KING COUNTY, Wash. — A KIRO 7 camera was there when two inspectors from Seattle/King County Public health showed up late today to take still more samples of food at the Matador Restaurant.
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They are trying to figure out what made six people who ate here come down with a dangerous form of E. coli.
"So you're surprised by this as well?" Tom Small, Matador's culinary director, was asked.
"We're totally shocked by it, yes," he said.
Despite that, Small says, they acted quickly.
"We voluntarily closed immediately to cooperate with their investigation," said Small. "And to make sure there wasn't a product from one of our vendors or from some other source that was going to be a concern for our guests."
Health officials say at least six Matador customers who ate at the restaurant in mid-August got sick.
Three of them had to be hospitalized.
Now four new cases with the same strain of the intestinal infection have been found. Health officials say they found some inadequate cleaning of the food processor and of some produce in the restaurant.
But they still haven't narrowed down the source of the contamination.
Still, many customers were unaware the restaurant is closed.
"It's a good place, they have good food," said Rob Grundy, a longtime customer, who had come for lunch.
What, he was asked, did he think now that he knew people have gotten sick eating there?
"It can happen at any place, I think," he said. "It's probably just a one-off."
And most, like Rudy Pantoja, said they will be back.
"As soon as they open," Pantoja said, "I'm going to be first in line."
With the health department still trying to figure out what has caused so many people to get sick, it does appear the Matador will be closed for some time.
"And I can assure you we won't open again until we get the green light from the health department," said Small. "And they feel like everything is the way that it should be."
Cox Media Group
