Taqueria Tepito, a taco spot on Matlock Road in Arlington, flunked its most recent city health inspection with a score of 66 out of 100. Inspectors reported several critical issues that can increase the risk of foodborne illness, including unsafe cold and hot holding temperatures, improper food storage, problems with handwashing and glove use, and equipment in need of repair. The score falls below the city’s passing mark and automatically triggers a follow-up visit. City officials say a reinspection is already on the books to confirm that problems are fixed.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reviewed city inspection reports from April 5 through April 18 and found Taqueria Tepito among the 95 establishments checked during that stretch. In its roundup, the paper lists the restaurant’s score and the violations marked on the inspection form.
Arlington’s Food Inspection Program uses a 100-point scale, where a 100 reflects a perfect inspection and scores at or below 70 are labeled extremely poor. Any business that lands at 75 or below gets a required reinspection, and the city can shut down a facility that presents an imminent health hazard until issues are resolved, according to the City of Arlington.
Inspection findings
At Taqueria Tepito, inspectors documented several critical violations tied to food safety, noting unsafe hot and cold holding temperatures, poor storage practices, and lapses in handwashing and glove use, according to the inspection report. Those kinds of problems can let harmful bacteria grow or spread in a kitchen. The inspector also flagged equipment in need of repair, which can make it harder to keep food at safe temperatures or handle it correctly. Taqueria Tepito had previously failed an inspection in April 2025, based on city records cited by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
What the score means for diners and the restaurant
Because the 66 lands under Arlington’s reinspection threshold, health officials are required to return and verify that violations have been corrected. If they find conditions that qualify as an imminent health hazard, they can order a closure until fixes are made, the city says. Restaurants must post their most recent inspection report or letter grade where customers can see it, and repeated failures can bring tougher enforcement, according to the City of Arlington. For now, a follow-up visit is expected as inspectors confirm whether the restaurant has addressed the issues.
The restaurant’s contact page lists its Matlock Road address and operating hours, per Taqueria Tepito. For more on how to look up inspection scores and the rollout of letter grades across the city, check out Hoodline’s coverage of how Arlington made restaurant health scores now just a click away.
Diners heading to the Matlock strip might want to take a quick look at the city’s online dashboard or the posted letter grade before ordering tacos. We will be watching for the reinspection results and will update this story if Taqueria Tepito posts corrections or receives a new score.
