Roaches in a food prep area, an employee touching their dentures before handling food and ground beef stored in a bucket on the floor were among the health violations seen by inspectors at Greenville County restaurants in August.
In all, inspectors rated 437 establishments and by far — 374 — were given an A. Another 46 earned B. Those were for routine inspections and follow-ups.
Eleven restaurants were given the worst ranking — C — during routine inspections.
Two restaurants tied for the worst score for the month — Sidewall Pizza on Cleveland Street in Greenville and Moctezuma Mexican on South Batesville Road in Greer. Both scored 73.
At Sidewall, the inspector found debris on a can opener, pizza peels heavily encrusted with grease and food debris and food held at improper temperatures. This included pizza sauce, sausage, bacon and meatballs.
Flies and fruit flies hovered in the kitchen and bar during pest control service. The area outside of the back door to the kitchen had standing water, buildup of what the inspector called “bio-substances” served as a preceding round for pests.
Cutting boards were scratched, making them impossible to clean properly. The inspector said they needed to be resurfaced or thrown away.
Ware washing equipment inside and out had not been cleaned frequently enough, creating an “accumulation of bio-film, grease and/or grime.”
Also not cleaned property were refrigerators on tops, sides, handles, gaskets and interiors, shelving throughout the kitchen over prep areas, walls and ceilings, hood filters and fan covers.
“Observed debris, accumulation of water, food debris and bio-film on floor of kitchen. Walk-in cooler floor not maintained clean,” the inspector wrote.
At Moctezuma, the inspector saw an employee “not washing hands after changing tasks and before donning new single use gloves (handling raw chicken and ready-to-eat food)” as well as an employee washing hands in a three-compartment sink. There was nothing to dry hands with.
An employee handled raw chicken, raw beef and then a tortilla with the same gloves.
Rice was stored at improper temperature and in a deep food container with a plastic cover and stacked with other food containers. Ground beef was in a 5-gallon bucket on the floor at an improper temperature.
Some ready-to-eat food was not labeled with dates including chicken, pork, beef, rice, beans and salsa.
Live roaches were seen in the cook line and back prep area under the sink and prep cooler.
Grease and dry food build up were seen in the oven and behind cooking equipment.
Armstrong Inn & Suites on Augusta Road in Greenville scored 77.
The inspector saw a cook use a cell phone and don gloves and cook without washing hands. Also, a cook cracked eggs and then grabbed ready to eat bacon to plate. Sausage patties were at an improper temperature.
The breakfast station had a number of food products at improper temperature including eggs and shredded cheese.
Bologna lacked a date marking.
The inspector saw live cockroaches under a sink.
A scoop was stored on top of an ice machine unprotected from contamination.
Wholy Smoke Family Restaurant on Butler Road in Mauldin scored 78.
The person in charge told the inspector the food was not cooked on the premises and did not know where it was cooked. This was listed as a consecutive violation.
Items were placed into the warmer two hours before and were not at proper temperature including baked beans, mac and cheese and pork butt. Same in the prep cooler for coleslaw, hot dogs, butter, and in the back room, chicken wings and beans. Turkey legs were thawing in a dirty sink.
Several boxes of single-use items were stored on the floor in a storage area.
Grease was seen on hood vents and walls, debris on shelves and dust on ceiling tiles.
Church’s Chicken #1024 on South Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville scored 78.
The inspector saw an employee sweep then handle food without washing hands and an employee touched dentures then handled food without washing hands. And an employee handled money and changed gloves to prepare food without washing hands.
There was nothing to dry hands with at the hand sink.
Heavy grease accumulation dripped onto food trays and was seen inside of cabinets. The sanitizer bucket was on top of a prep cooler.
Greenville Marriott on Parkway East in Greenville scored 82.
Food in the walk-in cooler was stored at improper temperature including diced ham, sausage, pre-made pizza and food was not labeled with dates including sliced turkey, roast beef, sausage and ham and others exceeded the seven-day limit — hummus, chicken wings, sausage.
Food boxes were stored on the floor outside the back exit door in a walk-in freezer.
Nixtamal Mexican Kitchen on Hammett Bridge Road in Greer scored 82.
The inspector found raw eggs stored above a bucket of cut lettuce and raw pork stored above cheese. An employee handled raw chicken, raw beef, onions, tomatoes and peppers with the same gloves.
Improper temperature in the walk-in cooler for raw chicken, raw pork, salsa and some ready-to-eat food such as chicken, pork, beef, corn and roasted peppers did not have time stamps. Chicken wings, watermelon, salsa, and pork exceeded the seven day limit.
Fruit flies were by the beer dispenser. Several food boxes were stored on the floor.
Mei MeiI House on Fairview Road in Simpsonville scored 84.
The inspector saw a ladle stored in the handwashing sink as well as no paper towels.
Debris had built up inside the ice machine.
No dates on egg rolls and noodles.
Multiple containers of food were stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
Debris was seen on the sides of a fryer and oil and grease on the hood ventilation system.
Thai Jing Restaurant on East North Street in Greenville scored 85.
The inspector reported chicken was not cooked through. The person in charge said it would be cooked again after someone ordered. Still a violation because there was no written procedure, the report said.
Ready-to-eat food — chicken, rice, coconut soup, Tom Yum soup, Curry soup — was not labeled with prep or discard date, food boxes on the floor of a storage area and the dish machine leaked after every wash cycle.
House of Pizza on North Woods Drive in Fountain Inn scored 85.
There was no soap to paper towels at the handwashing sink.
Pizza toppings including diced ham, shredded cheese, sausage had improper temperature and some ready to eat foods including lasagna and pasta were not labeled with dates.
A container used to store pizza pans was not easily cleanable.
The floor in front of the grill/fryer area was in disrepair and the floor throughout the facility had a build-up of debris.
China Restaurant on West Butler road in Mauldin scored 93, but was given a C because two priority items were in violation of the health code, the report said.
A bowl of precooked chicken wings was stored at room temperature for reheat cooking and food in the walk-in cooler was at improper temperature including noodles, chicken, butter, egg rolls.
Also in the walk-in cooler were two 5-gallon pots of covered cooked rice that were cooling. The inspector cautioned the person in charge to review cooling techniques.
“Current size, location, and covering of containers will not be sufficient to achieve proper results,” the report said.
Cooked chicken was placed into a container for cooling but the inspector said the container was too big to allow items to properly cool. Raw chicken was in the sink.
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