Lenoir County restaurant inspections
The following restaurant inspections were conducted by the Lenoir County Health Department:
Galaxy Bar and Restaurant
4010 W Vernon Avenue, Kinston
Date: 6/26
Score: 88
Observations:
Person in charge does not have active managerial control over facility.
Person in charge does not have food safety manager certification.
Opened package of raw chicken breasts stored above cooked chicken wings in single-door reach in freezer. Opened package of raw spicy chicken filets store above ready to eat appetizers in 2 door reach in cooler.
Pre portioned chicken wings in container on bottom shelf; opened package of deli ham; container of chili made in facility); opened package of shredded mozzarella cheese in a bowl; opened packaged of sliced cheddar cheese; opened package of hot dogs; cut tomato. The following ready-to-eat, TCS foods not dated in reach in freezers: 10+ containers of chili (made in facility); cooked, pre-portioned packages of chicken wings; opened packages of cheddar cheese.
Chlorine sanitizer in sanitizer spray bottle and bucket exceeded 500 ppm today. Chlorine sanitizer was too strong; shall be between 50-100 ppm.
Big ice scoop for big ice machine laying directly on top of soda boxes. Soda boxes are not clean and are absorbent. Ice scoop was taken to 2 compartment sink to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized. Small ice scoop for ice bin at soda machine laying flat down in ice today.
Gaskets starting to tear on 2 door reach in cooler.
No chlorine test strips were available to check chlorine concentration of sanitizer today.
Wall cleaning needed in dishwashing area/room to remove accumulated food splatter and build up. Floor cleaning needed in this area and dry storage room. Remove storage (grease containers) off the floor under sink to facilitate easy floor cleaning.
Floor tiles missing in room/area where reach in cooler and freezers are stored. Replace floor tiles. Repair floor in this area. Replace ceiling tiles in dry storage room where roof/attic space is visible.
Replace burned out bulb in fixture near ice machine and freezers and coolers.
Pizza Villa
1400 W Vernon Avenue, Kinston
Date: 6/26
Score: 94.5
Observations:
Person in charge could not locate Vomit & Diarrheal Clean up Procedure.
TCS food cold holding on salad bar were being held at temperatures above 41 degrees F. See temperature chart. All cold holding TCS foods shall be maintained at 41 degrees F or below.
Chlorine sanitizer in sanitizer buckets exceeded 500 ppm today. Chlorine sanitizer shall be 5-100 ppm.
Tray of iceberg lettuce heads stored directly on top of another try iceberg lettuce heads with no cover or barrier in between the bottom of the try and the lettuce. Employee was getting ready to slice the lettuce. Bottom of try was in direct contact with the heads of iceberg lettuce.
Employees with uncovered beards handling food and clean equipment. Employees prepping food, handing clean equipment, and opened single service with no hair restraints.
Pans, bowls, and other dishes and equipment stored food contact surface up on shelving and throughout facility. Store these items inverted, food contact surface down, to prevent contamination of food contact area.
Replace torn gaskets on pizza prep cooler doors. Sliding door on ice machine by wait staff area is in poor repair. Walk in freezer door is in poor repair. Shelving is rusting on prep table across from dishwashing area, on shelving above and below dish machine area, in small storage area, in area where plates are stored above prep table, etc. Replace sugar container by wait station area that has tape on the handle.
Person in charge could not locate DishTemp plate Simulator and did not have other devices on site that would indicate a final rinse temperature of the dish-machine.
Repair leaking pipe in wait station area where beer cooler used to be located. Constant drip is present at this area.
Repair broken self closure on employee restroom.
Little Aggies
2438 Hwy 11 S, Kinston
Date: 6/25
Score: 91
Observations:
Sanitizer in 3 comp sink was way too strong, it was causing the strips to bleach out.
Observed several buckets with remaining date marking stickers and a pan with hair on it.
Open chili and nacho cheese containers missing date marking labels.
Label all working containers of food (oils, spices, salts, flour, sugar) except food that is easy to identify such as dry pasta. Oil and sugar unlabeled.
Owner's food still being stored amongst restaurant food in refrigerators, on two different shelves in two different units. Personal food shall be stored in approved location below and adequately separated from restaurant food.
Use head coverings, beard guards and clothing to restrain body hair from contacting exposed food, equipment, and utensils. Upon arriving, owner was not wearing hair net but was outside of the kitchen. He put one on before entering. Older woman did not have any hair restraint on in the kitchen.
Single-use and single-service articles cannot be reused. Chili containers being used to hold pizza toppings and lids for cheese containers.
Domestic, dorm-type refrigerator, and two residential freezers has been installed for the storage of frozen foods in the cook area since EHS was last there. These units are not approved. Equipment shall be ANSI certified and shall not be domestic/residential.
Build up present on gaskets, bottoms and doors of equipment. Rice cookers are very sticky on the handles and lids.
Bucket still under 3 comp sink for leak, leak observed during inspection. The faucet at the 3 comp sink is also leaking.
Discard items and litter stored in the waste areas and enclosures as they are not necessary to operation and maintenance. Establishment has items stored in the back that belonged to the previous restaurant. Dumpster is currently sitting on the ground.
Provide required lighting intensity. Lighting in back room with both lights on reaches around 3 foot candles. Dry storage areas shall be at the required lighting intensity of least 10 foot candles at 30 inches above the ground. There are several lighting fixtures on ceiling that are missing bulbs.
Murrays BBQ and Seafood
123 E Washington Street, La Grange
Date: 6/25
Score: 93
Observations:
No Certified Food Protection Manager on site.
Employee drops something on floor and picks it up without washing hands. Employee washes hands and turns off faucet with clean hands before drying them.
Transfer pans and dispensing utensils shall be switched out throughout the day at least every 4 hours. Operator states pans and utensils currently out that have been used have been out since this morning.
Raw pork chops in water waiting to be fried.
Few flies present.
Boxes of cold meat on the floor and bags of raw produce on the floor.
Several wet cloths in bucket but sanitizer is weak.
Insides of fryers have grease build-up. Wire table between hand-wash sink and food preparation sink is heavily soiled along with chemical bottles on this table. Hood is soiled. Some soil on double-stack hot holding cabinet. Lids and bins of dry ingredients are heavily soiled. Hushpuppy maker has build-up.
Hand-wash sink leaks.
Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q
4483 US Hwy 70 W, Kinston
Date: 6/25
Score: 95
Observations:
Two out of three hand-washing sinks did not have soap available for hand-washing initially during inspection.
BBQ, previously cooled, was reheated to 119-126 in steamer and placed on prep line for hot holding. All food TCS foods, cooked and cooled in establishment, shall be reheated to 165 degrees F or higher within 2 hours.
Employees with beards handling food, open single service, and clean equipment without a beard restraint.
Wet wiping towels were stored in buckets of detergent today. Wet wiping towels shall be stored in sanitizer only, at its correct concentration.
Repair reach in cooler across from steamer. No food products were being stored in cooler during inspection. Technician was on site repairing cooler. Repair 2 door reach in freezer.
Replace big breading pans. Two out of three have cracked corners.
Smith’s Cafe
2424 Hwy 258 N, Kinston
Date: 6/25
Score: 96
Observations:
Person in charge could not find Procedures for Clean up of Vomiting and Diarrheal Events.
No single use hand towels or air drying device present at hand-washing sink in back room/prep area.
Meat tenderizer contained food debris today from previous use.
Frozen cooked collards did not have dates on containers when they were cooked and/or dates of discard.
Chlorine sanitizer in sanitizer bucket in dining room area exceeded 500 ppm today. Chlorine sanitizer shall be 50-100 ppm.
Pine Sol and Bleach stored on same shelf, directly beside mixer and white prep boards under back room/prep counter area. All chemicals shall be stored in a designated area to prevent contamination of clean equipment, clean dishes, single service, and linens.
Employees seen handling food, clean equipment and utensils, and opened single service with no effective hair restraint.
Bowls and other food contact items in back room area were stored food contact surface up. Store bowls and other dishes food contact area down, inverted, to prevent contamination of food contact surface.
Shelving is rusting in reach in freezer in dining room. Bottom of unit is also rusting.
White prep boards in back prep area are in poor repair; have deep crevices that may potentially harbor bacteria.
Walls and baseboards are rusting in back prep area. Repair wall where damage has occurred with age and deterioration.
Ken’s Grill
7645 Hwy 70 W, La Grange
Date: 6/24
Score: 93.5
Observations:
Raw pre-packaged meats above cooked and ready-to-eat foods that are packaged at establishment (chili, ham). Raw pig in blue plastic hung above raw potatoes and raw produce in outside walk-in.
Few utensils in pan on same counter as cash register have not been cleaned thoroughly.
Sliced ham from Piggly Wiggly, securely packaged bbq in pint containers, and chili in s/s pan covered in plastic wrap are not date marked. Even though freezing stops the clock on date marking, ready-to-eat foods shall be dated prior to being put in freezer. Beef tips in gravy in 1-door glass door refrigerator is not date marked.
If burgers are served and have not been cooked to 155f or above, a correctly worded Consumer Advisory shall be provided. Existing Consumer Advisory only lists eggs. EHS will email correctly worded Consumer Advisory to include hamburgers ASAP.
Food handler wears bracelets and rings with and under gloves. Each food handler may wear only a plain band similar to a wedding band on arms and hands.
Hair restraint on worker with long hair is not effective. Hair shall be tucked up under hat or under hair net or other effective restraint.
Several wet wiping cloths stored in sanitizer compartment of sink in solution of water, dish detergent, and bleach. Wet wiping cloths shall be stored in a solution of approved sanitizer (bleach and water) when not in use.
Handle of scoop for sugar is not up, out of sugar. Handle for scoops in dry ingredients shall be stored up, out of product.
Gasket on 1-door reach-in is damaged and creates gap when door is closed. Refrigerator will likely be much colder if this is repaired. Some shelving rusty. Counter damage in bread area up front. Area behind hand-wash sink is damaged and hard to clean. Entrance to walk-in refrigerator is damaged and hard to clean. Faucet for hand-wash sink in pit is rusty.
Some shelving is soiled. Equipment has some build-up of soil and grease. Ice cream freezer has build-up around lid area (and a foul odor in this area). Bottom of 2-door, glass-door refrigerator is soiled. Handles for sugar bin are soiled. Metal cart with wooden top up front is soiled. Sink faucet in pit is soiled.
Damage on floors, walls, ceilings especially in pit. Some in kitchen. Damaged (curling) floor in walk-in.
Soiled floors, walls, and ceilings in pit and in kitchen.
Several miscellaneous items on the premises out back that appear to be unused. Remove these items as soon as possible.
Spirit Cafe
2600 Aerosystems Boulevard, Kinston
Date: 6/24
Score: 97.5
Observations:
Opened raw chicken products (chicken patties and filets) stored above ready to eat foods, such as diced chicken and deli meats in 2 door freezer.
Cut lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and pickles stored on ice beside packaged condiment area for employee use. Tongs were stored directly on top of toppings (previous foods listed). Employees use the tops to add to their sandwiches. Foods may be contaminated by potential barehand contact by employees when grabbing tongs for ready to eat food items.
Tongs stored on top of ready to eat food items at employee condiment area. All in use utensils shall be stored handle up, inside the food; in water at least 135 degrees F; in a clean, sanitized container; or in a dipper well.
Repair 3rd sink (closest to the toilets) in women' s restroom. Sink does not turn on. Two other hand-washing sinks are available for washing hands. Repair 1st sink (closest to entrance) in men's restroom. Sink does not turn on.
Waffle House
601 E New Bern Road, Kinston
Date: 6/24
Score: 96.5
Observations:
Person in charge could not locate Procedures of Clean up of Vomiting and Diarrheal Events.
Provide at least 100F water at hand-sinks. Hot water at women's restroom hand-washing sink only reaching 86 degrees F maximum temperature. Hot water at men's hand-washing sink only reaching 79 degrees F maximum.
Several strips of raw bacon stored on a plate in reach in cooler uncovered. Bowl of cut onions stored in a cup uncovered in reach in cooler.
Clean shelving where clean plates and bowls are stored.
Establishment does not have a device, such as a Plate Simulating Dishwasher Tester, that indicates the water temperature in each washing cycle and final rinse temperature. Facility uses a high temperature dishmachine for sanitizing dishes. Thermo strips (color changing stickers) were only available for testing water temperature. A warewashing machine shall be equipped with a temperature measuring device that indicates the temperature of the water in each wash and rinse tank and as the waster enters the hot water sanitizing final rinse manifold or in the chemical sanitizing solution tank.
Clean inside of pie case (glass door cooler) to remove a food spill and food debris in the bottom of the unit. Clean inside of cooler drawers under grill area. Clean inside of cooler at sandwich prep area. Clean area under prep boards where old accumulated food debris is present.
