Six 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 July,

The restaurants are located in Lexington, Gaston, Batesburg and Columbia.

El Jimador, located at 108-J Scarborough Dr. in Lexington, received a C (70%) on a routine inspection conducted July 18 and again on a follow-up conducted July 24 (95%)

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (98%) on a follow-up conducted July 31.

The July 18 report notes improper handwashing with “employees not washing their hands in between handling raw and [ready-to-eat] foods” and lack of preventing contamination from hands and “Employee observed bare handing [ready-to-eat] food”. 

Improper food marking is also noted as well as fly-strips being located over food prep areas, “heavy fly activity throughout facility” and “heavy accumulation of dead flies on fly strips.”

The July 24 report notes a consecutive violation, with fly activity still being seen in the kitchen, as well as a large gap underneath an exterior door.

The July 31 report only notes a bag of onions being stored directly on the floor.

Ferrara Pizza & Pasta, located at 109 J Chapin Rd. in Lexington, received a B (84%) on a routine inspection conducted July 18 and was demoted to a C (90%) on a July 26 follow-up and remained at a C (93%) on a follow-up conducted Aug. 2.

The July 18 report notes raw chicken stored above freeze pops along with label residue on containers that were stored as clean with product inside and “brown build up … inside ice machine.”

The inspector notes “personal clothing jackets stored on top of soda rack [and] cigarettes stored on food prep area.”

The July 26 report notes a consecutive violation of improper holding temperatures. It also notes raw eggs being stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler.

The Aug. 2 report once again notes improper holding temperatures.

As of Aug. 8, no other follow-up reports for the restaurant had been posted to DHEC’s online database, though the Aug. 2 report notes that another follow-up inspection was required within 10 days.

No 1 China 2, located at 5214 Highway 321 in Gaston, received a C (71%) on a routine inspection conducted July 27.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (99%) on a follow-up conducted Aug. 4.

The July 27 report notes improper hand washing and “employee pick up dropped food off the floor with gloved hands and proceeded to transfer cooked chicken into containers with[out] proper handwashing.” It also notes that the handwashing sink was blocked by dishes.

The report also notes dirty dishes stored as clean throughout the kitchen and improper cooling times and temperatures for hot foods. Fly activity is also observed throughout the facility.

The Aug. 4 report only notes bulk containers of ingredients not being labeled.

Taqueria, located at 152 N Pine St. in Batesburg, received a C (62%) on a routine inspection conducted July 17 and remained at a C (80%) for a follow-up conducted July 18.

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

The July 17 report notes improper handwashing and an “employee rinsing hands without soap in lieu of adequate hand washing” and an “employee switch[ing] tasks from handling dirty dishes to handling ready to eat food without an adequate hand wash” and an employee rinsing hands in three compartment sink. It is also noted that there were no accessible ways for employees to dry their hands at every sink.

The report also notes fuzzy white growth on tomatoes and soft and slimy raw peppers in cooler.

The July 18 report notes “deep, covered containers of salsa para caldo and cooked pork which had inadequately cooled after overnight storage in the walk-in cooler” and small flies near the walk-in freezer.

Inadequate lighting and a leakage in plumbing is also noted.

There were no violations reported in the July 18 report.

Twisted Roots, located at 168 Hwy 378 in Lexington, received a C (66%) on a routine inspection conducted July 24 and remained at a C (92%) after a follow-up conducted July 25.

The restaurant was able to improve to and A (100%) on a follow-up conducted Aug. 3.

The July 24 report notes improper handwashing, “employees not washing hands between glove changes and points of contamination from handling raw food and ready to eat food items” and “employees touching hair and then touching clean dishes.”

The report also notes hair inside a dressing container in the walk-in cooler, black build-up inside the ice machine and fly activity throughout the facility.

The July 25 report again notes fly activity along with  black build-up on cutting boards and dish racks and several locations where dirty dishes were stored as clean.

There were no violations cited in the Aug. 3 report.

Bojangles, located at 151 Harbison Blvd. in Columbia, received a B (85%) on a routine inspection conducted July 11 and again on a follow-up inspection July 20 (95%). A second follow-up was conducted on July 28 when the business was dropped to a C (97%).

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (100%) after a follow-up conducted Aug. 7.

The July 11 report notes improper hand washing, the lack of a chemical sanitizer test kit, and build-up around the exteriors of equipment and beneath the equipment.

The July 20 report notes improper holding temperatures and improper personal cleanliness, with “multiple employees with unrestrained hair past the waist working with exposed food.”.

The July 28 report, when the restaurant dropped to a C, notes a consecutive violation of improper holding temperatures.

The Aug. 7 report cites no violations.