April 4, 2007
Inside Edition's Rat Patrol Pays D.C. a Visit
Run for your lives, Washington. Rats have taken over our fair city, and there is no hope of escaping their evil, rat-like ways. We shall flee to the suburbs and their clean, plastic, rat-free lifestyle. But wait! Inside Edition, long-time bastion of quality broadcast news, is here to save us. Thank God for Inside Edition's Rat Patrol.
Let me start out by saying that Inside Edition is possibly the greatest news show on television. Not only do they get the news to you early—4:30!—but they bring us the stories that matter. Waiting for their story on D.C.'s rat problem, I was treated to not only coverage of Anna Nicole's baby's paternity suit and the sad end to an American Idol fan's 16-day hunger strike over Sanjaya, but they also brought me news of a woman who ate dog food in an attempt to get her dog to eat some, and ended up poisoned! I'm thankful that story came on when I was halfway through opening a can of "rice and liver bits;" crisis averted. What would we do if Inside Edition wasn't here to tell us not to put Alpo in our mouths?
What brought me to this glorious program in the first place yesterday was its promise of some hot rat action, and boy did it deliver. Matt Meagher and his team of reporters hit the streets of Washington on their beat, the Rat Patrol, and they found rats and mice everywhere! Capitol Hill, "trendy Adams Morgan," even the "posh streets" of Georgetown. They found rats in the streets, crawling under cars, and fighting for food. "They're even dancing in the alleyways!" Meagher exclaimed with all the excitement of watching Heather Mills perform fake-legged acrobatics, which, coincidentally, was a story that preceded this one.
But, the Rat Patrol didn't stop in the streets. No, they went for television gold: rats in restaurants. By roving around town at 2 a.m. and shining flashlights in various eateries (didn't find this suspicious, MPD?), they hit the jackpot three times. Mixtec in Adams Morgan, Baja Fresh in Dupont Circle, and the Popeye's in Logan Circle all had rodents cavorting around in the midnight hours. Inside Edition confronted the owners of the businesses, all of whom were horrified to learn that they had a rat problem. No one was more horrified than the Inside Edition crew, though. When the Rat Patrol stopped two men outside Popeye's to show them the mice running around on the counters, the guys barely sounded concerned. I imagine they were ready for pretty much anything, though, as I have a sneaking suspicion they were leaving the Crew Club.
All three restaurants were closed for health code violations, but are trying to mend their ways. Baja Fresh has reopened, Mixtec is renovating its dining room to clean things up, and Popeye's home office is reviewing the Logan Circle location. In a follow up story on WUSA, Jeff Napshin interviewed several customers coming out of Baja Fresh to confront them with the news of the rats, and a few folks found it "disgusting" or "troubling," but I'm inclined to agree with the woman who wasn't surprised, "I imagine that happens periodically in restaurants," she said, deflating Meagher's theatrics.
What do you think? Rusty at why.i.hate.dc adds to the rat party with a picture of Manny & Olga's. Commenters on our L'Enfant Café post chimed in as well. Does it bother you that this city has rats all over the place? Are you suffering from the delusion that this doesn't happen in every D.C. restaurant? If you don't like rats, should you move back to Fairfax? Let us know, even if it's just something about Heather Mills' leg.
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I think I might puke...
"Not only do they get the news to your early — 4:30! — but they bring us the stories that matter."
Doesn't it just suck when you f*&k up while questioning the quality of other "news" outlets?
I'm more terrified of the prehistoric-sized roaches then the rats. At least rats can be cute.
Fixed now, hardyhar. Thanks, I suppose.
Rats are cute.
just breakin' balls
My bestest friend used to have a pet rat that she would take to where we worked. Hilariously, we worked in a grocery store. She would keep it in the breast pocket of her seafood jacket. Adorable.
Keep this in mind next time you think about shopping at the A&P/Grand Union in South Yarmouth, MA.
I don't see your point. Yes, there are often rats in restaurants. No, you're not likely to ever prevent rats from getting into restaurants, and no, we don't run screaming at hearing about rats. But does that mean we should sanction or eat in dirty shitholes? Given restaurants with documented vermin a free pass? That would seem to be your suggestion.
Past that, restaurants with pervasive rats have them because they are not clean. So even if rats get into all restaurants, places that have lots of them always have larger health and sanitation issues.
Rats are rats, and will be there no matter what, but I agree that they should be beaten back whenever possible. It doesn't really gross me out though. What would be the fun of living in the city without a "the time a rat ran across my foot inside the Fox and Hounds restaurant" story?
Wow! What a shocking rat tale (sic) unfolding near our very doorsteps!
Perhaps if there is a DC mosquito infestation mid-summer, the Inside E. gang will swing back through to cover that riveting story as well...
C'mon. This is the best that Inside Edition could come up with? I think that one of the local NYC news outlets scooped them on this one with footage of a lower-Manhattan Taco Bell overrun with rodents.
All cities have rats, and DC could do a better job controlling them. But the rats will never be completely gone. I refuse to give up yummy Mixtec unless the rats start visiting while I'm chowing down on the tres tacos especial.
The bigger question is how many of the rats carry plague-infested fleas. Thankfully for us, it doesn't seem like too many right now.
Yeah, it's pretty much hard to shock me ever since the NYC Taco Bell footage. Now THAT was disgusting.
Saw a rat run a slalom course between some patrons' legs on the patio at Fox & Hounds last week. That was kind of exciting.
News break: You're sharing your vegetables with rodents! Fox 5 has the exclusive from a farm in western Maryland. "Would you be eat a salad that a rat had chewed on? Then why would you eat spinach picked from a field that was OUTSIDE. These exclusive videos provide proof that rabbits, mice, and even deer get to your veggies far before you do." Cue grainy footage.
I.E. is an example of why people keep voting Republican.
A few things:
1) I think the rats are kind of cute, though this has come with living hear 6.5 years. I remember first seeing them and flipping out.
2) We live in a city. Cities have rats. Rats like food. Restaurants have food. Cities have Restaurants. Therefore, restaurants with food in cities have rats, right?
3) I remember reading an article in the post a few years ago talking about how rats weren't just an urban thing anymore and how Arlington (rats in Clarendon?!) and the other upscale neighborhoods were dealing with them, as well.
Great. The one decent Mexican place in the entire FUCKING DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA closes because of rats. Damn it to hell.
While they're at it, could Inside Edition do an expose of why whenever I go to eat brunch at Mixtec and get some huevos rancheros or whatever and a Diet Coke, my bill with tax and tip always comes out to like $16?? Yet further proof that DC is in fact more expensive than NYC.
It's time to bring in the snakes to get rid of the rats...
Course then we'll need the mongooses to get rid of the snakes, boars to get rid of the mongooses, and finally bears to get rid of the boars.
I'd be happy to then keep the city full of bears.
A few years ago, I was eating at the old Cafe Asia on 19th St when people in the upstairs dining room started raising their legs and looking at the floor in sequence from one end to the other. A rat had run across the floor all the way from the kitchen entrance to the front of the dining room. It kind of looked like they were doing the wave.
So is Inside Edition culling ideas from local filmmakers now? Will their next report be about people going to see Judas Priest concerts?
I guess you missed "Rat Genius" from National Geographic? The dumpster scenes were filmed in Adams Morgan.
>The one decent Mexican place in the entire FUCKING DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Hey, Alamo Grill and Cactus Cantina are great!
You're kidding, right, hottamale?
Please tell me you're kidding.
Please?
I beg you.
I know, Jason, Mixtec AND Baja Fresh! Pleaseopleaseoplease let Lauriol Plaza be safe. I can't live without their yummy fried chicken finger mole. By the way, that's mo-lay, not the rodent! I don't know where all these alleged Salvadorans live, but they sure are missing out!
I eat at that Baja Fresh all the time. Damn. Any suggestions for places a non-cooking guy can eat that are conveniently near the Dupont Metro station and also relatively vermin-free?
News and Information
1792 Columbia Rd
Washington, DC 20009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2007
Mixtec Mexican restaurant is currently working with city health officials to promptly fix city health infractions cited last week.
“I have pest control that comes to check the restaurant every Monday, since 1986,” said owner, Pepe Montesinos, who first opened Mixtec as a Mexican grocery store more than 20 years ago.
“They were just here on March 27 and said that they found mice droppings. So they were going to change the treatment to deal with the mice.”
Montesinos noted that last June Western Pest Control noticed mice droppings in the restaurant. Pesticide treatments were increased to keep the mice away. Western will be back in on Wednesday and Friday to treat Mixtec.
The restaurant has taken advantage of its closing and started renovations on Mixtec that Montesinos had planned to start already. The cold front that hit the city two weeks ago put his plans on hold since he was depending on the good weather to facilitate the renovation process.
“We are redoing the kitchen floors, covering all holes with cement and laying down new tile,” said Montesinos. “We also ripped up the bar that was by the dishwasher. We have no phone or telephone line right now since that’s where the phone was connected.”
Luis Montesinos, manager of Mixtec and son of Montesinos, said the restaurant prides itself on quality and that patrons can see the kitchen from the dining room.
“Our kitchen is open,” Luis Montesinos said. “Anyone can look back here and see how their food is being prepared. I take pride in that. We aren’t here all hours of the night to see what happens once we close.”
Mixtec has plans to reopen within the week, after the kitchen floor is finished and city officials give the restaurant another once over.
“We’re not trying to hide anything from the customers,” says the younger Montesinos. “We noticed a problem and thought we had taken care of the situation. We are tearing apart our kitchen to terminate any future problems, and to get to the core of the building to make certain this doesn’t happen again. We want our loyal customers, to enjoy a margarita, back in here as soon as possible. The neighborhood has been very supportive and it means a lot to us.”
Mixtec has long been a staple in the Adams Morgan community. Voted AOL City Guide’s “Best Mexican” in Washington D.C., it is filled with young professionals and locals every weekend, sipping margaritas and enjoying simple, basic, Mexican dishes.
-- END --
I really like Mixtec - both the food (which is the only authentic Mexican I've found in DC since I moved here) and the staff, who are probably the nicest employees I've met anywhere in town.
I hope this was an isolated incident. I've often seen the waitstaff and the cooks eating their own food, so I don't think there was an intentional effort to cover up unsanitary conditions. Still, this is somewhat of an eye-opener. Sigh.
First of all, DC is a village - not a city. So quit the urban elitism. Rodents - whether they are found in the 'burbs or in the District - are unacceptable in restaurants. Furthermore, not all restaurants have them. Mixtec, Baja Fresh, and Popeye's won't be getting any business from me in the future.
so sad. i hate rats. the only thing worse is a possum. i never thought i'd long for the burbs, but just found a big fast nasty rat and its nest living in the engine of my car in columbia heights. hello, clarendon.
My daughter went to a Nick Lachey concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston and was appalled as a rat ran on her foot and into a hole near her chair during the concert. She as well as others around her spent the rest of the concert watching by standing on the chair. She could not enjoy the rest of the concert because she was petrified that she would get bitten by a rat. It was very upsetting.