When East Texans are hungry, they have a plethora of restaurants to choose from, but some are better than others. It's not just about how the food tastes, but about whether or not it's safe to eat. The health department regularly performs East Texas restaurant inspections and releases a report on each place they check.

Most of the time, restaurants do fine. If they have issues, they're minor. Every once in a while, though, inspectors find serious problems that create a health risk for East Texans. Foodborne disease can make you sick, and can even be life-threatening. The CDC estimates every year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness in the United States.

During the latest round of inspections, seven East Texas restaurants received top scores. One had serious issues.

East Texas Restaurants With a Perfect Score

These restaurants all passed inspection with flying colors:

  • Whataburger #1146 at 2216 West Gentry in Tyler
  • Chicken Express at 2702 Gilmer Road in Longview
  • Five Guys Burgers and Fries at 3405 North Fourth Street in Longview
  • Chicken Express at 2102 Judson Road in Longview
  • Tiger Country Cafe at 405 West Bradford in Troup
  • Cheyenne's Lunch Box at 208 West Duval in Longview
  • Donut Palace at 205 East Duval in Longview

Whitehouse Restaurant With Serious Violations

Not all the restaurants inspected did so well. If you're craving Tex Mex, don't get it at Yoli's on 304 East Main Street in Whitehouse. Inspectors found these violations:

  • Raw sausage, salsa and butter sitting at too-warm temperatures
  • Raw meat stored above produce where it could drip on vegetables
  • Residue on containers in use and ones staff said they had already cleaned
  • "Mold-like substance" inside the ice machine
  • Unsanitized squeeze-bottles of salsa
  • Raw sausage and raw chorizo sitting out of temperature on a steam table

Anyone can get sick from eating contaminated food. The most common signs of foodborne illness are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Most people get better without medical treatment, but that's still not something you want to risk.

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