The GNR Public Health Department gave a Lawrenceville restaurant an unsatisfactory “U” grade after an inspection on February 12. Off the Hook Fish and Shrimp, located at 1002 Duluth Hwy, Suite 400, was able to score only 64 points in the inspection. The inspectors observed two cases of repeat violations, among other issues, at the restaurant.
Highlights
- A Lawrenceville restaurant failed the inspection conducted by the GNR health department on February 12.
- The restaurant was bashed with an Unsatisfactory “U” grade after it scored only 64 points in the inspection.
- The restaurant will now have to rectify the issues cited and face a follow-up inspection to retain its permit.
Off the Hook Fish & Shrimp Hit with Poor Health Inspection Grade
Off the Hook Fish and Shrimp has been offering fried seafood & shrimp plates since May 2015 in Lawrenceville. The restaurant previously scored 89 points and a “B” grade in March 2024. This time around, the restaurant failed the inspection after several risk factor violations occurred during Wednesday’s inspection.
Violations Observed at the Restaurant
The report starts by stating that the risk factor violations that were observed were due to a lack of active managerial control. It held the person in charge responsible for ensuring that the establishment adheres to the Food code.
A repeat violation was recorded in the case of the sanitizer solution that was seen being diluted in a two-compartment vegetable sink. In yet another repeat violation, containers were seen stored as clean but were stacked while wet. Both were cases of second consecutive violation. It the violation of the same food code happens for a third consecutive time, the restaurant may face permit suspension.
Inspectors saw employee drinks placed on the prep surface, which is a violation. They also saw that the temperature of the water in the handwashing sink in the men’s bathroom was not high enough. Employees were also seen wearing wristwatches while working with the food.
Perishable food items like lettuce, milk, and fish were stored improperly, not at low enough temperatures. There were also frozen fried okra and sweet potato fries stored uncovered in a freezer. Milk in the walk-in cooler was not cooling fast enough in the cooler, so it had to be moved to a freezer. Items on time control were stored out of line with the procedures.
There was also ice buildup on the back wall and floor of the walk-in freezer. Inspectors also saw mold-like build-up on the inside of the ice machine. The fan in the walk-in cooler had dust built up as well.
The chlorine sanitizer that was used at the restaurant had a concentration that was too high. Inspectors also saw a mop placed with the head inside the mop bucket that had water in it.
Most Issues Correct Onsite, Follow-Up Inspection In 10 Days
The majority of the issues that are cited above were solved on-site. The Food items that were not covered got lids placed on them, and where they had to be relocated, it was done as well. The employee was made to remove wristwatches, and the drink on the prep table was discarded. The Ice machine was drained, washed, and sanitized to clear off the mold. Containers that were stored as clean while while wet were washed and sanitized. These and more corrections were done during the inspection, under the supervision of the inspectors.
There are issues that are still to be corrected, marked as NCOS in the report, and are to be resolved before the follow-up inspection. The handwashing sink shall be made to have tempered water at a high enough temperature. The walk-in freezer will have to be repaired to remove the ice buildup. The fan in the alk-in cooler must be cleaned. The issue concerning the Person-in-charge’s lack of control over the establishment must be addressed as well.
The restaurant will face the follow-up inspection on or before February 22. If the corrections are not done before this date, the restaurant’s permit may be suspended. A required additional routine inspection will occur later as well. The full report for the inspection is available
A total of 45 establishments that come under the Food 2023 code were inspected on Wednesday. The GNR Health Department awarded the perfect score to 14 restaurants. Scoring between 90 and 99 were 21 restaurants. A total of 9 restaurants scored between 80 and 89.
