Restaurant Grades: Know Then Go

Below are this week's results of recent Gwinnett County restaurant inspections in Greater Lilburn by the East Metro Health District, which covers Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties. Each report includes a synopsis of deficiencies found by the inspector.

Dec. 13

Name and location: Great China, 440 Pleasant Hill Road

Score: 76/C

Previous scores: 82/B on Jun 30, 2011 and 89/B on May 20, 2011

Violations cited: The person in charge didn't know what needs to be reported to health authorities. A water bottle and coffee cups were on the prep table. Four heavily dented cans were stored with good cans of food. A basket of egg rolls in the cooler had no cover. Cloth towels weren't stored in the sanitizer when not in use. Rice scoops and other utensils were stored at room temperature (they should be heated at 135 degrees or more). Soy sauce containers had lids that aren't easily cleanable. Dry noodles and fried chips were stored in a cardboard box and not in a cleanable container. There was trash around the dumpster. Live roaches were spotted during the inspection.

Name and location: , 4300 Stone Mountain Highway

Score: 89/B

Previous scores: 91/A on April 19, 2011 and 93/A on Aug. 11, 2010

Violations cited: Coke machine equipment was kept in the hand-washing sink. A tomato slicer and dicer and the ice machine weren't clean. The bottom part of the prep cooler wasn't cold enough and needed to be repaired. The plumbing at the prep sink needed repairing. The dishwashing machine - which wasn't being used - wasn't reaching a hot enough temperature to sanitize dishes.

Name and location: 4133 Lawrenceville Highway

Score: 78/C

Previous score: 91/A on April 4, 2011 and 96/A on Aug. 18, 2010

Violations cited: The inside of the ice machine had some mold and something slimy-looking in it, there was a green, slimy-looking substance on the ice shoot at the self-serve machine, and the drink dispensers had some black, mold-like growth on the nozzles. Some cold foods weren't cold enough. The labeling machine was broken that's used to mark foods in keeping track of how long they've been out, and there were no written procedures for time controls. Some packaged foods and disposable items were stored under exposed sewage lines in the basement. Some wood shelving in the basement was in disrepair and couldn't be cleaned properly. There was some mold-like growth on the ceiling in the basement. Fruit flies were seen in the kitchen.

Name and location: , 401 North River Road

Score: 97/A

Previous scores: 100/A on March 31, 2011 and 100/A on Spet. 2, 2010

Violations cited: Like a few other Lilburn schools, Knight was using the wrong handsoap in dispensers. The problem has been corrected, the inspector noted.

Name and location: , 411 Beaver Ruin Road

Score: 99/A

Previous scores: 91/A on May 21, 2011 and 95/A on Sept. 11, 2010

Violations cited: Some ceiling tiles over the prep area needed to be repaired. The wall under the handwashing sink was damaged and couldn't be cleaned. The light bulbs near the steamer weren't shielded.

Name and location: , 4129 Shady Drive

Score: 88/B

Previous scores: 96/A on March 30, 2011 and 100/A on Sept. 17, 2010

Violations cited: Macaroni and cheese didn't cool down enough after cooking within the six hours mandated by health regulations. The mac and cheese was in a container that was tightly covered with a lid and aluminum foil.

Name and location: 900 Indian Trail Road

Score: 97/A

Previous score: 95/A on March 31, 2011 and 96/A on Aug. 10, 2010

Violations cited: The vegetable prep sink had pulled away from the wall. The grease container was on bare ground and needed to be put on a sealed, flat surface.

Dec. 12

Name and location: , 4801 Highway 29

Score: 93/A

Previous scores: 100/A on Feb. 24, 2011 and 100/A on Feb. 24, 2011

Violations cited: The restaurant had to close and its permit was suspended for a few hours because there was no hot water at the sinks. The problem was fixed. In its latest report in reinstating Chick-fil-A's permit, the inspector noted that these had been corrected since that morning's inspection: No thermometers in coolers, no handwashing signs at handwashing sinks; grease build-up on pan edges; no warm water at fixtures.

Name and location: El Costeno Calentano, 475 Pleasant Hill Road

Score: 78/C

Previous scores: 96/A on March 24, 2011 and 92/A on July 22, 2010

Violations cited: The person in charge didn't know enough about the health policy. An employee was seen washing his/her hands at a sink for wares. Hot foods weren't kept hot enough, and cooked foods didn't cool down enough within the given six-hour period. Prepared food kept in the restaurant for more than 24 hours wasn't labeled with a discard date. There was no sign at the handwashing sink. A grinder was used that wasn't approved for restaurants. One grease bin was on soft ground and needed to be moved to a hard, smooth surface.

Dec. 9

Name and location: , 4230 Highway 29

Score: 72/C

Previous scores: 84/B on May 11, 2011 and 86/B on Aug. 24, 2010

Violations cited: Three cans of food with dents along the seams were found among cans in good condition. Cut vegetables in the coole weren't covered. Food at the buffet wasn't properly documented to control for the time the food is out. The serving utensils for the serve-yourself ice cream were too short. Cloths weren't kept in the sanitizer between uses, and the sanitizer bucket was kept on the floor. The ice cream scoop was kept at room temperature and should be in a dipper well or other approved storage. There was lime build-up in the dishwasher. The dumpster and grease bin weren't on a hard, sealed surface.

Name and location:, 895 Indian Trail Road

Score: 98/A

Previous scores: 90/A on Dec. 5, 2011 and 72/C on Nov. 30, 2011

Violations cited: An apron was stored in the restroom. Some storage shelves weren't clean.

Dec. 8

Name and location: , 745 Beaver Ruin Road

Score: 68/U

Previous scores: 82/B on April 14, 2011

Violations cited: Raw meat and poutry were stored above vegetables and cooked foods in the freezer. There was mold in the ice machine. Some sweet and sour chicken was still too warm after cooling for six hours. Some spray bottles with chemicals weren't labeled. One employee wasn't wearing a hair restraint.

Name and location: G.H. Hopkins Elementary School, 1315 Dickens Road

Score: 100/A

Previous scores: 100/A on March 8, 2011 and 100/A on Sept. 21, 2010

No violations cited.

Dec. 7

Name and location: , 5330 Lilburn/Stone Mountain Road.

Score: 99/A

Previous scores: 97/A on Feb. 2, 2011 and 100/A on July 7, 2010

Violations cited: The light fixture cover didn't fit in the frame. The grease filter was missing in the exhaust hood.

Name and location: , 998 Cole Road

Score: 99/A

Previous scores: 100/A on March 16, 2011 and 100/A on Sept. 9, 2010

Violations cited: A light bulb at the buffet wasn't shielded. A cover was found and this was corrected.

Name and location: , 5364 Highway 29

Score: 87/B

Previous scores: 83/B on June 23, 2011 and 82/B on Aug. 21, 2010

Violations cited: An employee had an open drink on the prep table. There was mold on the inside of the ice machine. Some spray bottles with chemicals didn't have labels. Tableware wasn't completely wrapped by napkins.

Dec. 6

Name and location: , 4205 Highway 78

Score: 86/B

Previous scores: 87/B on June 24 and 98/A on March 10, 2011

Violations cited: Dirty dishes were spotted in the handwashing sink. Food surfaces and the inside of the ice machine were not clean. The restaurant didn't have the right thermometer for measuring the temperature of thin foods. Equipment and utensils were air-dried after cleaning and sanitizing; an employee was seen drying dishe with a cloth. An employee was seen rinsing dirty dishes and then handling clean dishes with the same gloves. The light wasn't properly shielded at the grill area.