The following are among the food service establishments inspected from July 15-21 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.
July 15
Days Inn
520 Queen City Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 88, Grade: B
Flame out on hot holding cambryo — sausage gravy at 125 degrees. Food debris in bottom of coolers, freezers, and on shelves. Hand sink with no hot water.
Inspector: Donna Black
July 16
Locos Deli
601 S. Enota Drive, Gainesville
Score: 95, Grade: A
Pasta and chicken salad placed in walk-in cooler in containers over 4. Makeline coolers would appear to struggle to keep below 41 F during a rush. Some equipment, counters and stored items need additional cleaning to remove food debris and residue. Accumulation of grease beneath equipment and on floor. Light cover in kitchen cracked and should be replaced as soon as possible.
Inspector: Shelby Finch
Hong Kong King Buffet
635 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 73, Grade: C
Repeat violation: Bottle of juice and cups in kitchen on prep areas. No soap at back hand sink. Raw items (fish, pork, eggs, etc.) stored on top and directly on ready-to-eat foods. Food uncovered. Foods stored on floor throughout kitchen and in walk-in cooler and freezer. Oyster shells seing saved to put food in. Repeat violation: Trash, grease on ground at dumpster area — doors and tops open. Repeat violation: Lights missing end caps in kitchen and walk-in cooler. Roaches seen throughout restaurant — fly strips hanging all in kitchen.
Inspector: Black
July 17
El Super Taco
1714 Atlanta Highway, Unit D, Gainesville
Score: 47, Grade: U
Employee chopping, handling onions barehanded. Foods from last weekend still in cooler at 65 F — strawberries moldy and all foods out of temperature. Cooler at 65 F. No date marking on stored foods. Insecticide for home use only stored with food and single serve items. Repeat violation: Gaskets on three door cooler are damaged. No sanitizer or test strips in restaurant. Repeat violation: Gaskets on makeline cooler have accumulation of food debris. Leak from prep sink being caught in bucket. Floors have food, trash and debris. Storage area packed with equipment no longer being used, tools, clothing, shoes and other personal items. Repeat violation: Roaches seen in storage area and floor.
Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie
El Guanaco
1714 Atlanta Highway, Unit C, Gainesville
Score: 96, Grade: A
Mold, mildew on ice machine baffle.
Inspector: McDuffie
American Deli
150 Pearl Nix Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Divana Mediterranean Grill
3446 Winder Highway, Suite 503, Flowery Branch
Score: 98, Grade: A
Tongs stored in standing sanitizer. Single-service utensils stored in bin were not stacked properly. Test strips missing for quat sanitizer.
Inspector: Black
Mango’s Bar & Grill
1511 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville
Score: 92, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Cloths not in sanitizer. Post inspection within 15 feet of front door and where customers can (see) up to within 1 foot — currently behind counters. Store all single service items 6 inches off floor. Repeat violation: Doors and tops on dumpsters need to be kept closed. Repair hole in ceiling in dry storage area. All personal items (phones, toys, etc.) must be on separate areas away from food prep tables or items for customer.
Inspector: Black
July 19
El Antojito
1714 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 70, Grade: C
Repeat violation: Food handler dunking hands in bucket of water before putting gloves on to handle food. Inside concession food handler wearing only one glove to prepare ready-to-eat food and handling food with ungloved hand. Repeat violation: No hand-washing station set up at outside concession. No sanitizer bucket with cloths provided or spray sanitizer to sanitize cutting board and knives used at outside concession. Repeat violation: No stem thermometer available to monitor hot holding temperature (corn). Painted plywood floor in outside concession is peeling and wood in separating. Screen door open and over window open — inside trailer with many flies and flies around outside fruit cutting set up and sno-cone syrup. Single use item (milk jug) reused to store vanilla syrup for sno-cones.
Inspector: Laurie Wentworth
The Paddock Grille
5300 Winder Highway, Braselton
Score: 82, Grade: B
Containers (quarts) of half-and-half in walk-in cooler and drink cooler in wait station area with use-by date of May 27, 2009. Repeat violation: evidence of rodent activity on shelving in wait station area and undershaving and in corners of dry storage room. Floors throughout kitchen, prep, dry storage and walk-in coolers need better cleaning — food spills, food debris, and dirt. Container of moldy mozzarella cheese in walk-in cooler. Several fluorescent lights without proper shielding — missing plastic sheaths or end caps — in dry storage where equipment, linens stored.
Inspector: Wentworth
July 20
Buffalo’s Cafe
3446 Winder Highway, Suite 101, Flowery Branch
Score: 81, Grade: B
Food uncovered. Repeat violation: cutting boards heavily scarred and covered in mold, mildew. Glasses stacked wet. Knives and utensils stored with food debris. Foods in makeline and walk-in coolers above required temperatures. Foods in hot hold unit below hot holding temperature of 135 F or above. Repeat violation: Gaskets on cooler drawers in cook area have an accumulation of food, water and debris; one gasket is heavily damaged. Aluminum foil on surfaces in cook area. Repeat violation: Floor throughout kitchen has food, water, trash, etc.; cove tiling or grout missing in several area.
Inspector: McDuffie
Zaxby’s
1402 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville
Score: 94, Grade: A
Cups uncovered in food prep areas. Repeat violation: accumulation of grease puddling on top of grease container and lid propped open with grease cart stuck in container.
Inspector: Lydia Hoffhines
Dairy Burger
984 Athens St., Gainesville
Score: 96, Grade: A
Employee drinking from coffee mug in food prep area.
Inspector: Hoffhines
Subway
3208 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 98, Grade: A
Repeat violation: Cardboard dumpster open and trash on grass; cardboard dumpster on grass.
Inspector: McDuffie
Burger King — Mundy Mill
P.O. Box 6305, Gainesville
Score: 94, Grade: A
Employee handling food without hair restraint. Employee working with torn gloves. Repeat violation: Exterior surfaces of grease collection container dripping. Repeat violation: Floors throughout kitchen have an accumulation of food, debris and trash especially under soft drink bag-in-boxes.
Inspector: McDuffie
Jimmy John’s
333 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Suite E, Gainesville
Score: 88, Grade: B
Spray bottle to sanitize slicer blade did not contain any sanitizer. Chopper on shelf with bits of onion between blades. Improper labeling of spray bottles — spray bottle labeled sanitizer actually container vinegar and water cleaner and bottle labeled vinegar and water only water inside. Pan of bread on top of shelf above sneeze shield at makeline. Both dumpster doors open.
Inspector: Wentworth
The Grill at Chicopee Woods
2515 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Lula’s Pizza Depot
6018 Athens St., Lula
Score: 90, Grade: A
Food handler handling buns for hamburgers without gloves. Restroom doors without self-closers. Several fluorescent light bulbs without plastic sheaths and end caps or end caps missing.
Inspector: Wentworth
July 21
La Bamba
2052 Candler Highway, Gainesville
Score: 86, Grade: B
Beef on steam table with 108-111 degrees. No sanitizer buckets made up to clean prep surfaces. Trash on ground in back area. Repeat violation: floors with food residue especially behind grill — tiles pulling off floor and coved baseboard missing underneath three-compartment sink.
Inspector: Black
La Parilla Mexican Restaurant
3446 Winder Highway, Suite O, Flowery Branch
Score: 97, Grade: A
Utensils and pans stored wet. Repeat violation: Some gaskets are heavily damaged. Repeat violation: Gaskets on makeline have an accumulation of food and water mold, mildew.
Inspector: McDuffie
Chick-fil-A
3405 Atlanta Highway, Flowery Branch
Score: 98, Grade: A
Utensils stored wet and some in container with food debris, etc. Gasket on cooler torn. Gaskets have accumulation of food, water, etc.
Inspector: McDuffie
Megan Gill