UPPER EAST SIDE — It was a feast of flies.
The health department shuttered El Paso Taqueria on East 97th Street during a Wednesday inspection because of a fly infestation, according to a spokeswoman for the agency.
"In this case, they were closed due to a fly infestation," Health Department spokeswoman Veronica Lewin said on Thursday. "The restaurant was also cited for hot and cold food holding violations and conditions conducive to a pest infestation."
In addition to flies, the Mexican eatery was slapped with a total of 48 violation points for transgressions including failing to keep food at safe temperatures, according to the department's online records.
El Paso's owner Enrique Lerma was not immediately available for comment on Friday but the manager of the eatery, who only identified himself as Abel, said the problems had been taken care of and that they planned to reopen soon.
El Paso Taqueria, which serves traditional Mexican cuisine, opened roughly seven years ago.
Its sister restaurant, El Paso Restaurante Mexicano at 1643 Lexington Ave., made it to the Michelin Guide in 2011, which is an international benchmark of the best restaurants.
