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Not every restaurant is perfect, but some pose a health hazard to their customers.
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Every month, The State looks through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture restaurant inspections and locates the facilities that had disgusting kitchens, improper handling of food, and other concerning conditions.
The following restaurants received C grades, which is the worst possible grade to get from inspectors. Most had follow-up inspections and received an A grade:
Tacos Locos & Grill at 103 N 12th St Suite D in Lexington
Tacos Locos & Grill had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 11 and received a score of 74.
The inspector saw flies buzzing around the kitchen and prep area during the inspection. Some food items didn’t have discard dates. The restaurant’s walk-in freezer had holes and cracks in the floor.
Grease was spilling from the grease dump, along with another unknown liquid soaking into the ground from the bottom of a broken trash dumpster.
Tacos Locos & Grill had a follow-up inspection on Aug. 20 and received an A grade.
Aura Kitchen and Bar at 916 Gervais St in Richland
Aura Kitchen and Bar had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 8 and received a score of 72.
During the inspection, the inspector saw employees handling raw foods and not washing their hands before putting on gloves to touch ready-to-eat foods. Employees were also caught touching food with their bare hands.
Raw foods were stored close to cooked foods, making it easier for the food to become contaminated.
The restaurant’s dishwasher wasn’t sanitizing the dishes properly. Certain cold foods weren’t being held at their proper holding temperatures. Some foods didn’t have any date-marking system in place. Under the cook line, food debris and black material were building up. Grime and grease were building up under the fryers and equipment.
Aura Kitchen and Bar had a follow-up inspection on Aug. 12 and received an A grade.
Bollywood Bites at 629 Main St in Richland
Bollywood Bites had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 27 and received a score of 71.
Employees were seen not washing their hands between cooking and handling food. Raw foods were stored next to sauces and ready-to-eat foods. More than a dozen items weren’t properly dated.
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Several toxic substances were stored within the facility. Unapproved pesticides and rodent bait were stored, and over-the-counter medicine and burn cream were stored on top of the prep cooler.
Signs of rodent activity were found throughout the restaurant. Heavy rodent droppings were observed in storage areas and throughout the facility.
Golden Fried at 1927 Broad River Road in Richland
Golden Fried had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 6 and received a score of 70.
The inspector observed produce covered in fuzzy white growth during the inspection. Dishes that were stored as clean had grease and food debris still on them. Chicken wings weren’t being cooked at their required temperature.
An unapproved pest control product was stored in the facility, and there was still a presence of insects. The kitchen wasn’t being cleaned frequently enough to prevent the accumulation of dust and food debris on the kitchen’s floors and walls.
Golden Fried had a follow-up inspection on Aug. 14 and received an A grade.
Red Sake at 285 Columbiana Dr. in Richland
Red Sake had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 4 and received a score of 70.
The inspector observed an employee handle raw products and then handle ready-to-eat foods without washing their hands. They also caught an employee touching cooked rice with their bare hands.
The restaurant labeled escolar, a deep-water fish, as white tuna. The two fish are not related at all.
Some dishes weren’t properly washed and were stored as clean. Several foods weren’t stored at their correct holding temperatures. A harsh chemical was stored with single-service supplies.
Red Sake had a follow-up inspection on Aug. 12 and received an A grade.
Matthews Bar BQ House at 212 S Rudolph St. in Saluda
Matthews Bar BQ House had a restaurant inspection on Aug. 4 and received a score of 70.
At the time of the inspection, there was no hand soap at the handwashing sinks in the kitchen.
Tomatoes that were stored were starting to rot. Dishes that were stored as clean were still dirty. Many hot and cold foods were not stored at their required holding temperatures. Several items had no discard date, and a pan of BBQ was seen stored past its discard date.
The inspector saw live pest activity in the facility’s dining area, and there was an excessive number of dead pests throughout the restaurant and near clean plates.
Matthews Bar BQ House had a follow-up inspection on Aug. 24 and received an A grade.
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