The Gwinnett, Newton & Rockdale County Health Departments conducted health inspections at 40 restaurants on February 20. Among them, two restaurants failed the inspection after several instances of food safety violations were observed at them. The permit of one of the restaurants was temporarily suspended after more than 10 critical violations were reported.
The Dawg House Burgers and More in Buford and Seis Hermanas Mexican Restaurant in Conyers were the restaurants that failed to comply with the food code. The former scored 44 points in the inspection and faced permit suspension, although it was reinstated later. The latter scored 64 points. Both restaurants were bashed with the unsatisfactory “U” grade and will face follow-up inspections.
Highlights
- The GNR Health Department gave the unsatisfactory grade to two restaurants on February 20.
- One of the restaurants demonstrated way too many cases of severe violations, leading to its permit being suspended temporarily.
- The restaurants will face a follow-up inspection in a few days and may face permit suspension if issues persist.
Violations Observed at The Dawg House Burgers and More
The Dawg House Burgers and More is a quick-serve eatery located at 2380 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Suite B, Buford. The health department inspected the restaurant between 11:20 AM and 2:30 PM on Thursday.
At the end of the inspection, more than 10 critical violations were recorded in the report, leading to its permit being suspended. The permit was reinstated after on-site training was completed.
The inspection report said that the unsatisfactory score demonstrated the lack of managerial control within the facility by the Person in Charge. The PIC was not able to verifiably demonstrate that the employees were aware of the employee health policy.
Moreover, the Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) was not present during the inspection and arrived only at the end. The recent inspection report was not displayed for public view either.
In a case of repeat violation, several employee items were seen placed directly on food prep surfaces throughout the kitchen.
Inspectors also saw chemicals that were being stored very close to food and single-use food items within the facility. They also saw raids being stored on the countertop of the food prep area.
The report also stated that all the employees were seen changing gloves without washing hands. All the hand sinks within the facility were missing paper towels and hand soap. The employees were not wearing hair nets when the inspectors arrived.
Raw beef stored above raw fish and raw meats above ready-to-eat foods were seen in the chest freezer. There were also several time/temperature as a safety control (TCS) foods that were being stored above 41 degrees.
All the food within the restaurant lacked a date mark. Several boxes of food were being stored directly on the floor. Two broken coolers were being used for storage within the kitchen area.
Dishes being stored as clean were seen to have dust and debris on them. Grease and debris were seen accumulated on the backs and sides of equipment. The facility also lacked test strips for the quat sanitizer they were using.
Corrective Actions Taken, Follow-Up Inspection to Be Conducted
Among the issues identified, many were solved on-site during the inspection. The issues that remain to be addressed will have to be resolved within the deadlines mentioned in the report.
The health department will conduct a follow-up inspection within 10 days. An additional routine inspection will occur within 1 year.
Readers can read the detailed February 20 Inspection Report for The Dawg House Burgers and More.
Seis Hermanas Mexican Restaurant LLC Fails Health Inspection
Located at 977 South Main St NE, Unit 1-A in Conyers, Seis Hermanas Mexican Restaurant LLC was inspected between 12:30 PM and Time 2:05 PM on Thursday. The restaurant had scored a perfect 100 in the previous inspection conducted in January 2024.
The report begins by stating that the PIC did not have active managerial control over the establishment. The person was not able to prove their knowledge of the employee health policy and requirements at the restaurant. The person was coached on the violations, health policy and how to properly direct other employees.
Inspectors saw an employee take an avocado that had fallen on the ground and write labels without washing hands. The hand-washing sink was blocked by various items in the main kitchen.
The reach-in cooler had raw chicken and cooked chicken wings stored on top of each other. Ground beef was seen touching pork and steak inside the meat sink. Ground beef was touching beef steak, and pork meat was seen in the reach-in freezer.
Wings and cheese sauce on time control did not have proper time labels on them. Some knives were stored as clean but kept behind the faucet knobs at the meat sink.
Issues Resolved, Follow-up Inspection Soon
All the issues mentioned above were solved on-site, during the inspection, under the supervision of the inspectors. If there are issues not solved during the inspection, fines will be charged.
The follow-up inspection will be conducted on or before February 28. In case of repeat violations, the restaurant’s permit may be suspended.
The Seis Hermanas Mexican Restaurant’s February 20 Inspection Report is available online.
Among the restaurants inspected on Thursday, 15 scored a perfect score of 100. Further, 14 scored in the 90s, making the total number of restaurants with an “A” grade 29. There were eight restaurants that scored in the 80s and got a “B” grade, and 1 got a 75 and a “C” grade.
