Cafe Brussels

1718 Houston Ave, Houston, TX 77007
Café / Breakfast
Last inspected: Sep 17, 2025
82
Score
Low Risk

Inspectors have visited Cafe Brussels four times, with records going back to 2024. The most recent visit was on Sep 17, 2025. Low risk means the most recent visit produced few or no significant findings.

The picture has gotten worse over the last few visits, with the average climbing from around two violations to closer to four violations.

The city-wide average sits at 88, which Cafe Brussels' 82 doesn't quite reach. The full record sits in fairly typical territory for a working restaurant.

4
Inspections
0
Critical latest
0
Major latest
4
Minor latest
Inspection History
Sep 17, 2025
Routine Inspection (001)
4 minor violations.
View 4 violations
Materials; general. single-service and single-use articles. single-service articles / single-use articles reused.
20-21.10(a)(05)
Cleaning frequency. food-contact surfaces of grills, griddles, and similar cooking devices and the cavities and door seals of microwave ovens not cleaned at least once a day; except that this shall not apply to hot oil cooking and hot oil filtering equipment if it is cleaned as specified in subsection (f) of this section. the food-contact surfaces of all cooking equipment shall be kept free of crusted grease deposits and other accumulated soil.
20-21.11(a)(06)
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)
Maintenance. walls / ceilings, including doors, windows, skylights, and similar closures, not maintained in good repair.
20-21.23(a)
82
Feb 6, 2025
Routine Inspection (001)
4 minor violations. 1 corrected on site.
View 4 violations
Design and fabrication; general. food-contact surfaces not easily cleanable / smooth / not free of breaks / open seams / cracks / chips / pits / similar imperfections / not free of difficult-to-clean internal corners and crevices / not finished to have smooth welds and joints.
20-21.10(b)(01)
Cleaning frequency. equipment, food-contact surfaces, and utensils not clean to sight and touch.
20-21.11(a)(13)
Cleaning frequency. kitchenware and food-contact surfaces of equipment not washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any interruption of operations during which time contamination may have occurred. (corrected on site)
20-21.11(a)(02)
Special ventilation. filters not cleaned at sufficient frequency to prevent accumulation.
20-21.25(b)(03)
82
Apr 4, 2024
Routine
No violations found.
100
Apr 3, 2024
Complaint (003)
14 minor violations. 5 corrected on site.
View 14 violations
Storage. glasses and cups not stored inverted / other stored utensils not covered or inverted, wherever practical.
20-21.14(b)(03)
Applicability of article; compliance; penalty for violation; variances, etc. operating a food service / processing establishment not conforming to requirements of article ii.
20-19(b)
Special requirements. shellstock tags. shellstock tags not attached to the container in which the shellstock are received until the container is empty except as specified under item (03)c[02] of this subsection. (corrected on site)
20-21.01(b)(03)a
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. refrigerated / ready to eat time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food/portion of time/temperature controlled for safety (tcs) food combined with additional ingredients / portions of food not retaining date marking of the earliest prepared / first-prepared ingredient. (corrected on site)
20-21.03(b)(10)b
General. bulk food removed from original container not stored in a container identifying the food by common name.
20-21.03(a)(06)
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. (corrected on site)
20-21.04(c)(06)
Dispensing utensils. no suitable dispensing utensils provided for employees / consumers during pauses in food preparation / dispensing.
20-21.05(f)
General. contamination event. food establishment without written procedures for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events. (corrected on site)
20-21.07(a)(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)
Storage. utensils and equipment not air-dried before being stored / not stored in a self-draining position. utensils and equipment may not be cloth-dried except that utensils that have been air-dried may be polished with cloths that are maintained clean and dry.
20-21.14(b)(02)
Hand-washing sink maintenance. hand-washing sink / soap dispenser / hand-drying device/ related fixtures not kept clean / not in good repair.
20-21.19(d)
Openings. outside openings not protected against the entrance of insects by filling or closing holes and other gaps along floors / walls / ceilings / tight-fitting, self-closing doors, kept closed / closed windows / screening / properly designed and installed air curtains to control flying insects / other means.
20-21.21(b)
Each interceptor or holding tank shall be fully evacuated at least once every 90 days.
47-512(b)
50

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Cafe Brussels last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at Cafe Brussels on file is from Sep 17, 2025. The public record contains four inspections in total.

How does Cafe Brussels compare to other restaurants in Houston?

Cafe Brussels most recently scored 82 out of 100, which is lower than the Houston average of 88.

Has Cafe Brussels' inspection record improved over time?

No. Recent inspections at Cafe Brussels have averaged around four violations per visit, up from roughly two earlier in the record.

What does a low risk rating mean?

A low risk rating at Cafe Brussels means inspectors found minimal or no significant issues at the most recent visit. Most facilities at this tier have a clean recent inspection report.