Bush's Chicken
5322 WALZEM RD, San Antonio, 78218
Area: Northeast Side
· Metro Health licence 559237
Weak record · rank 104 of 112
This inspection record is stale. The most recent inspection we can find is 567 days old, past our 400-day threshold. Old evidence is thin evidence, so the score below carries a 3.23-point evidence-depth discount and may not describe the business today.
Who publishes this, and what they sell. This guide is published by Viking Net, which sells technology services to restaurants — websites, apps, point-of-sale systems and card processing — including to businesses rated on this site. Every rating here is computed by a formula published in full from public records: health inspections, city 311 complaints, published awards, and the state sales-tax permit date. No business can pay to change its score, raise its rank, or have a low score removed, and none has ever been asked to. If that ever changes, this paragraph comes down first.
Latest health inspection
95/100 on Jan 16, 2025 (567 days ago)
Inspections start at 100 and lose points for each violation found. 69 or below is a failing inspection. A score describes one visit on one day — Metro Health says so itself — not the condition of the business today.
Inspection history — 7 on record
Open any inspection to see what the inspector actually found, in plain English, with the Food Code section it was cited under.
Jan 16, 2025 95 2 findings · 2 illness risk factors
Food was not held cold enough or hot enough
Between about 41°F and 135°F bacteria multiply fast. Food parked in that window for hours is the single most common cause of foodborne illness.
“HOUR TOTAL WINDOW. CORRECTED ON SITE.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 3-501.16(A)(2) — Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food, Hot and Cold Holding · inspection item 6
Food was stored where it could be contaminated
Boxes on the floor, food under a leaking line, product stored in the mop area. Anything at floor level catches splash and pests.
“REFRIGERANT LINES IN BOTH WALK IN COOLERS NEED MORE INSULATION TO NOT POSE CONTAMINATION RISK FROM DRIPPING CONDENSATE.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 3-305.11(A)(1) — Food Storage · inspection item 37
Jun 12, 2024 97 5 findings · 1 illness risk factor
Food-contact surfaces were not cleaned often enough
Slicers, prep boards and dispensing heads need cleaning on a schedule — every four hours in constant use — not just at close.
“dirt, dust, and other debris accumulation inside the ice machine. Ensure all equipment is cleaned frequently of all dirt and debris to prevent accumulation of soil or mold.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-602.11(E)(4) — Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces and Utensils · inspection item 39
An outer door, window or gap was not sealed against pests
A propped back door or a gap under a door is the single most common way roaches, flies and rodents get in.
“back exit door not be tight-fitting. Ensure door is tight-fitting to prevent any pest entry.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 6-202.15(A) — Outer Openings, Protected · inspection item 34
Equipment or utensils were not clean
Split into two standards: anything that touches food must be clean to sight and touch, and everything else must be free of built-up grease, dust and debris. This is the most cited line in the whole code.
“Ventilation hood systems, filters.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils
Non-food surfaces had built-up grease or debris
Shelving, equipment exteriors, fryer sides and floor-level equipment. Build-up feeds pests and eventually falls into food.
“Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-602.13 — Nonfood-Contact Surfaces
Ventilation hood filters were missing or wrong
Without filters, grease goes straight into the duct and comes back as drips.
“dirt, dust, and other debris accumulation on vent hoods above the stove and fryer area, surrounding fryers, on the floor near the fryers, and on racks inside the walk-in cooler. Ensure all nonfood-contact surfaces are cleaned frequently of all dirt, dust, food, and other debris accumulation.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-202.18 — Ventilation Hood Systems, Filters · inspection item 42
Dec 20, 2023 97 6 findings
A bug zapper was placed or built where it can contaminate food
Electric insect traps scatter insect fragments. They must not be sited over food or clean equipment.
“Controlling pests. Check premises.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 6-202.13 — Insect Control Devices, Design and Installation
Pests were present, or the premises were not kept free of them
Roaches, flies and rodents move directly between waste and food. A live sighting during an inspection means the population is well established.
“flies at the establishment and observe fly trap devices above some prepping food areas in the back. Ensure pest control is called frequently to eliminate all pests and ensure all insect control devices are placed away from food and food prepping areas.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 6-501.111(B) — Controlling Pests · inspection item 34
Equipment or utensils were not clean
Split into two standards: anything that touches food must be clean to sight and touch, and everything else must be free of built-up grease, dust and debris. This is the most cited line in the whole code.
“Ventilation hood systems, filters.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils
Non-food surfaces had built-up grease or debris
Shelving, equipment exteriors, fryer sides and floor-level equipment. Build-up feeds pests and eventually falls into food.
“Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-602.13 — Nonfood-Contact Surfaces
The premises were not cleaned often enough
Floors, walls, shelving, the areas under and behind equipment. This is the finding for build-up in the places nobody wants to reach.
“dirt, dust, and other debris accumualtion on floor and racks inside walk-in cooler, on walls by the dry food storage, and near the back ice machine room. Ensure establishment is cleaned frequently of all dirt, dust, food debris, and other debris.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 6-501.12 — Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions · inspection item 45
Ventilation hood filters were missing or wrong
Without filters, grease goes straight into the duct and comes back as drips.
“dirt, dust, and other debris accumulation on vent hoods above the stove and fryer area, surrounding fryers, and on the floor near the fryers. Ensure all nonfood-contact surfaces are cleaned frequently of all dirt, dust, food, and other debris accumulation.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-202.18 — Ventilation Hood Systems, Filters · inspection item 42
Aug 23, 2023 97 5 findings
Equipment or utensils were not clean
Split into two standards: anything that touches food must be clean to sight and touch, and everything else must be free of built-up grease, dust and debris. This is the most cited line in the whole code.
“fryer equipment have food debris, grease, and dirt as well as the areas surrounding it. Ensure all equipment is cleaned frequently to preclude the accumulation of soil and food residue.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils · inspection item 42
Non-food surfaces had built-up grease or debris
Shelving, equipment exteriors, fryer sides and floor-level equipment. Build-up feeds pests and eventually falls into food.
“Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-602.13 — Nonfood-Contact Surfaces
No person in charge was present or identified
Someone on every shift has to be accountable for food safety. With nobody in that role, nothing else in the code gets enforced.
“Certified food protection manager shall be present at the food establishment during all hours of operation as required in Food Code, §”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 2-101.11 — Assignment
No Certified Food Manager on duty
Texas requires a certified manager. The certificate is the baseline evidence that someone in the building has been trained.
Food Code 2-102.12 — Certified Food Protection Manager
A Texas Certified Food Manager requirement was not met
Texas rule 25 TAC §228.31 — a certified food manager must be employed, present during operating hours, and the certificate posted where it can be seen.
“no food manager present. Ensure one food manager is present during all hours of operation.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Texas rule 25 TAC §228.31 · inspection item 21
Mar 29, 2023 97 1 finding · 1 illness risk factor
Sanitizer was at the wrong strength
Too weak and it does not kill anything; too strong and it becomes a chemical hazard on the plate. Both are common and both need a test strip to catch.
“ESTABLISHMENT WILL NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE QUATERNARY AMMONIUM SANITIZER CONCENTRATION WITHIN THE SANITIZING BUCKETS IS KEPT BETWEEN 150-400 PPM; OBSERVED ABOVE 400 PPM DURING TODAY'S INSPECTION;”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 4-501.114(C) — Manual and Mechanical Warewashing Equipment, Chemical Sanitization - Temperature, pH, Conc · inspection item 10
Sep 9, 2022 100 No violations recorded
✓ Metro Health recorded no violations at this inspection.
Jan 25, 2022 98 2 findings · 1 illness risk factor
Unlabelled containers of food or ingredients
Working containers of flour, sugar, salt and seasoning that look alike get mixed up — and an unlabelled white powder next to the chemicals is a serious problem.
Food Code 3-302.12 — Food Storage Containers, Identified with Common Name of Food
The premises were not cleaned often enough
Floors, walls, shelving, the areas under and behind equipment. This is the finding for build-up in the places nobody wants to reach.
“Food storage containers, identified with common name of food. Observed bulk containers by walk-in cooler with no labels. Ensure labeling bulk containers with common name of food. 45”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health
Food Code 6-501.12 — Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions
What these numbers do and do not mean
An inspection score describes one visit on one day. It is what one inspector recorded on one date at one address — Metro Health says so itself. It is not a standing condition, not a grade for the food, and not a prediction about your lunch. A kitchen that scored 88 in March may be spotless today, and one that scored 100 may not be.
A 311 complaint is a phone call, not a finding. The city records that a member of the public called. It is not a citation, not an investigation result, and not evidence that anything was wrong. The city files it against an address, so where two food businesses share one, neither the record nor we can tell them apart. We publish the count with its denominator and let you weigh it.
Awards are reported, not endorsed. Every recognition on this site carries its publisher, its year and a link to the page we read it on. We did not judge those contests and we do not vouch for them; where a publisher named a business rather than an address, the page says so.
Absence of data is never rendered as a finding. No inspection on record means no Bird Score — never a zero, never quietly ranked last. No award found means we searched 172 recognitions from 13 publishers and found none, which is a statement about press coverage and not about cooking.
If something here is wrong, we will fix it. Every figure links to the record it came from. Email us with the correction and we will check it against the source and correct it within 48 hours, whether or not you are a customer. How to request a correction.