Dead and living roaches. Grime. Worst Greenville SC area restaurant inspections in September

Roaches — dead and alive — grime on machines, floors and food too hot or too cold were found during Greenville County restaurant inspections in September.

Inspectors with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture inspected 354 restaurants on routine and follow up visits and 323 received A grades. They scored 28 B and six C. Two of the B grades received Cs on follow up visits.

Taqueria Restaurant Simon on North Main Street in Mauldin received 70 points during a routine inspection on Sept. 18, a C.

Among the violations found were an employee handling a tortilla with a bare hand, a large tub of cooked beans and a tub of pork fat from cooked carnitas in a cooler at an improper temperature, and queso, cooked beef, cooked pork, cooked chicken, cooked beans and cooked onions and peppers, lettuce and salsa at improper temperatures.

There were no dates on cooked rice, beans, carnitas and carnitas fat and shredded chicken. Kitchen/cleaning supplies under a three-compartment sink were not labeled. Multiple bags of rice and beans, and a bag of sugar was stored on the floor.

There was no service sink or curbed cleaning facility equipped with a floor drain for cleaning of mops or other cleaning tools. Mop water was dumped outside.

Plumbing leaked under the handwashing sink.

When an inspector returned on Sept. 22, the restaurant was graded 87, C.

The inspector found a large tub of birria consomme at improper temperature, cartons of half and half and cheese at improper temperatures. Legs of a mop sink were made of raw wood and plumbing was still leaking under a handwashing sink.

Coronitas Mexican Restaurant was inspected on Sept. 9 and received a 70, C.

Food employees were seen changing tasks without washing hands, a hand sink was used as a dump sink, employee bathroom sink and kitchen cookline did not have soap. The kitchen sink had no paper towels.

Tomato sauce was stored in an open can, a can opener blade was soiled with food debris. And various foods were at improper temperatures, including tomato sauce, guacamole, sour cream and birria.

Cooked shrimp and birria were not properly labeled. Covered and stacked metal pans of cooked beans were cooling in a walk-in cooler. Cooked shredded chicken was thawing on a shelving unit. Spices were stored in open containers under prep tables. Handles of scoops for spices, sauce in refrigerators and an ice scoop at the bar were stored in products.

Utensils and plates considered clean were soiled with food debris.

The cook line cooler had a build up of ice on the condenser unit as did the walk-in freezer condenser fan unit, which was dripping condensation.

The mechanical ware washer exterior/interior had an accumulation of bio-film, grease and/or grime. Microwave ovens, walls, shelving, floors and exhaust hood were soiled.

On reinspection, the restaurant on Sept.12 received a 77, a C.

Employees did not wash hands when changing tasks, and handled food without gloves. Several cans were severely dented and rusted. In the walk-in cooler, raw chicken, beef and fish were stored above ready-to-eat foods.

Frozen tamales were being thawed on top of a microwave. The cook line cooler had a buildup of ice on the condenser unit as did the walk-in freezer.

The restaurant received an A on Sept. 22.

La Reata on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Taylors was graded 78, a B, on Sept. 18.

The inspector found rotten zucchini in a cooler, organic matter inside a machine and various foods stored at improper temperatures including salsa, refried beans, rice,

A fly catcher device was stored above clean food containers and above a container holding fried chips and cockroaches were seen above an ice machine and inside a cabinet, where there were also dead roaches.

Food debris and grease was built up behind cooking equipment, ice machine and a storage cabinet.

On reinspection, the restaurant was graded 95, points deducted for no sanitizer for ware washing machine and organic matter in an ice machine.

On Sept. 10, Osaka Japanese Grill on Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greer was graded 75, a C.

Among the violations were no proof of parasite destruction for farm raised salmon, yellowtail, or type of tuna used for sashimi, a vegetable slicer not clean to sight and touch and an ice machine with an accumulation of a red/black bio-film substance.

Various foods were at improper temperature, including cooked shrimp, hamachi and tuna.

Chicken was stored on the floor during preparation and a food storage container was in poor condition.

A back door had tears in the screen and gaps around the edges.

A drill was used for food preparation.

A washer had an accumulation of bio-film, grease and/or grime, all shelving, walls, cooking equipment front and sides, well underneath hot holding well, toaster oven, microwave, rice warmer were heavily encrusted with grease and food debris.

Mop water was being dumped outside the back door into a stormwater drain.

Oil containers were not set on concrete. A tool box was stored in a mop sink.

The restaurant received an A on a follow-up visit on Sept. 19.

The Clock Restaurant on West Poinsett Street in Greer received 83 points, a B, on Sept. 11, a C on Sept. 17 and an A Sept. 18.

The initial inspection found an ice machine had black substance build up inside, several containers of chilis, rice, roast beef, beans in a cooler at improper temperatures and in a warmer, pork, chicken tenders, corn dogs, cheese sauce, also at improper temperatures.

Ready-to-eat food was not labeled with prep or discard date, including baked potatoes, bbq coleslaw, roast beef, pork loin, chicken, turkey, sliced roast beef, ham and vegetable soup. An employee used a foam cup to fill up ice.

The facility had broken and missing wall tiles and damaged door frames.

On re-inspection, vegetable soup in a cooler was not at proper temperature/

The right side of the front door was left wide open where the grade B sticker is posted.

No violations were seen on Sept. 18.

Tropical Burger 2 on Pelham Road in Greenville received 81 points on Sept. 24, a B, then on Sept. 30, an 85, a C.

During the first inspection, the sink in the women’s restroom did not have anything to dry hands with, a soda machine had organic matter on soda nozzles and food not labeled, including homemade sauces such chipotle sauce, bacon sauce, burger sauce, garlic sauce, sweet corn sauce, caramelized onions, corn, chicken. This was considered a consecutive violation.

A bag of onions was stored on the floor, the storage room/chest freezer/ door gasket was broken and not closing, and oil/grease was on the ground on top of a dumpster, where there was trash and broken items on the ground.

On re-inspection, the food in the table top warmer and in a walk-in cooler was at improper temperatures.

The back exit door did not automatically close and the outside back exit door and dumpster doors and top were left open.