Why Myrtle Beach-area pizza, sushi restaurants were slapped with low inspection scores
Two Myrtle Beach-area restaurants scored low during routine health inspections over the last week, according to inspection reports.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control slapped Osaka Sushi Buffet with a 74 percent score and Pizza Heaven with an 80 for not following proper health standards, reports say.
DHEC grades food retail establishments based on what it calls a “snapshot in time” of employee behavior and preparation practices. Inspections are done annually or quarterly, depending on the restaurant’s food processes and compliance history. Grades are on a 100-point scale, with letter grades A through C.
During the Jan. 31 inspection of Osaka Sushi Buffet, at 794 Oak Forest Lane in the Myrtle Beach area, an inspector witnessed an employee not using gloves while cutting vegetables for the buffet, violating the “no bare hand contact” rule, the inspection states.
The restaurant was also in violation of food separation standards and had uncooked chicken stored above uncovered cooked shrimp and other food stored uncovered in coolers on the cook line.
The inspection report states ready-to-eat foods were stored without prep or discard dates and buffet foods were also not marked with correct dates.
Pizza Heaven, at 708 N. Kings Highway in the Myrtle Beach area, lost points during an inspection for having a juice bottle stored on top of raw meat and dough stored on a shelf with dried blood, a report states.
An inspector also found ready-to-eat food without proper date markings during the Jan. 30 inspection. The restaurant also violated rules about toxic substances being properly stored by storing chemicals with food, according to a report. Raw chicken was stored on linen in a refrigerator and single-service items were stored on the floor, the report states.
To learn more about restaurants’ health history, visit https://apps.dhec.sc.gov/Environment/FoodGrades/.
