Warm weather has arrived in the Lake Travis area and that means lots of chatter about “bathing suit season” and “summer bodies.”
Well, we’re taking a break from the norm to talk about something far more tantalizing. Fast food.
Irresistible fat-infused, deep-fried treats. Fried chicken shell taco? Bacon-wrapped pizza crust? Sausage McGriddle? Maybe you’re into healthier “fast food” options like sandwiches and subs on hot, freshly-baked bread. Or, are you a grab-a-pack-of-Twinkies-and-a-Cherry-Coke at the gas station kinda person?
No matter what kind of convenience bites you’re into, you can feel better about them. Why? According to Austin Public Health Department, the restaurant inspection scores for restaurants in the Lake Travis area — including crave-worthy fast food joints — are consistently getting top marks. Are you pleasantly surprised?
You’ve probably heard rumors about restaurants failing health inspections. For some reason, people often assume fast food joints are the worst offenders. Well, that assumption is wrong. What we’ve discovered is rather impressive when it comes to Lake Travis fast food-y spots.
Hooray for High Scores
Jimmie John’s, Papa Murphy’s, and Jersey Giant Pizza are just a few that have been consistently getting a perfect score of 100 for the past three years.
The Pizza Hut eatery in Target that smells so good? Yep, perfect scores too.
Chicken Express, ThunderCloud Subs, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell have received nearly perfect scores since 2014.
What the Scores Mean
The Austin (and Travis County) Human Services Department conducts an inspection of more than 4,000 food establishments in Austin and surrounding areas twice a year. In fact, school cafeterias, bakeries and bars are included — anywhere that serves food.
When a restaurant gets a score of 100 that means zero violations were found. Inspections cover things like sanitation and procedures to ensure food safety. If a score of 70 is given, there is a re-inspection to make sure steps are taken to fix those issues. A score lower than 70 puts a food establishment on the naughty list.
For the purposes of this article, we’ve looked back at scores since 2014. And to be honest, 2014 was a rough year for a handful of Lake Travis restaurants and eateries. Some of our favorite spots got scores between 70-78. Yikes! But it looks like things started looking up in 2015 and have been holding steady ever since.
Of course, all area restaurants are on the list, but we’re just cherry-picking a few of your food-on-the-go spots.
A+: 100 in 2017
Creamistry
FroCo
Taco Bell
FireHouse Subs
Yogurt Planet
Wendy’s
Subway
Top Scores: 96-99 in 2017
Circle K (1404 S FM 620)
Raising Canes
Metro Food Mart (902 S FM 620)
Einstein Bros Bagels
Sonic
Speedy Stop (13006 W 71)
Subway
ThunderCloud Subs
Savory or sweet? What’s your favorite fast food splurge in the Lake Travis area?
