El Maguey Back Open After Sewage Mess

One day after getting the go-ahead from the St. Louis County Health Department, the El Maguey restaurant on Manchester Road in West St. Louis County was back open for business Tuesday.

The eatery had been closed for two weeks after firefighters discovered a sewage mess in the kitchen.

Late last week, a health department spokesperson told Patch that the restaurant needed to provide independent lab tests indicating that no fecal coliform was present before the county would schedule a re-opening inspection.

Craig LeFebvre, the spokesperson, told Patch the restaurant had already been cleaned from top to bottom and also re-educated staff. He also noted that the department's primary goal is not to punish, but to ensure the safety of food being eaten. 

"At this point, it should be safe to eat there again," he said.