El Mirador

6702 Canal St, Houston, TX 77011
Mexican / Latin
Last inspected: Nov 30, 2025
64
Score
Medium Risk

El Mirador has been inspected four times since 2024. On Nov 30, 2025, the health department conducted the most recent visit. Medium risk typically reflects a handful of issues that inspectors wrote up but didn't deem critical.

Recent visits have flagged more than earlier ones: around nine violations per visit lately, up from roughly five violations before.

Compared to other Houston restaurants (averaging 88), there's room to close the gap. The inspection history reads as standard for a restaurant of this size.

4
Inspections
0
Critical latest
0
Major latest
9
Minor latest
Inspection History
Nov 30, 2025
Routine Inspection (001)
9 minor violations. 3 corrected on site.
View 9 violations
Cross contamination. except when combined as ingredients, raw animal foods such as fish, beef, lamb, pork, and poultry not separated from each other during storage, preparation, holding, and display by: using separate equipment for each type of food; preparing each type of food at different times or in separate areas; and arranging each type of food in equipment so that cross contamination of one type with another is prevented. (corrected on site)
20-21.02(b)(02)
Refrigerated storage. date marking of ready to eat foods. time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) and ready to eat food stored at 41°f (5°c) for more than seven days. (corrected on site)
20-21.03(b)(10)b
Thawing time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food. reduced oxygen packaged fish that bears a label indicating that it is to be kept frozen until time of use not removed from the reduced oxygen environment prior to thawing under refrigeration as specified in item (01) of this subsection, or prior to, or immediately upon completion of thawing using procedures specified in item (02) of this subsection. (corrected on site)
20-21.04(j)
Dispensing utensils. no suitable dispensing utensils provided for employees / consumers during pauses in food preparation / dispensing.
20-21.05(f)
Design and fabrication; general. all equipment and utensils, including plasticware, not designed / not fabricated for durability under conditions of normal use / not resistant to denting, buckling, pitting, chipping, and crazing. cast iron may be used as a food-contact surface only if the surface is heated, such as in grills, griddle tops and skillets.
20-21.10(b)(01)
Materials; general. multi-use equipment and utensils not designed, constructed and repaired with safe materials, including finishing materials / not corrosion-resistant and nonabsorbent / not smooth, easily cleanable and durable under conditions of normal use.
20-21.10(a)
Wiping cloths. moist cloths used for wiping food spills on kitchenware and food-contact surfaces of equipment not clean / not rinsed frequently in one of the sanitizing solutions permitted in section 20-21.12(e)(02) through (06) of this code / used for no other purpose. these cloths shall be stored in the sanitizing solution between uses.
20-21.11(c)(02)
Removing dead or trapped birds / insects / rodents / other pests. dead or trapped birds / insects / rodents / other pests not removed from control devices and the premises at a frequency that prevents the accumulation or attraction of pests and minimizes exposure to decomposing remains.
20-21.21(d)
Controlling pests, generally. effective measures intended to eliminate the presence of rodents, flies, cockroaches, and other insects on the premises not utilized.
20-21.21(a)
64
Apr 24, 2025
Routine
No violations found.
100
Apr 23, 2025
Routine Inspection (001)
10 minor violations. 4 corrected on site.
View 10 violations
General. using shipping containers / milk / produce crates as storage racks / support shelves.
20-21.03(a)(02)c
Refrigerated storage. cold storage of foods. time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food not maintained at 41°f (5°c) in cold storage. (corrected on site)
20-21.03(b)(09)
Materials; general. all equipment and utensils not maintained in good repair. (corrected on site)
20-21.10(a)
Cleaning frequency. dry cleaning. surfaces of utensils and equipment contacting food that is not time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food not cleaned in equipment such as ice bins, beverage dispensing nozzles, enclosed components of equipment such as ice makers, cooking oil storage tanks and distribution lines, beverage and syrup dispensing lines or tubes, coffee bean grinders, and water vending equipment at a frequency specified by the manufacturer; or absent manufacturer specifications, at a frequency necessary to preclude accumulation of soil or mold. this subsection does not apply when dry cleaning methods are used as specified in subitems a and b of this item.
20-21.11(a)(08)c[04]
Wiping cloths. moist cloths used for cleaning nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment such as counters, dining table tops and shelves not clean / not rinsed frequently in one of the sanitizing solutions permitted in section 20-21.12(e)(02) through (06) of this code / used for no other purpose. these cloths shall be stored in the sanitizing solution between uses. (corrected on site)
20-21.11(c)(03)
Cleaning frequency. nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment not cleaned as often as is necessary to keep the equipment free of accumulation of dust, dirt, food particles, and other debris.
20-21.11(a)(07)
Hand-washing sink supplies. supply of hand-cleansing liquid / powder / bar soap not available at each hand-washing sink or group of two adjacent hand-washing sinks. (corrected on site)
20-21.19(c)
Containers. in containers designed with drains, drain plugs not in place at all times, except during cleaning.
20-21.20(a)(03)
Maintenance. walls / ceilings, including doors, windows, skylights, and similar closures, not maintained in good repair.
20-21.23(a)
Food establishment failed to maintain on premises a certificate of completion of the food handler course for each food employee.
20-53(g)
61
Aug 7, 2024
Routine Inspection (001)
6 minor violations. 2 corrected on site.
View 6 violations
8-304.11(k) the permit holder shall notify customers that a copy of the most recent establishment inspection report is available upon request by posting a sign or placard in a location in the food establishment that is conspicuous to customers or by another method acceptable to the regulatory authority.
20-20(c)
Cross contamination. except as specified in subitem c of this item, food not protected from cross contamination by separating raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding and display from: raw ready to eat foods including other raw animal food such as fish for sushi or molluscan shellfish or other raw ready to eat food such as vegetables; cooked ready to eat foods. frozen, commercially processed and packaged raw animal food may be stored or displayed with or above frozen, commercially processed and packaged, ready to eat food. (corrected on site)
20-21.02(b)(01)
Temperature measuring device, food. food temperature measuring devices accurate to ±02°f in the intended range of use not provided / not used to assure attainment and maintenance of proper internal cooking, holding, or refrigeration temperatures of all time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food if the thermometers are scaled only in fahrenheit. if the thermometers are scaled in celsius or dually scaled, they shall be accurate to ±01°c in the intended range of use. a temperature measuring device with a suitable small-diameter probe that is designed to measure the temperature of thin masses not provided / not readily accessible to accurately measure the temperature in thin foods, such as meat patties and fish fillets. (corrected on site)
20-21.04(i)
Cooking time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) foods. consumer advisory (disclosure). when animal food such as beef / eggs / fish / lamb / milk / pork / poultry / shellfish are served or sold raw / undercooked / without otherwise being processed to eliminate pathogens either in ready to eat form or as an ingredient in another ready to eat food (except as specified in items (03) and (08) of this subsection) not including a description of the animal-derived foods, such as \"oysters on the half shell (raw oysters)\", \"raw-egg caesar salad\", and \"hamburgers (can be cooked to order) / identification of the animal-derived foods in a menu or other listing by asterisking them to a footnote that states that the items are served raw or undercooked or contain (or may contain) raw or undercooked ingredients.
20-21.04(c)(06)
Sinks. food establishment not provided with a three-compartment sink in addition to the hand-washing sinks required under section 20-21.19 of this code except that a mobile food unit may have a two-compartment sink and except that no utensil-washing sink shall be required in a packaged-food-only food establishment.
20-21.11(b)
Sanitation poster not conspicuously posted in area accessible to all employees / not conforming to all requirements.
20-26(c)
74

Frequently Asked Questions

When was El Mirador last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at El Mirador on file is from Nov 30, 2025. The public record contains four inspections in total.

How does El Mirador compare to other restaurants in Houston?

El Mirador most recently scored 64 out of 100, which is lower than the Houston average of 88.

Has El Mirador's inspection record improved over time?

No. Recent inspections at El Mirador have averaged around nine violations per visit, up from roughly five earlier in the record.

What does a medium risk rating mean?

A medium risk rating at El Mirador means the most recent inspection turned up a handful of issues that the health department wrote up but did not classify as critical.