bluemanswhites, Tulsa (8/29/2008 6:46:20 AM)

I heard a story about this place last night on the news & the "locals" were boo-hooing about it getting shut down, how good the people are that run it, been eating there for years...knowing the place has been cited numerous times for health code violations & just being nasty in general. Someone called it a local landmark..."See that place yonder? I ett there 'n got sick as a dog!" That grease heap needs to be burned & buried.

Lana, (8/29/2008 7:04:26 AM)

So how does the health department people reconcile those cases where the people never ate at the restaurant and didn't come into contact with someone who did?

dmlbcombs, Claremore (8/29/2008 8:23:29 AM)

I ate there many times, over the past several years and always regreted it later. The food never sat well with me or my husband, but we always wanted to give them another try. The restaurant was pretty clean, except, like someone mentioned in another article, the bathrooms are in a hallway right next to the buffet and people eating, and the kitchen. If you were in line in the buffet, you would always have to move so that the people could go or leave the restrooms. They have 2 seperate buffet areas, but the one is so small and doesn't hardly have anything, so everyone walks over to the other side and it just crowds up the people. I thought it was overpriced for what it is. You can go to a very nice restaurant and get a plate full of food that will fill you up just as much as a buffet for around the same price.
Wether it was c.c. or not, i'm not going back. I just think it's awfully strange how so many, yes, i know not all, but the majority of the people sick did eat there. I know it can happen anywhere, but like i said, the food wasn't that great, i'd rather go somewhere more enjoyable.

golfwife, (8/29/2008 8:31:21 AM)

I eat at the CC on a regular basis, the last being a week ago last night. I have always found it clean and the food bar clean. I have no hesitation about returning when they reopen.

cc88, (8/29/2008 9:28:08 AM)

I too feel for the families of those who are suffering and for the young man's friends and family who passed away. I have not yet seen mention from anyone that Country Cottage and/or it's employees may not be the source for the outbreak. According to reports, this particular stand of E Coli is very contagious, it is very possible that a CUSTOMER could have had caused this outbreak. It is possible that a customer spread the bacteria by simply handling the serving utensils, plates or touching the areas around the buffet area. It is a fact that "buffet/salad bar" type lines are prime areas for spreading germs due to so many people coming in contact with utensils,plates,etc.

I have been a very pleased patron of Country Cottage for many years, and I am not going to judge them before the facts are known. I have seen many restaurants in the Tulsa area that I would not want my dog to eat in, Country Cottage has always been very clean and the food has been great.

Joseph E. Paulk, (8/29/2008 10:18:07 AM)

golfwife, that disease-infected dump will never reopen, and the owners will more than likely end up in prison.

touitsmrs, (8/29/2008 10:27:13 AM)

CUSTOMER or EMPLOYEE something WASNT CLEANED when it SHOULD HAVE BEEN and 1 person has died, 4-6 children are on dialysis for the rest of their lives.

Serenity, Tulsa (8/29/2008 10:27:37 AM)

Golfwife: Good luck to you!

my view, Sand Springs (8/29/2008 10:31:58 AM)

To be safe have the staff and owners been tested, I don't remember reading anything about it.

dmlbcombs, Claremore (8/29/2008 10:36:31 AM)

Ok-well-even IF it was brought in by a customer...the people that are sick did NOT eat there the same day!! So-by saying it could have been brought in by a customer than you are saying that C.C. doesn't clean something good enough. Because, if washing your hands after using the restroom will keep someone that is infected with it from passing it on to someone else, than they obviously aren't cleaning their restraunt...utensils or whatever!

Bullhead, Stilwell (8/29/2008 11:50:34 AM)

". coli identified as uncommon strain more common in South America and parts of Europe"

Maybe it was a tourist who left the strain of e-coli on the buffet or on a chair...

Anyway, I feel so bad for the CC owners and families who have been affected by all of this. Even if they are cleared of this, the CC will most likely not be opened again. And if they do reopen, they probably won't have patrons like they have had. Very sad indeed.

Rex Brinley junior, (8/29/2008 11:55:18 AM)

I had suggested no rush to judgement and many people have mentioned the food. The latest release coming from the health department and DEQ is that it was the water from a contaminated well. The well has checked positive for the same strain of E-Coli as is found in the victims. This is something you usually don't get in our country but will be guaranteed to get it in every country south of our border. In my trip to Brazil we stayed in the Hilton Sao Paulo we were told we could drink the water and eat the ice. They told us not to drink anything except bottled drinks in the city and never use ice. If it does turn out to be the water they can fix the problem with a good reverse ozmosis system and a UV sanitizer. But most likely they will fix the broken city water line and hook it back up. The city water tested out to be fine.

okie ridgerunner, small town (8/29/2008 12:36:22 PM)

For several years when i was young, i delivered to every resturant kitchen in tulsa. and i even worked in a few. and i can say one thing, you can not tell a thing about the kitchen by the way the front and eating area looks. the front may be big ,clean and pretty looking. the kitchen may be small and dirty. and there was some small filthy kitchens. -- and tulsa had the best health department and health inspection in the usa. so even at that if you are going to take a chance of eating out tulsa is still your best bet. but we are takening a chance every time any where.

okie ridgerunner, small town (8/29/2008 1:04:56 PM)

I feel for theses people. i have been in there shoes. but mine came from a deli in kansas.

touitsmrs, (8/29/2008 1:13:05 PM)

News on 6 is saying that the "well water" at the Country Cottage was contaminated. Why on earth with all the flooding we have had would a eating place use well water to serve the public!?

cat55, tulsa (8/29/2008 2:22:00 PM)

If it was the well water then I bet they were not using it as drinking water for customers. Most likely they were using it as a water supply for the bathroom and kitchen. Does anyone know if any of the employees got sick?

maw089, Tulsa (8/29/2008 3:38:36 PM)

right on, it's interesting to me how you chastise the state of Oklahoma's other departments, judicial system. etc... But, want to wait on the "state" to tell you where the E-coli outbreak came from before pointing blame at Country Cottage. I have for the record, never eaten at CC and am not pointing fingers. What I was wondering is what caused your change of heart by wanting to wait for the "state" to make a decision? In many of your posts here at the TW comments you are quick to be judge, jury, and yes, executioner. What gives?

bora504, (8/29/2008 3:48:26 PM)

I am originally from Locust Grove and this restaurant is actually a major landmark. Also, I had worked there for about 3 years when I was in high school. This place had so many issues even back then. Basically a mentality of "anything to save a buck" even if it means putting food in harms way.
The owners are fairly decent people but should have known that sooner or later something like this could happen when they use the most minimum cleaning requirments and lowest temp settings just to lower some costs. Guess those small tedious costs arent the issue now?? Just major lawsuits and a family that will forever be lost by their sons death.
i hate to say it, because Locust Grove is such a great little small town, but they need to shut the place down.
The people on the news that, yes, did seem to be "boo hooing" for the restaurant, actually are good people that just have concern for people they have known for the past 30 years, most residents would never be able to say that. They are just distraught and concerned with all involved right now.
FYI... they also DID check the staff that is currently employed there.

bora504, (8/29/2008 4:00:34 PM)

Secondly, it was city water. That was later determined completely clean.
Even if you used a well and it flooded it woudlnt drain into the water full of bacteria.
this is the 21st cnetury folks, come on now.
maybe you should research before you type some of these things.

cat55, tulsa (8/29/2008 4:47:38 PM)

Bora504....better go back and read the latest news information. There is a new story on TW and also on News 6...the well water on the property was contaminated.

ifyouonlyknew, (8/29/2008 5:51:33 PM)

Ok first of all most of you guys are wrong....to some extent. There is a well at the restaurant and they did find some kind of bacteria in it. BUT, the well hasnt been used recently. The only time they use it is when the city water goes out for some reason. Its just there for a back up. But I know for a fact that it has not been used in a while. So there has to be another source for the contamination. And no all the employees havent been tested. They have been interviewed, but not tested.

Chaser23, (8/29/2008 6:32:04 PM)

I dont know how the Country Cottage will recover from this..I was released from St Francis this morning after 3 horrible days of being sick. My heart goes out to the families. I know how miserable it still is with the stomach cramps and just feeling yucky. I was told today when I was released that even though I was going home I wouldn't feel like myself for a couple of weeks.

bluemanswhites, Tulsa (8/29/2008 6:52:18 PM)

Hey RIGHTON...You're right, I've never eaten there. I HAVE been there though...yeah...walked right out before anything got on me. It's a safe bet that ANY diner ANYWHERE has a roach or a rat, but if the joint stinks it's time to go. If that place is the cleanest you've ever seen, you must be comparing it to your own house & kitchen.

ruforreal, (8/30/2008 10:21:46 AM)

For those of you that support the Country Cottage, say it was the cleanest place you ever ate have obviously never worked there. You don't even have a clue. There are soooo many violations. Haven't you noticed when you went to the bathroom there was no hot water to wash your hands with. You say poor owners, they will be financialy devastated....well what about the victims? A PERSON HAS DIED, what kind of price do you put on that. They couldn't make enough money in their life time to pay for that. What about the people hospitalized that are unable to work and support their families. The owners took short cuts every day to enhance their profits. I'm sure you would have a totally different out look if this was one of your family members. Hopefully if these owners have a conscious they won't ever open again. They know what they have done, whether it was intentional or not, they may never have imagined it would result in the death of someone, but now they will be held accountable.

J, (8/30/2008 10:55:00 AM)

Years ago I got food poisoning from the Olive Garden on 71st and Memorial. As restaurant can appear to be as sterilized a operating room, but we never know what goes on behind the scenes.

It's also possible that the restaurants kitchen could be very clean, but the got a tainted product from a vendor and never knew it.