Eight 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 January.

The restaurants are located in Lexington, Leesville and Columbia.

The Bojangles located at 1045 South Lake Dr. in Lexington received a C (75%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 17.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (99%) on a follow-up conducted Jan. 24.

The Jan. 17 report observed all employees weren’t washing their hands between points of contamination, and hand-drying materials weren’t provided at several hand sinks throughout the restaurant.

The restaurant also had violations for improper hot and cold holding temperatures. Also noted by the inspector was fly spray under a drink station in the lobby and dead insects behind the ovens.

Heavily soiled surfaces were also noted, as were missing baseboards, an office door that was dirty and in poor repair, and floor tiles  that were missing and in poor repair.

The only violation noted on the Jan. 24 report was baseboards missing throughout the restaurant.

Cafe Strudel, located at 309 South Lake Dr. in Lexington, received a C (74%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 4.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (100%) on a follow-up conducted Jan. 12.

The Jan. 4 report noted a “home based prepared dessert without consumer disclosure or required identification on product” and “brisket prepared at owner’s home since unapproved smoker not in operation per staff member.” Also noted was an exterior smoker that was being used for brisket that lacked proper approval.

Also noted was a cutting board on the line containing dirty stained gloves, as well as improver hot and cold holding temperatures and a lack of a date marking system.

The report also noted that an open employee drink was on a prep surface and personal clothing was stored with food items, in addition to a hose without a proper backflow device and no covered trash cans in the bathrooms.

There were no violations reported following the Jan. 12 follow-up.

The Chili’s located at 295 Ginny Ln. in Lexington received a C (77%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 24.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (99%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 31.

The Jan. 24 report noted that there was no written vomit and diarrhea clean-up policy. 

Employee drinks were observed stored uncovered on top of prepping equipment, as was an “employee donning gloves without hand washing,” “multiple employees bare handing ready-to-eat food in multiple areas of the kitchen” and “multiple employees with acrylic nails handling exposed food without gloves.”

The inspector also noted that there was a handwashing sink blocked at the waitress station and another hand sink in the bar area blocked with a pitcher and whisk.

The only violation noted in the Jan. 31 report was a dirty dish machine, which was noted Jan. 24 as well.

El Rinconcito Mexicano, located at 2656 Ben Franklin Rd.  in Leesville, received a C (74%) after a routine inspection conducted Jan. 3. The restaurant remained at a C (88%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 10.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (97%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 16 and remained at an A (100%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 24.

The Jan. 3 report noted employees rinsing hands and not properly washing, not washing hands between points of contamination, using a three-compartment sink for handwashing, handling ready to eat food with bare hands, and using gloves for more than one task.

Also noted was food that was discolored and wilted, raw egg shells stored in a walk-in cooler above open cooked food, and an improper date marking system for food.

The Jan. 10 report noted repeat violations for hand sinks not having soap or paper towels. Raw egg shells were once again noted to be stored over ready to eat foods. Other repeat violations included a sanitizer kit not being available and the restaurant lacking a thermometer for cold foods.

The report additionally noted that the restaurant covered the C decal with a sign. 

The Jan. 16 report only noted that the restaurant was using time for hot display without a written procedure or time stamp. The Jan. 24 report noted no violations.

New York Pizzeria, located at 4350 Augusta Rd. in Lexington, a received a C (76%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 23.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (99%) on a follow-up conducted Jan. 31.

The Jan. 23 report noted employees drinking from an uncovered cup in the food prep area, not using dish soap to wash hands, using three compartment sinks to wash hands, and touching multiple body parts then assisting the pizza chef without washing hands.

Also noted were personal items stored throughout prep area, the door to the walk-in cooler and a nearby coving being in poor repair, toilet paper missing in restroom, open sewage, a hose without proper backflow, “congealed grease forming drips directly over fryer on fire suppression system of fryer hood” with build-up on hood, and toxic materials stored over single-service items.

The only violation noted in the Jan. 31 report was the coving by the walk-in cooler and the cooler’s door still being in poor repair.

Persis Biryani Grill, located at 1728 Bush River Rd. in Columbia, received a C (77%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 2.

The restaurant was able to improve to an A (99%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 11.

The Jan. 2 report notes that an employee only rinsed their hands in the utensil sink before moving to handle clean dishes and observed an  “employee not wash hands after resting gloved hands under armpits and touching dirty surfaces and handling bread.”

Also noted were grime, food matter and label residue on dishes stored as clean. The restaurant also lacked a proper date marking system, and the facility itself had over-icing in the walk-in freezer, the dish machine wasn’t reaching a low enough temperature, the water heater was not in proper working order, there was a chipping wall in the back storage area, and staining on walls was noted throughout kitchen areas.

The Jan. 11 report only noted that there was a “wall chipping in the back storage room with water coming from under the cove base.”

SuperMercado 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 restaurant was able to improve to an A (100%) after a follow-up conducted Jan. 12.

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.

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 improper cold/hot holding temperatures. Additionally, the facility lacked a date marking system for food.

The inspector also noted that the facility was selling a 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,which was 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.

There were no violations noted in the Jan. 12 report.

Schooners Bar and Grill, located at 364 Longs Pond Rd. in Lexington, received a C (72%) on a routine inspection conducted Jan. 24. The restaurant remained at a C (79%) on a follow-up conducted Jan. 30.

The Jan. 24 report noted that employees were not washing hands between points of contamination, handwashing sinks did not meet the minimum temperature of 100 degrees. Also noted with the sinks was cleaning items stored in them, no drying materials provided in kitchen, bar or men’s bathroom, and all the hand sinks had no handwashing signage.

The minimum temperature and lack of signage were again noted in the Jan. 30 report.

Also reported in the Jan. 24 report was an “open bowl of chips stored directly below the raw chicken breading station. Drips along the side of the table were observed.” That report additional y observed “an open container of ranch dressing in between open containers of raw chicken in the reach in refrigeration.”

The Jan. 30 noted that towels were stored in hand sinks and they had no signage. Also noted was “multiple food contact utensils/surfaces that were not clean to the sight or touch,” which was recorded as a consecutive violation, and a lack of a date marking system and consumer advisory for undercooked burgers.

Other consecutive violations included cleaning agents in unlabeled spray bottles and an open air freshener on top of a prep table next to open single-serve containers. Roach activity was also noted underneath the prep cooler.

When it came to the building, other consecutive violations were noted for the build-up of food debris, grease and dust on walls and floors, and heavy dust on the ceiling directly above food prep and dish areas.

As of Feb. 5, no other follow-up reports for the restaurant had been posted to DHEC’s online database. The Jan. 30  report noted that another follow-up inspection was required within 10 days.