12 Oct How 29 Nueces County Grocery Stores Scored on 2026 Health Inspections

Fifteen of 29 Nueces County grocery stores earned perfect scores on their latest health inspections of 2026. The other 14 were cited for violations, according to Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District inspection records.

No store scored below 93.

Anyone can search these records on the district’s website, and that openness is what lets residents hold the places that sell their food accountable. Most shoppers never look. This story puts the results side by side so they don’t have to.

The review covers every H-E-B, Walmart and Sam’s Club with an inspection this year, plus a selection of smaller grocery stores and markets. Two large-store locations are not included because their most recent inspections were in 2025: the H-E-Bs at 3133 S. Alameda St. and 5313 Saratoga Blvd.

How Scoring Works

The district grades on demerits. Inspectors check for 56 possible violations, each worth one to three points, and a store with none scores 100.

The more serious the violation, the less time a store has to fix it. Three-point violations, such as food held at unsafe temperatures, food from an unapproved source or a sick employee working, must be corrected within three days. Two-point violations get 10 days. One-point violations can wait until the next inspection or 90 days, whichever comes first.

Where Inspectors Found Problems

• Peña’s Grocery & Deli (5585 E. Highway 44 in Banquete): Scored 93 on Sept. 17. Cooked brisket was stored uncovered on the floor of the walk-in cooler. Food was not dated or labeled, and the ice maker had black buildup.
• Prime Meat Market & Groceries (7629 S. Staples St.): Scored 94 on Oct. 7. Employees were not using utensils correctly, some surfaces were dirty, and toxic chemicals were not stored properly.
• Jalisco Supermarket (1101 S. Port Ave.): Scored 94 on Aug. 24. Inspectors flagged food kept without dates or covers, flour caked on bakery racks, a soiled kitchen wall and utensils that weren’t clean.
• Walmart (1821 S. Padre Island Drive): Scored 96 on Sept. 24. Gnats were found on pumpkins and in produce. Inspectors also noted debris in the pet section and a hole in a wall by the produce display.
• Walmart (4109 S. Staples St.): Scored 96 on Aug. 13. Ice had built up, cans were dented and dishes were stacked before they dried.
• SwaDesi Grocers (3403 S. Padre Island Drive): Scored 97 on Sept. 10. A toxic chemical was kept close to food.
• Middle East Market & Deli (5405 Everhart Road): Scored 97 on July 9. Raw chicken sat beside food that was ready to eat.
• Walmart (1250 Flour Bluff Drive): Scored 97 on April 27. A dog was found inside the store. Inspectors also noted dusty fans in a cooler, ice piled up in the cake-area freezer and dishes stacked wet.
• V Mart (3809 Airline Road): Scored 98 on Sept. 21. Food was missing date and label markings.
• Natural Grocers (3760 S. Staples St.): Scored 98 on May 19. The store did not have a 2026 permit to operate.
• Community Grocery (319 Peoples St.): Scored 98 on April 6. The ice machine had mold.
• H-E-B (3033 S. Port Ave.): Scored 98 on April 3. A few baby items were out of date.
• Hong Kong Asian Supermarket (2033 Airline Road): Scored 99 on July 24. Food was sitting on the floor of a walk-in cooler.
• Island Market Grocery (15401 S. Padre Island Drive): Scored 99 on May 20. The door sweep needed to be replaced, and ice had formed in the meat freezer.

Perfect Scores

• Asian Market (4101 S. Padre Island Drive): June 3
• Cuba Market (2033 Airline Road): Sept. 10
• H-E-B (11100 Leopard St.): April 27
• H-E-B (3500 Leopard St.): Feb. 16
• H-E-B (4320 S. Alameda St.): Aug. 6
• H-E-B (4444 Kostoryz Road): July 16
• H-E-B (5425 S. Padre Island Drive): April 8
• H-E-B (5801 Weber Road): April 3
• H-E-B Plus (1145 Waldron Road): June 12
• Latino Market (2033 Airline Road): Sept. 9
• Sam’s Club (4833 S. Padre Island Drive): July 7
• Siempre Grocery (4117 S. Staples St.): Sept. 1
• Target (5425 S. Padre Island Drive): Sept. 30
• Walmart (3829 Highway 77): March 25
• Walmart (6101 Saratoga Blvd.): April 2

Residents can look up inspection scores on the health district’s website.