SA Hot Chicken Public record

Anchor Bar

4553 N FM 1604 W, San Antonio, 78257
Area: Far Northwest / Dominion  ·  Metro Health licence 929191

Independent
65.0Bird Score

Strong record · rank 6 of 112

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

97/100 on Dec 9, 2025 (240 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.

View the original inspection record →

Inspection history — 11 on record

Open any inspection to see what the inspector actually found, in plain English, with the Food Code section it was cited under.

Dec 9, 2025 97 3 findings · 1 illness risk factor
Handwashing & hygieneIllness risk factor

Staff were not wearing effective hair restraints

Hats and hairnets are the visible half of a hygiene program. Inspectors read a kitchen without them as a kitchen not enforcing the rest.

“kitchen employee handling food items without a hair restraint. Ensure all kitchen staff handling food items are wearing a hair restraint”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 2-402.11 — Effectiveness · inspection item 35

Cleanliness

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.

“surfaces of equipment where noted dirty with debris build up. Ensure equipment is cleaned on a schedule that will prevent build up”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils · inspection item 42

Cleanliness

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.

“floor areas along baseboards behind cooking equipment dirty with debris build up. Ensure floor areas are cleaned on a schedule that will prevent build up”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 6-501.12 — Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions · inspection item 45

Feb 24, 2025 97 3 findings
Pests

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.

“rodent droppings in storage room near soda machine syrups. Ensure floor areas are cleaned and rodent control is assessed”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 6-501.111(B) — Controlling Pests · inspection item 34

Cleanliness

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.

“fan grates inside walk in cooler dirty with debris build up. Ensure grates are cleaned on a schedule that will prevent build up”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils · inspection item 42

Cleanliness

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.

“floor areas along baseboards in walk in cooler and behind cooking equipment dirty with debris build up. Ensure floor areas are cleaned on a schedule that will prevent build up”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 6-501.12 — Cleaning, Frequency and Restrictions · inspection item 45

Aug 21, 2024 97 1 finding · 1 illness risk factor
Temperature controlIllness risk factor

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.

Food Code 3-501.16(A)(2) — Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food, Hot and Cold Holding

Mar 6, 2024 94 2 findings · 1 illness risk factor
Cross-contaminationIllness risk factor

Raw and ready-to-eat food were not kept separate

Raw chicken stored above or beside food that will not be cooked again is how salmonella gets onto the thing you eat. This is the classic one.

Food Code 3-302.11(A)(2)(b) — Packaged and Unpackaged Food - Separation, Packaging, and Segregation

Plumbing & water

A required air gap was missing

The physical air gap above a drain is what stops sewage siphoning back into an ice machine or a sink.

“Food protected cross contamination arrange each type food in equipment so cross is prevented. observed onions on the same level with raw shelled eggs. See remarks. 19”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 5-202.13 — Backflow Prevention, Air Gap

Nov 21, 2023 98 2 findings
Cleanliness

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.

Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils

Building & equipment

Equipment was broken or out of adjustment

Torn gaskets, failing seals, doors that do not close. Most cooler temperature failures start here.

“Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris. Observed dust build up on fans in the walk in refrigerator. The dust must be removed before it breaks loose and gets into the food. 39”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-501.11 — Good Repair and Proper Adjustment

Aug 4, 2023 97 4 findings
Cleanliness

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.

“Good repair and proper adjustment. Observed electrical cords with lose coverings. These must be brought back into proper repair. 42”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils

Building & equipment

Equipment was broken or out of adjustment

Torn gaskets, failing seals, doors that do not close. Most cooler temperature failures start here.

“Floors if grained to drain material criteria. Observed standing water in corners of the room. See remarks. 39”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-501.11 — Good Repair and Proper Adjustment

Management & permits

A Texas mobile unit servicing requirement was not met

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.222 — mobile units must report to an approved servicing area on a set schedule.

“Wall and Ceiling Coverings and Coatings. Ceiling tiles must be in place, smooth, easily cleanable, and non absorbent. Observed ceiling tiles missing. See remarks. 45”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.222

Other

A Food Code requirement was not met

The inspector's own note below describes what was found.

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.171

Mar 17, 2023 99 1 finding
Cleanliness

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.

Food Code 4-601.11(C) — Equipment, Food-Contact Surfaces, Nonfood-Contact Surfaces, and Utensils

Nov 4, 2022 97 1 finding
Chemical storage

A chemical container was unlabelled

An unlabelled spray bottle in a kitchen is the one that eventually gets sprayed on food or mistaken for water.

Food Code 7-102.11 — Common Name

May 25, 2022 96 2 findings · 2 illness risk factors
Temperature controlIllness risk factor

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.

“AM AND THE CONTENTS HAD WARMED UP TO THE UPPER 60s. CORRECTED ON SITE. ONE UNIT PLUGGED BACK IN AND IN OTHER ONE, FOODS WERE TRANSFERRED TO WALK IN COOLER.”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 10

Dishwashing & sanitizingIllness 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.

“ICE MAKER IN KITCHEN HAS SOME ACCUMULATION ON UPPER CEILING AREA INSIDE, AND AROUND EDGES AND HARD TO GET TO PLACES. HAVE THIS UNIT CLEANED.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Food Code 4-602.11(E)(4) — Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces and Utensils · inspection item 39

Jan 25, 2022 97 2 findings
Other

A Food Code requirement was not met

The inspector's own note below describes what was found.

“A FEW MISSING CEILING TILES. (WERE REMOVED DUE TO LEAK UPSTAIRS - WAITING ON NEW ONES TO ARRIVE)”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.171 · inspection item 45

Other

A Food Code requirement was not met

The inspector's own note below describes what was found.

“PREP COOLER CUTTING BOARDS (HAVE BEEN ORDERED).”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.223 · inspection item 2

Sep 22, 2021 99 1 finding
Other

A Food Code requirement was not met

The inspector's own note below describes what was found.

“SLIME LIKE SUBSTANCE IN BOTH ICE MAKERS ON CEILING AREA AROUND CHUTE. HAVE THIS CLEANED AND SANITIZED AND INSPECT MORE FREQUENTLY. ALSO, HAND CONTACT AREAS OF DOORS NEED CLEANING.”Inspector’s note · SA Metro Health

Texas rule 25 TAC §228.114 · inspection item 39

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.