The Porter Beer Bar flunks health inspection

Editor’s note: We’re calling out Atlanta’s filthiest restaurants in our new “Failed Health Inspection” column. Oh, and restaurants that pass? We won’t be mentioning them: passing is EXPECTED! P.S. Failing, as determined by the Health Department, is a score of 70 or less. Bon appetit — caleb j. spivak

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Luckily, alcohol kills bacteria

Molly Gunn’s Porter Beer Bar, located at 1156 Euclid Avenue in Little Five Points, scored a 65/100 on their health inspection taken on Feb. 3, 2011.

Some violations include “observed bare hand contact of ready-to-eat food by employee” and “food-contact surfaces and utensils not sanitized properly after cleaning.”

Here are the rest of the health code violations:

Here’s a digital copy of the full report.

The Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

39 Responses

  1. A few times while walking by the Porter in the morning when L5P is deserted and serene, I’ve seen a rodent scurry under the outside table. Of course they can’t control the great outdoors, but I’m pretty sure that little critter has a permanent residence under there.

  2. Did anyone read the Health Inspection…it’s all small stuff. There is nothing about rodents, spoiled food or anything expired.

    This is not Kitchen Nightmares…

  3. Also, what the general public does not know is that most restaurants fail their yearly inspections for the same reasons that The Porter got a bad score for. But, the score was never posted and restaurants are given a week to fix or clean things up.

  4. Chris- we all know the Porter is better than that score. It is obvious that the health inspector is enforcing the new Fulton Cty. regulations and/or the staff working at the time of the inspection were not trained properly. We all know that the Porter will pass their next evaluation, it is just an interesting insight into the working of things. I hope you don’t think this is intended to drive business away…

  5. having worked in fine dining for years but no more, most fine dining restaurants don’t use gloves when handling food, chefs refuse to abide by this rule, cause most are only open at night when they wont get inspected..think about on your next night out.

  6. Hey Caleb,

    Working in the business most of my adult life…I can honestly say that on the first unreported score, most businesses fail. I could give you a very long list that would be very surprising to most people. You can fail for not using the right food containers or if you have a spray bottle of cleaning fluid sitting on a shelf near food or liquor. Low score if you stack your glasses. A bartender cutting fruit without gloves (they all do). Put a just opened can of tomatoes into the walk in, have a case of beer on the floor of a walkin…I could go on. One very popular breakfast place got a very low score one time because they wouldn’t crack their eggs per order. They do what all breakfast places do…crack a ton of eggs, stir and place near the flat top for scrambles.

  7. actually a lot fail and they are retested a week later only on the things that they failed on. Its not that they are unhealthy kitchens, todays health code laws are SO strict, and things like gloves on or off are 9 points alone, if it is a repeat violation, add another 8 on top of that. If an cook, brushes their gloves on his apron, they have to stop what they are doing, wash their hands and change their gloves or it is a violation. One noteworthy item, there has been alot of press on news and internet about health inspections, fulton county just adapted the 2007 georgia health code changes that dekalb, gwinette and cobb have been using for years. When dekalb picked it up several years ago, alot of restaurants failed and had to be retested which caused such a back log of inspections most places went over a year between inspections. The restaurants in dekalb are doing much better now that they are familiar with the codes and inspectors are close to being back on a 6 month schedule.

  8. Caleb,

    Update on this. I know Molly and the staff at the Porter and the first second I saw this I let them know. They pride themselves on cleanliness. After speaking with Molly today she informed me that she had the issues corrected immediately after the inspection and then had the place reinspected.

    Here is a photo of the health inspection, she will be submitting it next week.

    Please don’t ruin local Atlanta businesses (the things that keep this blog in business).

    Thanks!
    Christian

  9. health inspection scores doubled in points for violations in the past year.
    things that were before 4 points is now 9 points. Its a lot easier to fail for something so stupid about not wearing gloves when sendiing food out. Another fun tidbit: bars are required to have straws that are wrapped, if not? its 7 points off.

  10. I have to agree with most everyone else here…..these are all small things that make an alarming statement when none is needed.

    If you are not in the business, you have NO IDEA the things that you can be cited for (or that can hold you up from getting open)…some of the rules are just unbelievably complicated – and not just about handling food, I’m talking about what kind of ceiling tiles are acceptable or not acceptable. It’s not okay to have an original brick wall in a bathroom – they will make you paint it or seal it….seriously.

    I could go on and on…

  11. Well, Caleb’s buddy Caren West may hate Eli for his op on Real Chow Baby, BUT..

    Way to single handedly destroy any good relationships with the restaurants in town, Caleb.

    If you’re going to do this, you need to do it for restaurants that fail twice in a row/repeatedly. Those are the real disgusting ones. As everyone has said before, the health inspector pulls out some nitpicky sh*t that, honestly, isn’t a true reflection of the quality/standards.

    Also – uh CBS Atlanta has been doing this for years. A litle late on this train, huh? Ran out of ideas/stories to copy and paste?

  12. Hopefully on Monday (or sooner) there will be an updated post about the Porter passing. I am sure Molly will be more than happy to talk with you Caleb in this matter.

  13. Stacey knows what she is talking about. Everyone scurries around before the health inspector shows up – even while the health inspector is there. Most of the items are just ridiculous – and would be impractical for running a restaurant (especially when it’s busy).

  14. Caleb, don’t let the PR-industry foot soldiers dissaude you from doing what you’re doing. The Porter is a fine beer bar and has tasty food, but there’s no excuse for failing a health dept inspection. All I see in these comments are a bunch of excuses, no doubt clouded by folks with an agenda or an affinity for the Porter. Yes, the Porter cultivates a gritty appearance that matches its L5P environs but that’s no excuse for carelessness when it comes to our safety.

  15. Hey Caleb,
    When I first heard about this grade, I was very surprised because Molly and her crew have always been on point at The Porter. After seeing the violations, I realized that they were not only immediately correctable, but thankfully has nothing to do with the quality and health risks of dining and drinking. I will be going there as usual and trust others will continue to support what has recently been voted as the #3 beer bar in the world. I appreciate the coverage, but I trust people will not jump the gun and think of the worst possible scenario. Now if there is a spot where there are four-legged uninvited guests and horrific food that will invent new stomach viruses, I will happily blast them with fury!
    Thanks again, Caleb. Hopefully I will see you at The Porter celebrating a much better score!
    Cheers!
    Ale Sharpton, beer writer and blogger
    http://www.alesharpton.com

  16. It still looks like you’re picking on the Porter. Why haven’t you posted any of the other restaurants that have failed inspections recently?

    In Fulton County alone in the past three weeks more than 15 restaurants have failed a health inspection. This includes Straits, Silver Skillet, Chin Chin, and Shane’s Rib Shack.

    Another example: in DeKalb county, 361 restaurants have failed an inspection at some point.

  17. Hi Caleb,

    Please explain why you will not post any re-inspection reports? Your response to Curt’s question – “Pretty sure they got a 99 on the follow up. When are you going to post that” was that you only post failing inspection reports and your column does not include any follow up reports that have a passing grade.

    If you are going to have a “Failed Health Inspection” column that lists health inspection scores, its important to include follow up inspection reports. Restaurants deserve a chance for correction before being vilified and as a courtesy to your readers; re-inspection reports should be posted to let us know what actions restaurant management takes after a poor inspection.

    There are many trivial particulars of why a restaurant can receive a bad report that has nothing to do with food quality or health risks and it’s critical that readers understand why the establishment received a bad score and what they did to fix it.

    If they take sufficient action and their grade changes from 65 to 99 on follow up then perhaps the poor score was a fluke or they were minor infractions. If you are going to take the time to post a failing grade then please consider taking the time to fully report inspection by providing readers with any follow up news.

    Thank you and here is hoping you will include re-inspection reports in your future Failed Health Inspection column.

  18. Hi Caleb,

    I enjoy your blog and read it often.

    However, in my opinion, your failure to post the re-inspection report is irresponsible journalism.

    As already noted in most comments above, The Porter’s infractions were minor and easily corrected. But that is not my concern here. My concern is the fairness of your reporting approach.

    As a consumer — not a restaurant “insider” — I was horrified when I read your headline and introduction to your post. I assumed the worst — that people would be getting sick left and right. You have to remember that we consumers do not know all the particulars that go into a health inspection. Once I read further into the report, and took in all of the comments, I believe that this was a minor news story that could potentially be blown out of proportion and create negative consequences for The Porter.

    And I am not a PR “foot soldier” for the The Porter. I am simply a concerned citizen of Atlanta that believes in the fair treatment of all. I enjoy eating at the The Porter and if I had only read the headline — or heard pieces of this story through the grapevine — I would stop eating at The Porter. But because I took the time to read on, I know the real story and will feel very comfortable continuing to frequent The Porter. Your failure to post a follow-up is not only unfair to The Porter, but unfair to consumers.

    I understand your stance on not posting all passing grades for health inspection reports. I agree with you on one point; passing should be a given. And, (I assume) posting ALL reports for ALL restaurants around town would be next to impossible for you.

    But now that I understand that these health reports include nit-picky items that do not truly reflect the quality of the food — and that it is standard to have a follow-up inspection within a week — I believe that the only responsible approach to these health inspection posts is to post follow-up inspections. Because I took the time to read the comments, I see that The Porter’s follow-up grade is 99, which is an important piece of this story. Not everyone will take the time to read all — or even any — of the comments.

    Without the follow-up report, you are not telling the full story. If you want to be considered a responsible blog — and want to continue to attract loyal followers, I suggest you re-consider your stance on not posting the follow-up inspections.

    Best regards,
    Lauren

  19. OMG! I read this artical and I am never ever going to travel from Lawrenceville down to L5P with my homeschooled kids to eat their. That is disgusting! Thanks so much for the update. I rely on this for all of my decisions.

    God bless!

    Tammy

  20. Caleb,

    Posting bad scores for the sake of posting a bad score and potentially ruining the reputation of a restaurant is poor journalism.

    Other news outlets that report on failed health inspection scores usually report when a restaurant has cleaned up their act. It’s responsible.

    To not post that The Porter received a 99 on their follow-up score is irresponsible – and possible detrimental to a good local business.

    I’ve had nothing but good experiences at the Porter, and it is a great local restaurant that corrected small mistakes immediately to score, not just a passing grade, but an “A.”

    As you can see from “Tammy’s” response above, you have caused The Porter to lose a customer, even though they have now passed their inspection.

    You need to realize that what you write can impact businesses, good or bad.

  21. “Posting bad scores for the sake of posting a bad score and potentially ruining the reputation of a restaurant is POOR JOURNALISM [emphasis added].

    Other news outlets that report on failed health inspection scores usually report when a restaurant has cleaned up their act. It’s responsible.

    To not post that The Porter received a 99 on their follow-up score is irresponsible.”

    This.

    It is indeed fair to say that passing is expected and not newsworthy. However after immediate corrections were made they scored a 99. If this was the original score then it would not be worth note, as you say, “expected.” However, once you report on a story you do bear some journalistic obligation to report on updates to the same. Otherwise people reading your blog will leave with the incorrect impression that the Porter’s current health score is a 65. That is false. It was true for a span of less than a week, but is no longer and to not change your article to relate the new score is misleading and irresponsible.

  22. Also please explain this:

    “It still looks like you’re picking on the Porter. Why haven’t you posted any of the other restaurants that have failed inspections recently?

    In Fulton County alone in the past three weeks more than 15 restaurants have failed a health inspection. This includes Straits, Silver Skillet, Chin Chin, and Shane’s Rib Shack.

    Another example: in DeKalb county, 361 restaurants have failed an inspection at some point.”

  23. An update:

    Since my last post just four days ago, an additional three restaurants have failed health inspections in Fulton County, and an addition one restaurant in DeKalb County has failed.
    Cobb County hasn’t had any inspections in the past fours days, but the most recent inspection (performed 2/1/2011) was a fail. Gwinnett County had an inspection failure just yesterday.

  24. And still no follow up from Caleb which begs the question, what is your criteria for which failures to post? Your goal is obviously not to post all failures as a service to your readers because to date you’ve failed to post any recent failures but one. Picking and choosing. Why?

    1. hi curt- thanks for your comment. we will be posting EVERYONE who fails. the delay? we are working with interviewing the health department to better understand how the system works to define guidelines for passing and failing. thanks for your patience.

      –cjs

  25. Some facts about the Health Code:

    1) failing to wash hands for 20 full seconds: 9 pt violation
    visible evidence of rodent infestation: 3 pt violation.

    2) If you walk into a restaurant and water glasses are right side up on the table, they are in violation
    3) If the trash can in the bathroom or behind the bar does not have a lid, they are in violation
    4) If a discarded broken thermometer inside a refrigerator is not replaced. it’s a violation
    5) No hats, violation.
    6) Based on the actual code, every restaurant that has served a meal could be closed, depending on the mood of the inspector.
    7) “If a restaurant serves dinner only, they will never receive an inspection during actual service hours, ever. ” That is a quote from an inspector for FCHHC. (city employees don’t work nights.)

    I commend you for holding restaurants accountable. But you have a responsibility to know the code and understand all the dynamics of an inspection as you continue, or you will damage peoples livelihoods who may not deserve it. The code is very complex, the stuff above is just scratching the surface of some of it’s silliness. Know your facts.

  26. Sorry guys, but I have been in several times, since I am a beer lover. They have some serious issues. We can start with the fly issue. Its out of control. On any given day in the window seat when you come in there are always a minimum of 10 house flies just hanging out. Not to mention the fruit flies. Idk tho, it seems like little five is just cruddy all around period. I would rather go to Brickstore any day.

  27. I do not understand the hostiality toward the writer of this report. I love the Porter- it is one of my favorite places in Atlanta- but they failed their health inspection and I am glad that Caleb let me know. It will not stop me from going to this establishment because I am sure the owners will be extra careful now, but people should stop making excuses and realize that perhaps the Porter was not taking health codes as seriously as they are required.

    It shows that an establishment has respect for their customers when they pass these (un-sheduled) health inspections. I consider the Porter a higher-end pub, so if lower / mid-end establishments are able to pass unscheduled insepections, they should be able to as well.

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