Raw fish in blood, personal items on food. Worst Greenville SC restaurant inspections in February

Raw fish in a pool of blood, dirty meat cutters and employees putting personal items on top of food were among the food safety violations Department of Agriculture inspectors found in Greenville County in February.

In all, they performed 382 inspections — 356 received an A and 22 a B.

Four restaurants were graded C during the month.

Taqueria Y Panaderia El Paso 4 on Buncombe Road in Greenville scored 74 when it was inspected on Feb. 19.

Raw fish was stored in an open food service bag in a pool of juice and blood and several bags of different types of meat, fish, pork and chicken were stored on top of each other.

Beef, potatoes, refried beans, cooked rice and sliced t did not have labels showing a discard date. There was no food thermometer.

Several containers of herbs, spices and sauces on the cook line were not labeled.

Stored on the floors were several boxes of fruit and vegetables, clean pots and pans and lids.

Molajete bowls were being used for food prep and service.

A large chest cooler had a build up of blood and ice along the bottom and sides. Meat and vegetables were stored in grocery store bags inside a reach-in cooler and a build up of food and old tin foil was on the stove top and shelf underneath.

The wall covering behind the main cook line had fallen off and there was a large gap under the front door.

There were no vent covers in restrooms and a mop was being stored in a bucket of dirty water.

The restaurant had undergone a routine inspection the day before and received a B grade with 84 points.

La Costena Taqueria on Howell Road was inspected on Feb. 4 and given a 76.

The inspector saw employees not washing their hands and changing gloves between tasks in the kitchen or leaving the kitchen area and returning.

Raw beef was on top of lettuce in the walk-in cooler.

An employee did not sanitize dishes after cleaning them in the three-compartment sink and various foods were at improper temperatures including cooked chicken and cooked beans.

Meat was stored within 6 inches of the floor and open bags of sugar and flour were on the floor as were crates of produce.

To-go containers were not inverted to prevent contamination and plastic grocery store bags were being used in direct contact with food products in the freezer.

The sink in the restroom was not properly sealed/caulked to the wall.

There was a build-up of ice in multiple freezers throughout the kitchen.

Hood vent filters and suppression systems were coated in debris as was shelving throughout the kitchen.

Debris was also on the ceiling and walls throughout the facility and ceiling tiles had water damage throughout the kitchen.

The restaurant was reinspected on Feb. 11 and was given 97 points, an A.

They were marked down for dirty hood vent filters and suppression systems.

La Joya Bar & Grill on Trade Street in Greer was inspected on Feb. 9 and given 78 points.

They were cited for not having anything to dry hands with in restrooms, and an employee handling raw chicken and raw beef and then handling tortilla bread and vegetables with the same gloves and black substance in an ice machine and on soda nozzles.

Food was stored at improper temperature including rice and cheese sauce and not property marked with dates, including rice, salsa, pico, mushrooms, mixed vegetables, hot dogs and milk.

To-go containers and cups were stored on the floor.

The tea brewer and cappuccino machine lacked backflow prevention. Employee personal items such as a cell phone and jackets were stored with food and on top of a freezer.

A second inspection took place on Feb. 11 and the restaurant was given a 97, but still rated a C due to food without time labels.

The business was reinspected on Feb. 12 and was given a 100, an A.

Bohemian Bull on Pelham Road was inspected on Feb. 18 and given 84 points, a B, but when reinspected on Feb. 26 was given 92 points and categorized a C.

During the first inspection, a food employee handling hamburger and buns did not wash their hands after changing tasks and before donning new single use gloves.

Also, dry food build up was seen around a meat slicer blade and various foods were stored at improper temperatures including feta cheese, cut tomatoes, shredded cheese and raw shrimp.

Lacking proper date markings was homemade chicken wing sauces.

There was no backflow prevention device on the ice machine, tea brewer, and soda machine.

During the second inspection, there were no test strips for showing chlorine and various foods were at improper temperature.

This story was originally published March 4, 2026 at 6:00 AM.