The following are among the food service establishments inspected from Sept. 17-24 by the Hall County Environmental Health Department. New rules and regulations for food service began on Dec. 1, 2007. Food service establishments will now be given a letter grade that coincides with a percentile: "A" (90-100), "B" (80-89), "C" (70-79), "U" 69 and below. Inspections (frequency of) a food service establishment will be conducted based on risk categorization. The risk type shall be determined by the menu items served, the food preparation processed performed, and the previous food safety history in the food service establishment.
A new food service establishment that has never served food must score 100 (A) to receive a food service permit to operate. When a restaurant changes ownership, a new food service permit must be issued. To be issued a food service permit for a change of ownership, the establishment must score a 95 (A) or above with all Foodborne Illness Risk factors and Public Health Interventions in compliance. Permits must be posted in public view at all times. Food service establishments with drive-through windows will also be required to have the top one-third of a copy of the most current inspection report visible through each window allowing customers to easily read the score, date of inspection and establishment information, in addition to the copy posted inside the establishment. Copies of the new rules are available at the Hall County Environmental health Office. The rules and regulations are also available online at health.state.ga.us/programs/envservices/
index.asp.
To register a complaint against a food service establishment, contact the Hall County Environmental Health Department at 770-531-3973.
Huddle House Restaurant
4809 Golden Parkway, Buford
Score: 97, Grade: A
All cleaning cloths must stay in sanitizer between uses — no sanitizer buckets.
Inspector: Donna Black
Blimpie
4850 A Golden Parkway, Buford
Score: 96, Grade: A
Splash guard needs repairing at prep sink so that it goes across whole side of sink and no chips in it. Top shelf of three-door cooler with mold. Underneath three comp sink food, grease has built up. Ceiling tiles damaged in restrooms — floor tiles damaged throughout kitchen and in ladies restroom. Walls in prep areas with food debris.
Inspector: Black
Sept. 18
Big Creek Tavern
3050 Big Creek Road, Buford
Score: 97, Grade: A
Food stored on the floor in freezer. Employees behind the line without hair restraint.
Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie
China Garden
4850 Golden Parkway, Buford
Score: 81, Grade: B
Employee drink in coffee cup. Hand sink completely blocked with equipment, trash can. No date marking. Shrimp thawing in standing water. Storage on floor. Employee handling food without hair restraint. Plastic cup and scoop both in rice storage, scoop with handle down. Gaskets on all coolers with mold, mildew, food debris. Storage containers dirty on the outside. No backflow device on hose at mop sink. Vegetable prep sink sealed to wall with duct tape. Floors throughout have food, trash, etc. Floor of walk-in cooler repaired with duct tape. Hood vent system dripping grease.
Inspector: McDuffie.
Waffle House No. 1554
4770 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 84, Grade: B
Employee drinks not approved. Drink nozzles with accumulation; dishes stored with food debris. Leak in cooler resulting in 1 to 2 inches of non-potable water; lettuce stored on bottom of cooler. Wiping cloths on counters, etc. Salad bowls stored wet. Drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc., all with food debris, grease, etc., in cook area. Floors throughout establishment have food, trash, water, especially under equipment, shelving and counters. Hood vent system dripping.
Inspector: McDuffie
Sept. 21
Third Coast Grille, Inc.
5390 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Zaxby’s
4906 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Oriental Garden II
891 Dawsonville Highway, N.W., Gainesville
Score: 91, Grade: A
Rice held at 120 degrees.
Inspector: Lydia Hoffhines
China Garden
5900 Spout Springs Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 83, Grade: B
Employees must use approved method to dry hands such as disposable paper towels. Utensils being rinsed off and set on air drying drain board at veggie prep sink. Opened cans of food should be transferred to food-grade containers before storing in cooler. Seat at base of WI cooler door and floor must be repaired to prevent accumulation of food debris and standing water.
Inspector: Hoffhines
Captain D’s
410 Pearl Nix Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 92, Grade: A
Ceiling vents dripping non-potable water on single service items and lemon wedger, tomato slicer. Cloths used to wipe food contact surfaces out on counter tips — sanitizer water dirty with no sanitizer registering on test strips. Shelves, sides on equipment on cook line, shelves in coolers and freezers, light switch and nooks and crannies on equipment have grease and food residue; keep clean and free of debris. Women’s room out of toilet paper and ceiling vent dripping onto floor. Accumulation of grease on lid and in front of grease container on parking lot. Remove duct tape and repair holes and crumbling dry wall in dry storage, chemical storage. Trash around water heater. Water damaged tiles throughout kitchen. Walls have accumulation of grease and food debris. Damaged floor tiles in storage area and damaged wall and cove base beside WI cooler. Clean all floors, walls and ceiling free of food debris, grease and standing water.
Inspector: Hoffhines
Sept. 22
Pizza K
6166 Gaines Ferry Road, Flowery Branch
Score: 84, Grade: B
Hand sinks without soap and some without paper towels. Slicer, can opener, mixer bowel and other utensils with food residue. No sanitizer buckets set up and cloths laying dirty on counters and sinks. Shelving, floor mixer all need cleaning to remove food residue. Floors with grease, food accumulation underneath fryer at floor/wall juncture and underneath other equipment. Floor tiles peeling up in back area — water pooled on floor in back and restroom. Very large gap at threshold at back door.
Inspector: Black
Sept. 24
La Reyna
425 Atlanta Highway, Suite 8, Gainesville
Score: 74, Grade: C
Slicer, can opener and other utensils with food debris. Mold on baffle of ice machine. Various foods on hot bar with temps 106-121 F. No dates on foods. Chemicals stored on shelves with foods and single service items. Eggs stored in floor in walk-in cooler. Cloths not in sanitizer and water dirty and no sanitizer level detected in bucket in kitchen. Box of single service cups stored on floor in water which soaked through box. Walls and floors with debris and need cleaning. Roof hand leak in dry storage and damaged ceiling tiles.
Inspector: Black
Jennifer Messer