Sunday, April 20, 2008
Food
Unlucky 13
Adam Murphy dutifully reporting the good, the bad and the downright disgusting in restaurant inspections
CREDIT:Courtesy of Adam Murphy
Adam Murphy dutifully reporting the good, the bad and the downright disgusting in restaurant inspections.
By Adam Murphy
Just how unlucky is the number 13? You may want to ask the owners of a Gwinnett County restaurant who received the worst score ever last month with a U and only 13 points. Health inspectors immediately shut down the restaurant, and it has never reopened. I was appalled when I first glanced at the report. I’ve been looking at restaurant inspections for five years, and this is by far the lowest score I’ve ever seen. So I’ve made it my mission to expose some of these problems so you can make good dining decisions when you go out to eat.
I hope you have a strong stomach because I uncovered serious restaurant health violations in March that will definitely spoil your appetite. Mar Y Tierra Mexican Restaurant on Indian Trail Road in Lilburn failed with the unlucky 13. The report says raw chicken was stored over eggs and vegetables in the cooler. Health inspectors also found mold in the ice machine. I tried to confront the manager, but he quickly walked away from our camera leaving us standing in the kitchen. In Hiram, China Garden Buffet on J.L. Smith Parkway scored a U with 33 points. The report says there were live ants and roaches in the kitchen. Inspectors also noticed packaged squid stored in a container with raw shrimp. China Garden Buffet received 76 points and a C on a reinspection. Here’s some more food for thought: Papa John’s on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Suwanee struggled with only 39 points and a U. The report says spinach Alfredo sauce was nine days out of date in the kitchen. Papa John’s received 79 points and a ‘C’ on a reinspection. SP
Watch Adam Murphy’s CBS 46 Restaurant Report Card every Thursday at 4 p.m. and Fridays at noon. You can also catch all of his reports in streaming video at www.cbs46.com.
MARCH SCORECARD
Worst Scores
Mar Y Tierra: 13 points (U)
521 Indian Trail Road, Lilburn
Problem Areas: Refried beans, ribs, rice, steak, watermelon and chicken fajitas were at unsafe temperatures. Plus, there was mold in the ice machine, and raw chicken was stored over eggs and vegetables in the cooler.
China Garden Buffet: 33 points (U)
4484 J.L. Smith Parkway, Hiram
Problem Areas: Packaged squid was stored in a container with raw shrimp. Plus, melons, chicken tilapia and crab meat were at unsafe temperatures. Health inspectors also found live ants and roaches in the kitchen. China Garden Buffet received 76 points and a (C) on a reinspection.
Papa John’s: 39 points (U)
1052 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suwanee
Problem Areas: Expired spinach Alfredo sauce was found in the kitchen. Plus, an employee failed to wash their hands properly, and there was food stored on the floor in the cooler.
Papa John’s received 79 points and a (C) on a reinspection.
BEST SCORES
O’Charley’s: 100 points (A)
705 Townpark Lane, Kennesaw
Luna’s: 99 points (A)
200 Main St., Gainesville
Roy’s: 96 points (A)
3475 Piedmont Road, Atlanta