The following are among the food service establishments inspected from Nov. 18-Dec. 3 by the Hall County Environmental Health Department. New rules and regulations for food service began on Dec. 1, 2007. Food service establishments now receive 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 processes performed, and the previous food safety history in the food service establishment.
A new food service establishment that never has 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 also will 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.
Nov. 18
Georgia Dog
4360 Friendship Road, Buford
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: Donna Black
Nov. 21
Taqueria La Fogata
5120C Thompson Bridge Road, Murrayville
Score: 92, Grade: A
Cloths stored/used out of container with no measurable sanitizer. Ham sliced from larger piece now in freezer must be labeled with seven-day discard date. Two-door cooler with bloody handles from door being opened to remove more food for slicing without removing gloves first.
Inspector: Laurie Wentworth
Fair Street Elementary
Fair Street, Gainesville
Score: 96, Grade: A
A sanitizer is not dispensing at dish machine (due to empty bucket) and at dispenser at three-compartment sink.
Inspector: Black
Enota Elementary
Enota Avenue, Gainesville
Score: 97, Grade: A
Condensate leak in walk in freezer. Clean ceiling tiles throughout kitchen that have dust accumulation.
Inspector: Black
El Guanaco
1714 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 93, Grade: A
Ice scoop stored with handle in ice. Roaches seen in kitchen.
Inspector: Kathleen McDuffie
Sugar Hill Elementary
3259 Athens Highway, Gainesville
Score: 93, Grade: A
Cheeseburgers in pass through below required temperature. Bottles of sanitizer water have lost labels.
Inspector: McDuffie
The Big Bear Cafe
893 Main St., Gainesville
Score: 88, Grade: B
Foods under heat lamp not to required temperatures; cold garnishes not at required temperature. Gaskets on reach-in cooler are dried and heavily damaged. Hood vent system dripping grease.
Inspector: McDuffie
El Super Taco
1714 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 92, Grade: A
Cutting board has an accumulation of mold/mildew. Gaskets on three-door cooler are damaged. Gaskets on make-line cooler have an accumulation of food debris. Microwave has dried food splatters. Roaches seen in kitchen.
Inspector: McDuffie
Nov. 24
Dairy Queen
951 Green St., Gainesville
Score: 90, Grade: A
No paper towels at hand sink in back of kitchen. Storage on floor in kitchen and freezer. Gaskets on coolers have an accumulation of dried food, mold/mildew. Dumpster open; Dumpster area needs better cleaning. Grease container has a buildup of grease on outer surfaces that is dripping onto parking lot. Floors in dry stock room, especially under bag-in-box rack, need a thorough cleaning.
Inspector: McDuffie
Tadmore Elementary
3278 Gillsville Highway,
Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Fire Mountain DBA Ryan’s
2415 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville
Score: 91, Grade: A
Hand sink in kitchen area used to dump plates. Ice cream mix thawing in 123 degrees F water. Ice scoop under ice in bin. One dumpster has no lids, another Dumpster has no Dumpster plug and is open. Floors have an accumulation of food, trash and water.
Inspector: McDuffie
Corner Cafe
6099 Lula Road, Lula
Score: 90, Grade: A
Knives, slicer, waffle makers, can opener and pans with food residue. Ready-to-eat foods not labeled and dated.
Inspector: Black
Reunion Golf Club
5615 Grand Reunion Drive,
Hoschton
Score: 91, Grade: A
Ware-washing machine not properly dispensing sanitizer solution. Prepared foods must be date labeled if kept over 14 hours and discarded if kept more than seven days. Many boxes on floor.
Inspector: Lydia Hoffman
Athena’s Pizza
6986 McEver Road, Buford
Score: 98, Grade: A
Prep sink needs hot and cold running water under pressure.
Inspector: Hoffman
Sonic drive-in
7425 Spout Springs Road,
Flowery Branch
Score: 96, Grade: A
Cutting board and veggie cutting utensils have dried food debris.
Inspector: Hoffman
Nov. 25
New York’s Famous
Beef Franks
996 Athens St., Suite D, Gainesville
Score: 95, Grade: A
Make-line cooler struggling to maintain temperature. Gaskets on coolers have an accumulation of food debris. Ceiling tiles missing. Floor tiles missing. Light cover missing.
Inspector: McDuffie
PMTD Restaurants LLC DBA KFC
1904 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville
Score: 98, Grade: A
Interior of microwaves and hot-holding cabinets need cleaning. Trash Dumpster open, cardboard Dumpster missing plug. Floors in coolers, freezer have an accumulation of trash, etc. Grease dripping from hood vent system.
Inspector: McDuffie
Ninja Steak House
2753 Old Winder Highway,
Braselton
Score: 96, Grade: A
Frozen foods stored on the floor. Dumpster open and off balance. Wall area behind ware washer has a buildup of mold/mildew.
Inspector: McDuffie
Dec. 1
Crossroads Bar and Grill
5900 Spout Springs Road,
Flowery Branch
Score: 96, Grade: A
Soft drink guns in bar have an accumulation of mold/mildew.
Inspector: McDuffie
Grapes and Hops
4856B Hog Mountain Road,
Flowery Branch
Score: 83, Grade: B
Repeat violation: cutting boards have mold/mildew. Menu does not have consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foods. Foods in walk-in cooler stored on the floor. Repeat violation: gaskets on coolers/freezers have an accumulation of food debris, water and mold/mildew. Some gaskets are damaged heavily. Walls behind three-compartment sink and in ware-washing area have a buildup of mold/mildew.
Inspector: McDuffie
Dec. 2
Taqueria Don Raul
1870 Atlanta Highway Suite A, Gainesville
Score: 90, Grade: A
Already prepared foods stored in two-door cooler without lids/covering. Slicer, knives, drink dispenser nozzles all with visible food debris/mold. Ham, meat filling with dates of preparation more than seven days ago. Accumulation of food debris under grills, shelving under prep table and on top of dry storage containers. Accumulation of food debris/dead insects at floor/wall juncture.
Inspector: Wentworth
Pasquales
1011 Riverside Drive, Gainesville
Score: 91, Grade: A
Prepared lasagna in reach-in cooler past seven-day discard date. Containers of sanitizer for storing cloths used to wipe counters and equipment with visible food debris (cloudy water). Although cooler floor has been cleaned thoroughly, the floor is still rusted and no longer meets requirements of durable, cleanable and nonabsorbent. Gaskets on pizza make-line doors need a good cleaning — accumulation of food debris in ridges.
Inspector: Wentworth
Monarca’s
730 Pearl Nix Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 91, Grade: A
No paper towels at hand sink. Walk-in freezer has a heavy accumulation of frozen condensation on walls, ceiling, floor and shelves. Ice scoop stored with handle down in ice. Ice cream scoops dirty in plastic container. No sanitizer strips for testing.
Inspector: McDuffie
Sydney’s Buffet
1500 Browns Bridge Road,
Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Dec. 3
Lakeview Academy
796 Lakeview Drive, Gainesville
Score: 99, Grade: A
Walls beside juice dispensing area with syrup residue. Floors in kitchen at floor/wall juncture with debris especially in corners.
Inspector: Black
Poor Richards
1702 Park Hill Road, Gainesville
Score: 95, Grade: A
Employee washing hands in prep sink. Ice scoop laying in ice at drink station. Clean floors better underneath equipment and shelves, especially in corners.
Inspector: Black
El Carreton No. 1
608 Atlanta Highway, Gainesville
Score: 79, Grade: C
Refried beans, pork prepared yesterday stored with preparation date of tomorrow. Dumpster is sitting on broken-up asphalt. Reheating foods prepared in advance using a steaming pan in steam table, but steam table not able to heat high enough to reheat to required 165 degrees. Food handler drinking from coke bottle with straw. Sheet pan over hand sink to hold cups of salsa during filling. No thermometer in homestyle refrig/freezer or refrigerated drawers under grill.
Inspector: Wentworth
Fini’s Pizzeria, Inc
5857 Spout Springs Road,
Flowery Branch
Score: 70, Grade: C
Food handlers putting rolls on plate and sprinkling with cheese without gloves on to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. Dishwasher does not have accessible sink for washing hands with installation of the long dish table that was not noted on approved plans. Knives, tongs stored for use with dried food residue on them. Manager stated pre-cooked pizzas have time control, but there are time markings on the pizzas or a written procedure/log for using time instead of temperature for control measure. Frozen meatballs being stored in plastic bags used to transport wrapped to-go orders. Many cloths used to wipe cutting boards, counters and equipment not stored in chemical sanitizer between uses. Test strips used to monitor the strength of sanitizer automatically dispensed in three-compartment sink and to be used for cloth storage containers not found in kitchen. Make-line cutting boards are heavily scarred.
Inspector: Wentworth
Brad’s Grill
528 Bradford St. SW, Gainesville
Score: 100, Grade: A
Inspector: McDuffie
Dairy Burger
984 Athens St., Gainesville
Score: 94, Grade: A
One double door cooler is struggling to maintain required temperatures. Thermometers missing from most coolers/freezers. Personal belongings stored on top of single serve items.
Inspector: McDuffie
Krystal’s
1002 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville
Score: 77, Grade: C
Foods not covered in storage. Make-line cooler struggling to maintain required temperatures. Foods prepared for serving to customers out of temperature. No visible thermometer in freezer. Repeat violation: storage on floor in kitchen and walk-in freezer. Gasket on one make line is damaged heavily. Gaskets have an accumulation of food debris, etc. No sanitizer in rinse water. No sanitizer test strips. Repeat violation: no covered waste receptacle in ladies room. Repeat violation: floors throughout kitchen and in walk-in cooler and freezer have a heavy accumulation of food, water and trash, especially under equipment and shelving in areas where cove tiling is loose or gone. FRP wall covering coming way from walls, especially in corners.
Inspector: McDuffie
Megan Gill