacamole, sauerkraut, jalapenos, chili, etc.)
Posted By: LLance Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-21 10:06 PM
 Originally Posted By: the G-man
 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
I have a twice ate from a food cart. I didn't get sick and die or anything so maybe they're ok to eat from. I don't know if they are any cheaper to eat from compared to a regular restaurant.


20 some years ago in New York City I saw a pretzel vendor drop a pretzel on the ground in time square, pick it up, apply the five second rule and put it back on his car so no I would never eat off of a food cart


Like that never happens in restaurants!

Oops! Silly me...forgot the kitchen floor is much cleaner than a sidewalk!
Posted By: LLance Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-21 10:09 PM
Actually I used to work in a restaurant. Worst thing I heard of was someone pissed in an ice machine. At the tender age of 16 or 17 I was the lackey who was choose by management to climb inside it and scrub it down w/ bleachwater. Goes a long way in explaining why I've been so cheeky all of my life!
Posted By: Wonder Boy Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-24 8:31 PM
My first official employer when I was 16 (had an under the table job before that) was in a Chinese restaurant. No gross stuff with the food, it was actually remarkably clean, but they had a crushed ice machine at the bar, and when we were waiting for the last customers to leave, we (the busboys) would fill two pitchers with crushed ice, and go outside and have a snowball fight.

Having a snowball fight here in Florida takes some improvisation.
Llance,stop pissing in the ice machine!

 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy
My first official employer when I was 16 (had an under the table job before that)
dude
Posted By: Son of Mxy Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-25 7:34 AM
In China, 16 is already retirement age.
"Oh SoM just you shut your mouth"
Posted By: LLance Re: Do you eat from food carts? - 2013-04-30 11:16 PM
 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
Llance,stop pissing in the ice machine!

 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy
My first official employer when I was 16 (had an under the table job before that)
dude


I NEVER pissed in the ice machine! However I did take a dump or two...
© RKMBs