If this was a postcard or a “thank you” letter expressing my deepest commendation it would sound something like this.
Dear Health Score ATL,
Thank you for exposing Atlanta’s well known restaurants. As an amateur, self-titled/self-given food critic and restaurant connoisseur I find myself going to various restaurants around the city of Atlanta off the goodwill of their signature dishes, customer service, and atmosphere. Now don’t get me wrong all of that is good and willy nilly and serves as a key element of dining in the city, but what should matter is whether or not these establishments food being prepared is safe to consume and if these restaurants are sanitary enough to even stay in business based on some certain criteria. You guys put in the work and make sure the public knows what’s bullshit and what’s not. Most importantly you guys make sure a restaurant has met that health criteria and if not you don’t hesitate and list why they didn’t pass. For that reason alone, I thank you.
The end.
Well I probably would clean it up more and maybe more than likely go on a rant about how some of these Atlanta restaurants should seriously be shut down despite their aesthetic, location, and signature dishes but the end result would be my expression of gratitude for the hard work done by Score ATL because without them I wouldn’t know what goes on behind the registers of some of these restaurants like the well renowned Caribbean restaurant Mangos for example. I have eaten at the very “island life” colorful outlet multiple times last year and each time I have been beyond satisfied with the food there often serving as a remedy to my chronic insomnia. The popular ox tails and jerk chicken are to die for there I would often tell people who were foreign to the name and establishment until I was made aware from Score ATL this week that some of food used for these popular dishes at Mangos could literally kill a man. Health Score ATL’s twitter page (@HealthScoreATL) states on October 15th, 2016 at 8:33 am (if that even matters) that Mangos was found with raw chicken stored over juice in a walk in cooler, food stored uncovered on a prep table, improper cooling temperatures at cook line, food being stored on the floor in a closet at the bar, and the list goes on with repulsive findings. All together Mangos received a 44/U as it should.
This has not only ruined my impression of Mangos now but this also hurts the business pockets if more people become aware of the below average health inspection grade given. If I would have never found out about Score ATL then I would sooner or later find myself inside Mangos with filth on my plate, filth that has been microwaved and served for a to be honest not worth high-priced sum of money. I also found out through Score ATL that Mango’s originally was given a 78 and dropped drastically to a 44 then back up to an 86 after a follow up inspection. Maybe the health inspectors caught Mangos at a bad time when chicken was being stored over juice and on the closet floor or maybe Mangos was always this grubby but it was private while the colorful aesthetic, good music, and art is used as a diversion. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, I’m afraid to even let my mind wander now but I thank Score ATL for exposing and bringing out the truth. More people should start following and keep track of their favorite restaurants around Atlanta to make sure they are safe and sanitary just to be aware because not everything may be what is seems.
At the end of the day what matters to me is a restaurants cleanliness and if what is being consumed is good for my body. After that then I can weigh in the aesthetic, location, pricing, signature dishes, atmosphere, etc. I’m disappointed in Mangos if you can’t tell. I had a special place in my heart for the food there and would always enjoy the atmosphere. Frequent trips there would be more like me feel like I private getaway to an island with rich culture. A private getaway from the city in a sense, but now I don’t think I can ever return to such an island as dramatic as that may sound. A 44 on a health inspection is a big no for me and even though they made the necessary changes I fear that they will go back down that path of nastiness at some point.
Health Score ATL, you may have scarred me for life and ruined my perception of Mangos but it was for a good cause. You saved me, my money, and my arteries and I thank you. Continue to inform the public and always continue to be strict with your health inspections. Even if you guys aren’t necessarily doing the inspections but instead just pulling the information found then by god keep pulling and keep posting! It means a lot to me to know there are people out in the world who care about sanitation as much as you guys. Mangos is just an example of one of Atlanta’s popular restaurants that got inspected by Health Score ATL and didn’t do so good, feel free to follow the social media page and find out if your favorite restaurant is what it appears. Curiosity never killed the cat I always say.
