The following is a list of restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that were inspected Oct. 9-16, accompanied by their scores and, in some cases, the health infractions that lowered those scores. Scores below 70 are considered failing.
Disclaimer: On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in its most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment. A few more recent follow-up inspections may not be included here.
Perfect scores
Here are the restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that passed with perfect scores in recent food service inspections.
Brookwood Elementary, 455 S. Old Belair Road, Evans
Nordhavn Rustik, 406 Town Park Blvd., Evans
Onsite Fusion Street Kitchen, 210 Hudson Trace, Augusta
Papa John’s Pizza, 112 N. Belair Road, Evans
Royal Tea On Reynolds, 1024 Reynolds St., Augusta
Getting warmer
Here are the restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that passed with "A" scores in recent food service inspections, followed by their scores.
The Barn @ Champions Retreat, 37 Champions Parkway, Evans, 99
Chicken Fingers Mobile Truck, 4108 Evans to Locks, Evans, 98
Dunkin Donuts, 315 South Belair Road, Martinez, 95
Waffle House, 438 Belair Road, Augusta, 95
Mi Rancho, 3626 Walton Way Ext., Augusta, 94
Domino’s Pizza, 3100 Washington Road, Augusta, 94
Smoke Show Southern BBQ mobile, 6001 Washington Road, Appling, 92
Domino's, 315 South Belair Road, Martinez, 90
Not quite there
Here are the restaurants in Richmond and Columbia counties that posted the lowest recent food service inspection scores, along with the inspectors' comments. Scores of 70 and below are considered failing. The comments are edited for length and content.
Whiskey Bar Kitchen, 1048 Broad St., Augusta, 85
- Observed employees return to kitchen from coming back outside without washing hands. Wash hands when switching tasks, especially when returning to the kitchen.
- Observed pink and black buildup inside bulk ice machine in kitchen. Observed clean cooking utensils stored stored inside container with debris. Repeat violation. Clean. Increase cleaning frequency. Ensure food contact surfaces are properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized to prevent contamination.
Tony's Express Restaurant, 4471 Columbia Road, Martinez, 82
- Observed broccoli in bottom of prep and food items in reach-in-freezer stored uncovered. Always cover food when storing.
- Observed accumulation of grease on vent hood system in need of cleaning and when in operation will drip onto food contact surfaces.
- Observed employee rinse a container and place food product in it without sanitizing. Container was discarded along with the food product, and proper washing methods were explained.
- Observed employee cell phone and air pods stored in cutting board. Clean entire vent hood system thoroughly and routinely. Ensure all dishes are properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized. Ensure personal items are not stored on prep surfaces.
- Observed items in walk-in-cooler and throughout not properly date marked. Ensure you properly date mark.
- Observed containers of soy sauce stored on floor in walk-in-cooler. Sauced was moved to walk-in-cooler. Ensure all food items are stored at least 6-inches off the ground.
- Observed handle of scoop stored in product and knife stored inside lid of prep cooler. Store utensils properly and out of products.
- Observed cleaning needed throughout kitchen to include floors, walls, and ceilings. Clean and repair floors, clean walls and ceilings.
Doc’s Porchside, 3035 Washington, Road, Augusta, 74
- Observed beef patties, potatoes, onions, and pickles stored uncovered inside the cold-holding units. Ensure all food items are stored covered. May partially cover when cooling.
- Observed black build up inside the ice bin and bulk ice machine in the main kitchen. Observed food build up inside the microwave. Clean all ice machines and microwaves. Increase cleaning frequency to limit build up.
- Observed onions (44F), tomatoes (44F), and crab (54F) cold-held above 41F. Maintain all cold-held TCS/PHS's at 41F or below.
- Observed flour and sugar not labeled and stored outside the original container in the main kitchen and at the bar. Label all food items stored outside the original container.
- Observed wet nesting of clean dishes. Allow dishes to properly air dry before stacking.
- Observed standing water throughout the main kitchen. Clean up standing water throughout service and check for leaks.
- Observed build up on the floor, walls, ceiling/ceiling vents throughout the kitchen. Clean all floors, walls, ceiling and ceiling vents. Increase cleaning frequency to limit build up.
- Observed flies and fruit flies throughout the establishment. Consult with a licensed pest control operator to get rid of flies and fruit flies.
Jennifer Miller covers food and business for The Augusta Chronicle. She can be reached at jmiller@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Restaurant inspections: Some restaurants have some cleaning to do
