2 Los Amigos Mexican Grill restaurants closed for health violations, rat feces

Findings of food-borne illness and rat feces by the Boston Public Health Commission caused two Boston-area restaurants belonging to the same chain to temporarily close late last week.

The Los Amigos Mexican Grill restaurants in the Brighton Center closed on May 18 and the one in West Roxbury closed on May 19, both of which failed to follow several city codes for maintaining cleanliness based on observations of the restaurant staff and how food and other items were stored, health officials said.

The Brighton Center location had six health violations, according to the city's website. This included an expired food manager certificate, no sanitizer setup, wire rack shelving units with visible rust and mold in the walls and ceilings.

Inspectors took notice of "multiple reports of a foodborne illness from items consumed at this location," prompting the restaurant to cease operations. The city confirmed to NBC 10 Boston that salmonella was detected and is investigating an "emerging" outbreak from the restaurant.

Visitors to this location between May 12 and May 17 were asked to watch out for salmonella symptoms and should contact their healthcare provider for an evaluation and testing, according to a statement from the public health commission to Boston.com.

Symptoms of salmonella develop 12 to 72 hours after swallowing germs, the public health commission said. Symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting and last four days to a week. Sending a stool sample to a healthcare provider can determine if someone has a salmonella infection.

Combing through the West Roxbury location, inspectors noted 14 violations that included improper food monitoring, improper cooling of perishable foods like salsa and guacamole, onions stored on the floor and no thermometers in the cold holding units and at grill drawers. Once again, sanitation was an issue.

"Only one employee properly washed hands between tasks," inspectors said. "Another rinsed hands at the prep sink. A third employee used a gloved hand to wipe the cutting board. Retrain staff on when to wash and the proper use of gloves."

Additionally, a spatula was found stored in stagnant water and rat droppings were found on cans and bags storing food and beverage cups, the city reported.

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