Five Lexington County food service establishments received C grades, the lowest SC Food Grade given out by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, during the month of March.

Identifying exactly what went into the grades given out by DHEC will soon be easier for patrons entering restaurants.

The stickers announcing restaurants’ grades will now feature a QR code that will direct them to the page on the department’s website where they can look up recent inspection reports.

“[It’s] a great resource for anyone interested in viewing recent inspection reports for their favorite restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores,” Sandra Craig, director of DHEC’s Division of Food and Lead Risk Assessments, is quoted in a release. “By adding a QR code to every Food Grade decal, patrons can conveniently view information beyond the food grade alone.”

The Lexington County businesses that received C grades in March are located in Batesburg, Irmo and Lexington.

Caper House, located at 215 S Pine St. in Batesburg, received a C (and a score of 89%) on a follow-up inspection conducted March 6. The business had previously received a B on a routine inspection conducted Feb. 24.

As of April 6, DHEC did not list a subsequent follow-up inspection at Caper House as having been conducted.

Among the violations noted March 6 was evidence of insects and rodents, with the report observing “dead insects on floor/underneath equipment throughout back storage area” and “rodent droppings in back storage area,” with the rodent droppings listed as a repeat violation from the previous inspection.

Other violations noted included a faulty handwashing sink and the use of lemon scented bleach as a dish and equipment sanitizer when unscented bleach is required.

The report notes that a follow-up inspection should have been performed within 10 days.

The El Jimador at 1072 Lake Murray Blvd. in Irmo received a C (70%) on a routine inspection conducted March 6 and again on a March 9 follow-up (when it received a score of 82%). The restaurant was upgraded to an A (97%) after a subsequent follow-up conducted March 12.

The violations noted March 6 included “employee handling ready to eat food with bare hands,” “cut limes in strainer being stored inside bar hand sink” with “no other vacant sink available for hand washing in bar area,” “raw hamburger patties stored above ready to eat food inside of prep coolers” and “packaged single serve pizza stored in contact with repackaged raw beef in prep freezer.”

The restaurant was also docked for improper cooling time and temperatures, improper cold holding temperatures and lacking required certifications.

The March 9 report noted violations including “dishes and knives with build up of food debris stored as clean,” “grocery style bags being used as storage for tortillas” and an “apron being used as a chute to direct the flow of shredded cheese during processing.” The infractions for improper cooling time and temperatures, improper cold holding temperatures and lack of required certifications were repeated.

The report from March 12 was nearly perfect, apart from observing a hole in the wall next to the kitchen door and an accumulation of dust on a vent above the cook line.

Fusion Bowl Asian Bistro, located at 5166-E Sunset Blvd. in Lexington, received a C (76%) on March 20 following a routine inspection and was brought back up to an A (100%) after a March 24 follow-up.

The March 20 report noted “raw meats stored above egg rolls in walk in cooler,” “food prep containers stored as clean ... with food debris and sticky residue,” “plates stored as clean ... with food debris,” a “large bowl that contained raw chicken ... rinsed off in the sink and stored as clean,” a toxic chemical spray bottle stored on the cook line without being properly identified,  “containers of food and open sauces stored directly on the floor in the walk in,” and “puddled water ... on top of a bus pan of food in the walk in.”

The report also assessed violations for lack of required certification, improper cooling time and temperatures, improper cooling methods, improper cold holding temperatures and multiple infractions for inadequate access to handwashing stations.

Fusion Bowl wasn’t assessed any violations on the March 24 follow-up.

Taqueria Y Tienda Del Valle, located at 152 Pine St. in Batesburg, received a C (75%) on a routine inspection conducted March 29 and again after a follow-up inspection conducted April 5 (when it received a score of 84%).

The March 29 report noted that the “facility does not have a date marking system in place for time/temperature control for safety, ready to eat foods held in excess of 24 hours” and assessed multiple infractions for improper holding temperatures.

The report also detailed “employees ... not washing hands between points of contamination to include handling raw foods/ready to eat foods,” an employee handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands, “fresh eggs soiled with dirt and feathers,” “areas of walls and ceilings that were in poor repair throughout the kitchen area,” and the lack of a test kit for chemical-based sanitizers.

The April 5 report again noted the lack of a date marking system and again assessed multiple infractions for improper holding temperatures.

The follow-up report again docked the restaurant for lacking required certification and for the disrepair in the kitchen area.

The Tokyo Grill at 1787 S Lake Dr. Ste J in Lexington received a C (71%) on a routine inspection conducted March 1 and As on follow-up inspections from March 3 (97%) and 10 (100%).

The March 1 report noted that the “facility does not have a date marking system in place for time/temperature control for safety, ready to eat foods held in excess of 24 hours” and assessed additional infractions that observed an “employee handle raw beef, put it on the grill, and proceeded to handle broccoli without washing his hands in between,” “boxed food items stored directly on the floor in the walk in cooler” and an “accumulation of trash and cardboard surrounding the dumpster area.”

The restaurant was also docked for insufficient access to handwashing sinks and supplies, improper cooking times and temperatures, improper hot holding temperatures, improper food labeling, along with improper equipment and plumbing.

The March 3 report was perfect except for the plumbing issue again being noted. 

The March 10 report didn’t assess any infractions.