Bugs, mold, dripping grease: Myrtle Beach area restaurants score low on inspections
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Myrtle Beach area restaurants lost points on recent health inspections for issues that include having cheese with mold, bugs on a warmer and sludge build-up in an ice machine, according to inspection reports from S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Grades are on a 100-point scale, with letter grades A through C. An “A” grade is a score higher than 87 points. The “B” grade ranges from 78 to 87 points, and means an establishment’s food safety practices need improvement, according to DHEC. Grade “C” is anything less than 78 points. The C-level grade means food safety practices need “significant improvement,” according to DHEC.
Denny’s, at 1200 U.S. Highway 17 N. in Surfside Beach, received a 78 percent score during a routine inspection Monday after an inspector says the restaurant had cheese with mold, pancakes were being made on a flat top that had a hood above it covered in grease, which was dripping on the pancakes, and the breakfast spot was not following proper cooling times, proper hot-holding and cold-holding temperature requirements and had live roaches in the facility.
The restaurant had build-up on equipment on the cook line and egg build-up on a shelf, the report states. Floors throughout the facility had pooled water and grease build-up, according to the inspection report. Denny’s scored a 60 percent during a routine inspection in August after an inspector witnessed violations including employees not washing their hands and mold and rust build-up in the ice machine.
Borgata of Surfside, at 813 Surfside Drive, had a routine inspection Monday, scoring an 80 percent due to bug larvae being inside the kitchen where a microwave sits, the ice machine having sludge build-up, not following proper cold-holding temperatures, and chemicals being stored on shelves over food, according to the report. During the inspection, food was stored on the floor in the kitchen.
Bob Evans, at 175 Brookton Circle in Myrtle Beach, scored an 81 percent during a Sept. 19 routine inspection for not following proper hot-holding and cold-holding temperature standards and not following proper cooking times and temperatures while cooking sausage links. The report states an employee handled raw eggs without washing hands after. During the inspection, the inspector observed a whole turkey cooling from the previous day.
Ocean Blue, at 3200 S. Ocean Blvd., was not following proper hot-holding and cold-holding temperature standards and had not properly marked food with dates, landing the restaurant with a 79 percent score during a Sept. 18 routine inspection. The restaurant was not following proper thawing methods for meat during the inspection and equipment on the cook line had grease and build-up, the inspection states.
Captain Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood Buffet, at 401 S. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, scored an 81 percent on a routine inspection Monday after an inspector found food not marked with a date and not labeled with its common name, shelving that had rust build-up and food was not being held at proper cold-holding temperatures. The restaurant also did not have proper hand-washing signage at a hand sink in the back prep area, the report states.
Mi Mexico, at 3600 2&3 Highway 17 S. in North Myrtle Beach, had bugs on a warmer during a routine inspection Wednesday, causing the restaurant to score an 84 percent, an inspection report states. The spot also was not using proper cold-holding and hot-holding temperatures for food.
This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 10:07 AM.
