Mice droppings and moldy mozzarella. The worst Horry County restaurant inspections
Whenever you go to a restaurant, you expect the freshest foods cooked in a sanitary setting. So it’s less than ideal if the food is moldy and vermin call the kitchen of your favorite eatery home.
South Carolina does health inspections for restaurants within Horry County and the surrounding area, with data current as of Jan. 31, 2024.
These were the worst restaurant inspections in the Myrtle Beach area.
Country Corner # 7
Address: 410 East Brooks Road, Andrews, S.C.
Score: 71 percent
Inspected Jan. 23, 2024, County Corner #7 was flagged for a violation for an employee not washing their hands while doing different tasks. Dishes were found to have been washed but not sanitized, and ready-made ham and corned beef hash were not date-marked, according to the report. Bug spray was also stored with food items and equipment, which was corrected, the inspection noted.
The inspection also found mice droppings on metal racks storing canned foods and on the floor, as well as grease and food debris. Grease was particularly a problem as ceiling tiles in the kitchen had changed color due to grease, and there was a buildup of grease and grime under the cook line.
Country Corner #7 is required to have a follow-up, on-site inspection within 10 days but does not require a routine inspection in 60 days.
Plantation Pancake House
Address: 1003 Highway 17 Business, Surfside Beach, S.C.
Score: 79 percent
Inspected Jan. 22, 2024, an employee was found handling raw food and ready-to-eat food without washing their hands between both duties.
Moldy mozzarella cheese was found in a walk-in cooler, but the issue was corrected during the inspection, the report noted. A slicer was found soiled with grease and grime despite being marked as clean, although the inspection found it hadn’t been used that day, and the eatery corrected the situation that day.
Hashbrowns were not stored at the correct temperature, which was corrected, and Plantation Pancake House received a consecutive violation for holding ready-to-eat foods beyond 24 hours, specifically sausage gravy and pancake mix, according to the inspection.
An employee had put their phone on a plate in the kitchen, and the inspection found other violations as well.
Upon a second inspection Jan. 31, 2024, Plantation Pancake House scored 100 percent.
Los Cabos Mexican Grill
Address: 670 Highway 17 South, Surfside Beach, S.C.
Score: 80 percent
Inspected Jan. 24, 2024, Los Cabos Mexican Grill was observed to have soiled surfaces inside of drink coolers behind the bar. The floor had worn grout, which held debris and water, and floor drains were missing their covers.
Salsa was not cooled correctly, a consecutive violation; ready-made food was held beyond 24 hours, and not labeled, and toxic chemicals were stored without a label for what was inside, according to the inspection. The report noted that all these issues were addressed during the inspection.
Los Cabos Mexican Grill is required to have an on-site, follow-up inspection within 10 days, but is not required to have a routine inspection in 60 days, the inspection concluded.
Taqueria Antojitos Guanajuato
Address: 1705 Park View Road, Conway, S.C.
Score: 80 percent
Inspected Jan. 23, 2024, an employee was observed not washing their hands after taking off soiled gloves and putting on new ones.
The kitchen and bar hand sinks had no handwashing signs; raw fish was stored on top of cilantro, and raw chicken was next to cheese and pineapple. These violations were corrected during the inspection, according to the report.
Foods were found not to be cooled within the allowed time window, and bulk food containers were not labeled correctly, while a crate of onions was stored next to a sink, the inspection found.
Taqueria Antojitos Guanajuato is required to have an on-site follow-up inspection within 10 days but is not required to have a routine inspection in 60 days. Failure to correct will result in a downgrading for the restaurant, the SC DHEC report stated.
The Grumpy Monk
Address: 4545 Highway 501, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Score: 81 percent
Inspected Jan. 22, 2024, The Grumpy Monk was flagged repeatedly for not cooling and heating foods at the correct temperatures. The dish machine also didn’t work during the inspection, the report found.
Grumpy Monk was inspected again Jan. 25, 2024, and received a 100 percent.
Conway Mart
Address: 1300 Highway 501 Business, Conway, S.C.
Score: 82 percent
Inspected Jan. 26, 2024, Conway Mart had previously received a 78 percent when previously reviewed, The Sun News reported at the time.
An employee was found not to be sanitizing dishing when cleaning them, only washing and rinsing, the report found. A back kitchen hand sink was not accessible for use, and food was not held at proper holding temperatures, both of which were corrected according to the inspection.
Conway Mart was again flagged for having food backs stored in an unfinished part of the store, which had holes in the walls, ceilings and doors. A fryer basket was still broken, and there was a heavy build-up of grease on top of the stove and bottom shelves. The countertops under the self-service drink machines also had an accumulation of debris and dirt, according to the SC DHEC inspection.
Conway Mart is required to have an on-site follow-up inspection before Feb. 2, 2024. Failure to correct specific issues will result in a downgrading.
Domino’s Pizza #5665
Address: 1121 North Fraser Street, Georgetown, S.C.
Score: 83 percent
Inspected, Jan. 25, 2024, an employee did not wash their hands after going outside to take a phone call, while another wore a soiled apron. A dish machine was not sanitizing, and a bottle of chemicals was hanging over the equipment.
There was a build-up of grime in three bin sink compartments, and the drainboard for a dish machine was not connected either, the report found. There was debris on door handles, pizza coolers, shelves, shelves, under shelves, under a prep cooler and a plastic container storing bottles of condiments under a prep table, the inspection observed.
There was also a hole in the wall beside a hand sink in the dish area, the inspection found.
Domino’s Pizza #5665 is required to have an on-site follow-up inspection within 10 days but is not required to have a routine inspection in 60 days.
El Mercadito Chiapanelo
Address: 1801 Park View Road, Conway, S.C.
Score: 86 percent
Inspected Jan. 23, 2024, a German roach was seen crawling on the floor in the prep/dish area. A cutting board made from an unknown wood was being used that was not approved.
The restaurant was also flagged for its three-comp sink not being at the correct temperature by the inspection, but this issue was corrected. A wall panel was cut out and not fixed next to a prep table, and trash and debris were documented on the ground outside the facility, the report observed.
El Mercadito Chiapanelo is required to have an on-site follow-up inspection before Feb. 2, 2024. Failure to correct specific issues will result in a downgrading, the SC DHEC report concluded.
