Roaches, spiders, moldy cheese & more: Myrtle Beach area’s worst restaurant inspections
The latest round of restaurant inspections by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture found live roaches and spiders, molding cheese, black build-up in an ice machine and more.
In general, SCDA gives restaurants scoring between 88 and 100 points A grades, restaurants scoring 78-87 points B grades and restaurants scoring 77 points or fewer C grades. However, the department sometimes lowers grades for restaurants that have consecutive violations, are under enforcement action or are under pending enforcement actions, including imminent health hazards, permit suspensions or permit revocations.
Of the 231 restaurant inspections conducted in Horry and Georgetown County between Nov. 22 and Dec. 16, SCDA gave eight restaurants B grades and two restaurants C grades. However, only four restaurants actually scored below 88 points. Here’s what inspectors found.
4245 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Score: 80
At a Nov. 22 follow-up inspection of La Olanchana on Socastee Boulevard there were live roaches and spiders throughout the facility, dirty food equipment stored as clean and improperly thawed beef. The inspector also observed cooked chicken held at temperatures that were too cool, eggs stored at temperatures that were too warm and cups without handles used to scoop food.
There were also cobwebs throughout the kitchen, holes in kitchen walls and dirty shelves and window sill areas in the kitchen. At a subsequent follow-up inspection conducted on Dec. 12, La Olanchana scored 95 points and an A grade.
2913 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Score: 82
A routine inspection of the Crown Reef Conference Center on Dec. 12 found several violations, including a dirty slicer with dried food build-up stored as clean, liquid egg stored at an insufficiently cool temperature, improper chemical storage and standing water in the kitchen.
The inspector also noted dirty cookline equipment, dust accumulation on a rack over the central prep table and brown splash accumulation on kitchen walls. A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Dec. 22.
1390 Farrow Pkwy, # 2-3, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Score: 82
A Nov. 26 routine inspection of Mura in Myrtle Beach observed several violations, including loosely-covered raw chicken stored over ready-to-eat foods, kimchi stored at temperatures that weren’t cool enough, and ready-to-eat foods like tuna and cooked egg stored without date markings that an employee said were several days old.
The report also notes that a sink didn’t have readily available soap or paper towels, a box of single-use containers were stored on the floor, mops weren’t hung to dry after use and the inspector said the facility was “overly cluttered with excessive supplies.”
In follow-up inspections on Dec. 6 and 13, Mura scored 91 points and then 99 points, consecutively.
2913 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Score: 84
At a routine inspection of Loco Gecko in the Crown Reef Resort and Waterpark on Dec. 12, an inspector observed molding cheese, dirty cutting boards and ice cream scoops, black build-up in the ice machine and ready-to-eat foods like coleslaw and cooked onions stored without dates marked for safe consumption.
In the kitchen, there was dirty cookline equipment, damaged walls, brown splash accumulation on kitchen walls and black build-up on kitchen floors. The inspector’s comments also notes an “un-permitted kitchen area” of which SCDA was unaware. A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Dec. 22.