As a kid growing up with Buffalo-based TV and Commander Tom, the only thing I knew about Cheektowaga was that there was usually a 2-alarm fire.

The LongHorn Steakhouse in Cheektowaga, NY, which closed Wednesday after some employees and customers became ill, reopened Thursday evening under the scrutiny of the Erie County Department of Health.

According to Dr. Gale R. Burstein, county health commissioner, “We didn’t find anything that caused us to be suspicious or to believe the illness was a result of unsafe food-handling practices.” Inspectors said no major food violations were found during their inspection and that employees were wearing gloves and practicing good hand washing.

While the source of the illnesses has not precisely been pinned down, Burstein said the highly contagious norovirus seems most likely. Symptoms, including stomach and intestinal inflammation resulting in vomiting and diarrhea, usually develop within 12 to 48 hours of ingesting tainted food. In extreme cases, death can occur.

The LongHorn, located at 2015 Walden Avenue, is part of the Darden Restaurants company that also owns the Olive Garden and five other brands. A Darden spokesman said the Cheektowaga venue underwent two sanitizing sessions after the closing. “The health and safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, which is why we took the additional step of voluntarily closing our restaurant,” the restaurant said in a statement.