Complaints about Salmonella illnesses and health inspection problems are reportedly plaguing a Mexican restaurant in Carmel, IN.
Several diners who had recently eaten at the Agave Bar and Grill at 31 E. Main St. said they had been sickened by Salmonella, and some were reportedly hospitalized this week. However, owner Alejandro Hernandez said the local health department had not found any of the bacteria on the premises and that he thought the problem might have originated with his suppliers. Department inspectors cited the restaurant July 1 for more than 40 violations of health codes, including inadequate hot water for workers to wash their hands, raw chicken and beef left out at room temperature, freezers soiled with debris and employees not wearing hair restraints. Hernandez said then that he would be installing a second hot water heater. A follow-up visit July 9 showed nine critical violations and nine non-critical ones, according to Larry Beard, a county health department inspector. Hernandez said that, as of July 22, all health code violations had been fixed.
