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DHEC slaps Myrtle Beach-area restaurants with ‘C’ grades during health inspections

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Two Myrtle Beach area restaurants lost points during routine restaurant inspections in the last week, causing the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to slap the establishments with “C” grades.

Kings Sushi in Surfside and Brazilian Steakhouse & Bakery in the Myrtle Beach area scored low marks after an inspector assessed the restaurants.

DHEC grades restaurants 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.

Kings Sushi, at 112 Highway 17 N. in Surfside, scored a 58 percent in a Sept. 25 routine inspection after an inspector witnessed employees not washing their hands, eating, handling food and chemicals, and using tools without washing their hands to do other tasks, the inspection report states.

Ready-to-eat food was stored uncovered inside the walk-in cooler, and the same tongs were being used to handle raw beef and raw chicken, the report states.

During the inspection, raw beef and shelled eggs were stored over uncovered potatoes and cabbage. The inspector found black build-up in the ice machine and dirty knives and containers, according to the report. The restaurant lost points for not following proper cooling time and temperatures, proper hot holding temperatures and did not have proper date markings on food.

The report states chemical bottles were stored in an area where it could contaminate food and equipment. Shelves at the restaurant had grease and rust build-up, the inspection states.

Brazilian Steakhouse & Bakery, at 2144 Oakheart Road in Carolina Forest, received a 70 percent score in a routine inspection Tuesday. Employees were using bare hands while cutting food for the buffet during the inspection. An inspector also found cases of food stored on the walk-in freezer floor. The restaurant was not following proper cooling time and temperatures, or proper cold-holding temperatures, the report states.

This story was originally published October 3, 2019 at 9:36 AM.

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Hannah Strong
The Sun News
The Sun News Reporter Hannah Strong is passionate about making the world better through what she reports and writes. Strong, who is a Pawleys Island native, is quick to jump on breaking news, profiles stories about people in the community and obituaries. Strong has won four S.C. Press Association first-place awards, including one for enterprise reporting after riding along with police during a homicide. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Winthrop University.
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