Five Lexington County restaurants received a C, the lowest Food Grade given out by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, during the month of December.

The restaurants are located in Lexington, West Columbia and Columbia.

The Lexington County Detention Center, located at 521 Gibson Rd. in Lexington, also received a C (95%) on a Dec. 7 follow-up inspection following a  a B (81%) on a routine inspection conducted Nov. 29. It was later able to improve to an A.

Bourbon Street Grill, located at 100 Columbiana Cir. Ste. 1276 in Columbia, received a B (83%) on a routine inspection conducted Dec. 14. The restaurant was downgraded to a C (88%) on a follow-up conducted Dec. 20.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (100%) on a follow-up conducted Dec. 28.

The Dec. 14 report noted an employee washing hands without soap along with an employee using a three-compartment sink to wash their hands. It was also noted that an employee was storing dishes as clean after washing and rinsing without adequate sanitization steps.

The report also noted improper cooling methods and hot holding temperatures. Multiple open buckets of food product and bus pans of food were observed being stored on the floor.

The Dec. 20 report again noted employees washing hands without soap and using a three-compartment sink to wash their hands. Noted again as well were an employee storing dishes as clean without proper sanitation along with improper cooling methods and hot holding temperatures were also noted again.

The Dec. 28 report noted no violations.

Popeyes, located at 100 Columbia Cir. Ste. 1270 in Columbia, received a B (80%) on a routine inspection conducted Nov. 30. The restaurant was downgraded to a C (92%) on a follow-up inspection conducted Dec. 7.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (100%) after a follow-up conducted Dec. 14.

The Nov. 30 report noted an employee handle raw chicken, remove gloves and then handle clean dishes without washing their hands along with a handwash sink not working.

The report also noted that dishes stored as clean had food debris and residue on them. Also noted was drain cleaner stored with soda syrup boxes, wiping cloths stored in buckets of water without enough sanitizer and a hose in the mop sink not having a proper backflow device.

The Dec. 7 report noted sanitizer buckets and three compartment sinks not having enough sanitizer, once again noting the hose in the mop sink not having a proper backflow device.

The Dec. 14 report noted no violations.

Riveras Supermercado, located at 1618 Airport Blvd. in West Columbia, received a C (77%) on a routine inspection conducted Nov. 30. The restaurant continued at a C (89%) after a follow-up conducted Dec. 8.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (95%) after a follow-up conducted Dec. 18.

The Nov. 30 report noted a hand sink in the dish area not having a handle for hot water, a hand sink near a meat display that didn’t have paper towels, and improper food separation.

The report also noted coconuts with green fuzz, cut meat with black spots, clean dishes stored in crates, dishes stacked on the floor as clean. It also observed dishes being washed, rinsed, but not sanitized before storing for use and bags of frozen meat stored on the floor of walk-in-freezer.

The inspector also observed the women’s bathroom door not self-closing and “pitting, holes, and pooling liquids (water, blood from meat) throughout the dish area, meat prep area, and storage areas throughout.” Also noted were broken tiles in the back storage area and black build-up on walls and ceilings in the dish room.

The Dec. 8 report once again noted coconuts with fuzz on them, as well as fuzz on avocados. Also noted was speed racks of food, breads and desserts stored unprotected throughout the merchandise area and back hallway.

The Dec. 18 noted that bags of frozen meat were stored on the floor of a walk-in freezer and no cover on the trash can in the women's restroom.

Tienda Latina Pasabien, located at 3254 Augusta Rd. in West Columbia, received a C (74%) on a routine inspection conducted Dec. 13. The restaurant remained at a C (90%) after a follow-up conducted Dec. 19.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (95%) after a follow-up conducted Dec. 28 and remained at an A (100%) after another follow-up on Jan. 4.

The Dec. 13 report noted that handwashing sinks lacked hot enough water, drying provisions, cleanser and had miscellaneous utensils stored inside. Also noted was three compartment sinks not having enough sanitizer.

Also noted were toxic items stored above and next to food prep and single serve containers and toothpicks being reused in food preparation. The report also noted improper hot and cold holding temperatures.

The Dec. 19 report once again noted improper hot and cold holding temperatures

The Dec. 28 report noted a covered grade decal at the start of the inspection, raw chicken stored over pork, seafood and cut potatoes, and unwrapped raw frozen meat products with ice forming on top along with “boxed/bagged/containers of foods stored directly on the floor in the market and both walk in freezers and coolers.”

No violations were reported on the Jan. 4 report.

Super Mercado La Union, located at 2361 Augusta Hwy. in Lexington, received a C (72%) on a routine inspection conducted Dec. 29 and stayed at a C (81%) following a Jan. 4 follow-up.

The Dec. 29 report notes an employee handling ready to eat baked goods with bare hands along with an employee washing and rinsing a pitcher used for salsa without sanitization step.

The report noted that there were no hand drying items supplied at a sink in the back of the kitchen. Also noted was improper food cooling times and cold/hot holding temperatures, additionally the facility lacked a date marking system for food.

The inspector also noted that the facility was selling house made pickled pig feet/vegetable mixture that was kept at room temperature, adding that the facility had not obtained a variance for rendering foods.

The follow-up report noted employees washing hands without soap and washing hands in two-compartment sink instead of using hand sink and washing and rinsing a pot without sanitizing before use. Also noted was a pot of barbacoa that wasn’t property cooled overnight, recorded as a consecutive violation for improper cooling methods and improper cooling time and temperature.

The report also recorded a consecutive violation for improper cold holding temperatures for meat and eggs.

As of Jan. 7, no other follow-up reports for the restaurant had been posted to DHEC’s online database. The Jan. 4  report noted that another follow-up inspection was required within 10 days.