Unsafe temperatures & dirty kitchens: worst restaurant inspections around Myrtle Beach, SC
Unsafe temperatures & dirty kitchens: worst restaurant inspections around Myrtle Beach, SC
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s latest round of restaurant inspections around the Grand Strand found unsafe food temperatures, grime around kitchens and raw meat contamination.
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 344 restaurant inspections conducted in Horry and Georgetown County between March 1 and March 19, SCDA gave two C grades and seven B grades. However, only four of the establishments actually scored below 88 points. Here’s what inspectors found.
3886 Highway 701 N., Conway, SC 29526
Score: 80
At a routine inspection of Panthers Express on March 3, a tube of bologna was stored in contact with raw ground beef and raw chicken, cut lettuce and tomatoes were insufficiently refrigerated, a cooler wasn’t kept cold enough and food discard times weren’t updated to ensure safe consumption.
The report also noted there was food grime stuck on a slicer, the hand sink didn’t have soap and wasn’t accessible because it was used for food, there was no certified food protection manager and the ceiling over the food prep area was in poor condition.
There were also accumulations of grease, grime, debris, dirt and black buildup on the equipment, shelves, floors and inside the prep cooler. At a follow-up inspection on March 13, Panthers Express corrected most of the violations and scored 94 points.
7718 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Score: 84
In response to a complaint, the SCDA conducted an inspection of KOI on March 19. The inspection report notes ready-to-eat foods dated to Feb. 11, frozen tuna thawed in vacuum-sealed packaging — which is a risk for botulism — and meat stored in unapproved reduced-oxygen packaging.
The inspector also observed an unapproved cooler used to store sauces, single-use items stored on the floor, employees unable to use the sushi bar’s hand sink because it was used for food prep, an employee not washing their hands between tasks and unsealed wood that can’t be adequately cleaned used for shelving. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 29.
3767 Renee Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
Score: 86
A routine inspection of Panda Chinese Restaurant in Carolina Forest found several violations, including food like egg rolls and noodles held at insufficiently cold temperatures, foods like chicken and pork stored without dates marked for safe consumption and cardboard egg crates used to collect water dripping from vegetables in colanders.
The inspection report also notes raw shrimp and chicken were improperly thawed, cardboard was used to catch grease from the fryer and there was debris on the floors, ice build-up in the freezer and splatter on the walls. A follow-up inspection is scheduled for March 29.
701 Highway 701 N., Loris, SC 29569
Score: 87
After Fuel Mart scored 89 points in a March 6 routine inspection, the SCDA conducted a follow-up inspection on March 13. The inspector observed sausage and cheese stored at insufficiently cold temperatures, ready-to-eat chicken wings and sausage biscuits held at inadequately hot temperatures and carbon build-up on a clean baking pan.
According to the inspection report, there also wasn’t a certified food protection manager at Fuel Mart. A subsequent follow-up inspection was scheduled for March 23, but isn’t yet publicly available.