Moldy pizza sauce, rodent droppings & more in Midlands restaurants with worst July inspections

South Carolina health inspectors found multiple violations at restaurants in the Midlands in July, from pizza sauce with green and white growth on it to roaches and fly infestations. The state each month releases grades and inspection reports for food establishments across Midlands counties.

Here are the restaurants that received some of the lowest ratings in July.

Falafel King at 2020 Gervais St. in Richland

Falafel King had an inspection on July 20 and got a C grade.

An inspector observed pizza sauce in the walk-in cooler with white and green growth on the top layer. Also observed were ants crawling inside and on top of the drainage rack of the soda machine. Roaches were seen crawling throughout in the dish area and along make line walls.

Buildup was seen on the fryer baskets. Cases of food were seen stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler. Buildup of food debris, grease and grime were seen on equipment.

The facility was voluntarily closed until further notice at time of next inspection. A required followup inspection has not yet been held.

92 Chicken at 2652 Decker Blvd. in Richland

92 Chicken had an inspection on July 6 and got a C grade.

An inspector observed flies on equipment and on food contact surfaces throughout the kitchen. Also observed was food cases stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler.

Buildup was seen on equipment throughout the kitchen. Walls and floors were seen with grease, grime and food splash buildup.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 13 and got an A grade.

Fazoli’s at 7621 Two Notch Road in Richland

Fazoli’s had an inspection on July 24 and got a C grade. An inspector observed rodent droppings on top of the dish machine.

Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures. Spaghetti noodles were seen improperly cooling. Also, buildup was seen on floors and underneath equipment.

A required followup inspection has not yet been held.

Good Taste at 7311 Parklane Road in Richland

Good Taste had an inspection on July 6 and got a C grade. An inspector observed roach activity beneath the work line. Also observed were dead roaches and desiccated egg cases in the back of the prep cooler.

Open buckets of food were seen stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler. Food was also seen stored directly in grocery bags.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 14 and got an A grade.

Hickory Tavern at 907 Senate St. in Richland

Hickory Tavern had a restaurant inspection on July 26 and got a C grade. An inspector observed roach and fly activity throughout the facility. An employee with long, artificial nails was observed working with exposed ready to eat food at the bar area.

Leaks were seen beneath hand sinks throughout the facility. Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures. An employee was seen placing cheese slices on burgers with bare hands without heating the cheese up to a temperature of 145 degrees.

A required followup inspection has not yet been held.

The Juicy Crab at 5590 Forest Drive in Richland

The Juicy Crab had an inspection on July 7 and got a C grade. An inspector observed flies on equipment and food contact surfaces throughout the kitchen. Also observed were dishes stacked wet, not allowing for proper drying.

Dishes were also seen stored as clean with food debris and label residue still attached.

A required followup inspection was held on July 13 and the restaurant earned an A grade.

Kwik Korner at 6134 Shakespeare Road in Richland

Kwik Korner had an inspection on July 3 and got a C grade. An inspector observed cabbage and raw chicken stored directly on the floor in the walk-in freezer. Also observed was fly and roach activity throughout the facility.

Cardboard was seen lining the floor and equipment. Also seen was a black and orange substance inside the ice machine and accumulation of food matter and grease on the exterior of equipment.

Kwik Korner had three required followup inspections on July 10, July 18 and July 25 and got C grades each time. Another required followup inspection has not yet been held.

Mr. Bunky’s Market at 10441 Garners Ferry Road in Richland

Mr. Bunky’s had an inspection on July 17 and got a C grade. An inspector observed breading containers cracked and broken, allowing contaminant to enter. Also observed was raw chicken stored over beef and fish.

Also seen were broken containers of flour and macaroni and cheese, some of which were fixed with duct tape.

Mr. Bunky’s had two required followup inspections and got C grades. Mr. Bunky’s had another required followup inspection on July 24 and got an A grade.

Tasty Wings at 460 Killian Road in Richland

Tasty Wings had an inspection on July 3 and got a C grade. An inspector observed an employee handling ready to eat food items without proper hand washing between points of contamination. Raw eggs were seen stored over prepared sauces.

Also seen were two containers of teriyaki sauce prepared two days prior that had not been adequately cooked.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 10 and got another C grade. The restaurant had a second followup inspection on July 18 and earned an A grade.

El Jimador at 108-J Scarborough Dr. in Lexington

El Jimador had an inspection on July 18 and got a C grade. An inspector observed heavy fly activity throughout the facility and fly strips in the food prep areas with a heavy accumulation of dead flies on them. Also observed certain foods not allowed to adequately cool.

Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 24 and got another C grade. Another required followup inspection has not yet been held.

No 1 China 2 at 5214 Highway 321 in Lexington

No1 China 2 had an inspection on July 27 and got a C grade. An inspector observed fly activity throughout the facility and food stored directly on the floor in the freezer. Also observed was a food board stored behind the faucet of a sink in an area with food splash.

Dirty dishes were seen stored as clean in the kitchen. Raw beef was seen stored directly over ready to eat foods in the walk-in cooler.

A required followup inspection has not yet been held.

Taqueria at 152 N Pine St. in Lexington

Taqueria had an inspection on July 17 and got a C grade. An inspector observed raw meats stored directly in grocery style bags and fly activity throughout the facility.

A bottle of harsh chemicals was seen stored next to pots and pans. Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures. Fuzzy white growth was seen on tomatoes stored with in-use inventory in the walk-in cooler. Also observed soft, slimy raw peppers in the cooler.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 18 and got a C grade. The restaurant had another followup inspection on July 28 and earned an A grade.

Twisted Roots at 168 Highway 378 in Lexington

Twisted Roots had a restaurant inspection on July 21 and got a C grade. An inspector observed fly activity throughout the facility and raw chicken stored directly on the floor in the walk-in cooler. An employee was observed with hair not properly restrained while working around open food products.

Harsh food chemicals were seen stored with food. Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures. Black buildup was seen inside the ice machine. Dirty dishes were seen stored as clean.

A required followup inspection was held on July 25 and the restaurant got a C grade. Another required followup inspection has not yet been held.

El Teresa’s at 401 W Martintown Road in Aiken

El Teresa’s had an inspection on July 21 and got a C grade. An inspector observed excessive flies throughout the kitchen and prep area. Also observed were multiple boxes of meat stored on the floor of the freezer.

Cooked chicken was seen being prepped in a sink while raw chicken was stored in standing water next to it.

Multiple dishes, pans and cutting equipment were seen with cooked and raw food debris stored as clean. Several cans of food product were seen with rust.

The restaurant had a required followup inspection on July 28 and got an A grade.

Red Bowl Asian Bistro at 6284 Carolina Commons Drive in Lancaster

Red Bowl had an inspection on July 27 and got a C grade. An inspector observed flies throughout the kitchen area and fly strips in the kitchen. Also observed prepping raw chicken in a sink where dirty dishes were also stored.

Food was seen stored on the floors near the grill area and in the walk-in cooler. Dishes were seen being washed in a sink without using sanitizing solution after the washing.

A required followup inspection has not yet been held.

Nishie G’s 2 at 727 Dilworth Lane in York

Nishie G’s had an inspection on July 27 and got a C grade. An inspector observed fruit flies throughout the kitchen area and near the ice machine. Also observed was flaking paint on the ceiling.

Certain foods were seen not kept at proper holding temperatures. Raw eggs were seen stored over ready to eat food.

A required followup inspection has not yet been held.