Restaurant in Myrtle Beach area ‘is excessively dirty and not maintained,’ report states

One kitchen filled with grease, grime and garbage, and a second restaurant with moldy and out-of-date food is what restaurant inspectors reported in recent inspections.

Inspectors visited 195 restaurants in Horry and Georgetown counties this week to perform either routine or follow-up inspections.

Two restaurants received a “C” in recent restaurant inspections. ( Week of Feb. 27 - March 3. ) Two restaurants received a “B.”

Phone calls were placed to both restaurants before this publication. Jade Hibachi had a busy signal saying the number was temporarily unavailable. The Lobster House Seafood restaurant had an answering machine with a full mailbox.

• Jade Hibachi, 201 Graduate Road, Conway, had a routine inspection on March 2 and scored a 71 % “C” grade. Inspectors found the facility to be “excessively dirty and not maintained,” the SC Food Grade Report stated. Here are some of the violations: no paper towels at hand washing sink, tomatoes sitting on drainboard next to raw chicken, batter mixture in walk-in cooler appears very old, pan storing cooked chicken and shrimp appeared not to be cleaned and sanitized frequently, cutting boards with black build up, no temperature control for pan of raw chicken and steak, wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer bucket between uses, sink build up of grime, shelving and equipment have heavy grease and grime build-up, knobs at sink encrusted with grime build up so thick they need to be replaced, trash stored on floor, garbage stored in box under sink was moldy, all walls and floors have thick grease and grime build-up including walk-in cooler, and stove top hood dripping with grease. A follow-up for all violations will be performed within 10 days according to the report.
• Lobster House Seafood, 5301 S. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, had a routine inspection on March 1 and scored a 75% “C” grade. Inspectors observed moldy food in the walk-in cooler, multiple shellstock tags not dated with their last date of use, ready to eat foods stored longer than 24 hours, coleslaw dated 2/18/23, the facility could not provide a probe thermometer to measure food temperatures, observed evidence of rodents - rodent droppings observed in the dish area, soda machine lines were leaking, several vent covers missing and floor and walls had damage in cooking area. A follow-up inspection will be performed within 10 days according to the report.
• New Taqueria Guanajuato, 3901 Dickpond Road, Myrtle Beach, had a routine inspection on March 2 and scored a 78% “B” grade. Inspectors found the following violations: An employee was observed eating in the kitchen, tongs stored in hand washing sink, several food containers in the walk-in cooler were being stored without lids, vacuum sealed fish thawing in original packaging (packaging states to remove fish from vacuum sealed packaging prior to refrigeration thawing), cook line was being used with no filter, accumulation of grease on the exterior of cooking equipment and on the floor by cook line. A follow-up inspection will be performed within 10 days according to the report.
• The Quarterdeck @ MB Resort, 5905 S. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, had a routine inspection on March 1 and scored a 79% “B” grade. Inspectors found the following violations: no paper towels found at hand washing sink and in men’s bathroom, a blade from a can opener was stored with clean utensils with debris on it, observed cheese sauce in original container being reheated on the grill, ready to eat foods not marked with a date and stored in cooler more than 24 hours, a chemical spray bottle was being stored next to food items in the kitchen, drink crates were being used to store food containers, kitchen door was open with no filtering in use. A follow-up inspection will be performed within 10 days according to the report.

Inspection Key

A | 100 - 88 - The retail food establishment earned more than 87 points. Food safety practices appeared to meet the requirements of Regulation 61-25.

B | 87 - 78 - The retail food establishment earned 78-87 points. Food safety practices need improvement.

C | 77 & Below - The retail establishment earned less than 78 points. Food safety practices need significant improvement.

R | Indicates a Routine Inspection - Unannounced and conducted on a frequency determined by the facility’s Risk Category on a frequency of one to four times a year.

F | Indicates a Follow-Up Inspection - Conducted within 10 days of a Routine Inspection that requires follow-up verification.