A routine Austin Public Health inspection on Saturday hit downtown Mexican restaurant Mexta with a health score of 67, citing uncovered food, unsafe holding temperatures and unsanitary equipment. Inspectors scheduled a recheck for May 11 to verify corrections and flagged a string of priority violations they say need immediate attention.
Inspection findings
According to cited for multiple violations, which reproduces the official inspection, health inspectors noted employees failing to wash hands and handwashing sinks at the bar and in the kitchen that lacked soap. The report also documents residue consistent with mold in the ice machine, discolored cutting boards, dirty utensils, standing water in the bar area, leaking pipes and sewage that inspectors said was not properly directed to disposal.
Temperatures were out of range across both hot and cold holding. Inspectors recorded cooked beef at 98°F, beans and corn at 119°F in a hot well, and raw beef, chicken and shrimp at roughly 50°F. The report sets a reinspection for May 11 to confirm fixes, and the full inspection report from Austin Public Health is available online.
Why those failures matter
The FDA's Food Code sets cold holding at 41°F or lower and requires foods reheated for hot holding to reach at least 165°F for 15 seconds, so the temperatures recorded by inspectors place several items squarely in the danger zone. Missing soap at handwashing sinks and evidence of poor sanitation, like mold or dirty utensils, increase the risk of cross-contamination and bacterial growth; CDC analysis of outbreak contributing factors finds inadequate time/temperature control and contamination from food workers are common causes of restaurant-linked outbreaks. Those public-health risks are why inspectors mark priority violations and schedule reinspections to verify corrections.
Next steps and context
Mexta, which is listed in the MICHELIN Guide as a downtown contemporary Mexican spot, now faces a May 11 reinspection that will determine whether its score is lifted or if further enforcement is needed. Reached out to the restaurant for comment, the outlet reports it will update the story if a response is provided. Diners can review the full inspection report online before deciding to eat there; the report from Austin Public Health is available to the public.
