These Midlands restaurants had the lowest health inspection ratings in August
South Carolina’s health department found various black and brown “matter,” “liquids” and “substances” at restaurants in Richland and Lexington counties during August’s restaurant inspections.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control each month releases grades and inspection reports for food establishments across Richland and Lexington counties. Here are the restaurants that received some of the lowest ratings in August, based on The State’s review.
▪ Church’s Chicken, Broad River Road in Columbia
During a follow-up inspection Aug. 2, the Church’s Chicken location on Broad River Road scored an 84, or a C.
This comes as the restaurant was awarded an 86, or a B, last month and failed to correct many of the issues spotted by inspectors.
Inspectors noted finding food stored in boxes on the floor with “obvious indications of fluid contamination.” They also noted that the inside of the ice machine had “brown and black matter” that was touching the ice. Raw chicken was sitting in a sink, and proper methods were not being used to thaw it, investigators wrote in their report. Flies were found throughout the kitchen, dish and back door areas, and fruit flies were located around the counters near the drink station. Inspectors also found fluids from products that had frozen to the bottom of the reach in freezer and a build up of “grease, grime and food matter” on equipment throughout the kitchen.
In the past, that Church’s Chicken location received a mix of A and B’s. On a June 21 follow-up report, it got a C.
During a follow-up inspection Aug. 12, that Church’s Chicken location received an A.
▪ Quick Serve 2, Main Street in Gilbert
Health department inspectors gave the Quick Serve 2 a 78%, or a B, during a routine inspection Aug. 5.
While at the establishment, inspectors saw tomatoes floating in “soiled black liquid” in the prep cooler. They also saw a raw burger in the cooler that was unwrapped and had a “black substance” on it. The Quick Serve also was not using a date marking system, and inspectors could not tell how long the cooked food had been stored. Inspectors saw flies near the food.
During three subsequent follow-up inspections, the Quick Serve 2 was awarded one B and two C’s.
No prior inspections were available on DHEC’s website.
▪ Red Sake Japanese Restaurant, Columbiana Drive in Columbia
DHEC staff did an inspection of the Red Sake Japanese Restaurant Aug. 19, awarding it a 78% or a B.
During the inspection, DHEC staff noticed an employee wash a sink and fail to wash his or her hands before cooking. Sinks also lacked hot water, soap and paper towels for employees to properly clean their hands with. Food also was not stored at cool enough temperatures, including raw meats, according to the inspection report. The restaurant also did not have a date marking system to tell how old prepared foods are.
In a previous inspection, Red Sake Japanese Restaurant received an A. During a follow-up inspection Aug. 20, the restaurant also received an A.
This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 10:40 AM.
