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.

Oct. 18

Name and location: , 375 Rockbridge Road

Score: 95/A

Previous scores: 86/B on Oct. 12, 2011, 99/A Feb. 3, 2011 and 100/A on July 14, 2010

Violations cited: The pizza conveyer belt had bits of food on it, and the floors and walls in the food service area needed deep cleaning. A wall base under the dish sink needed replacing as it was falling down.

Name and location: 1500 Pounds Road

Score: 87/B

Previous scores: 100/A on March 28, 2011 and 100/A on Sept. 10, 2010

Violations cited: Sub ingredients (ham, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce) were taken out of the cooler but not logged with time and temperature for controls. A soap at the hand sink isn't on the list of approved hand cleansers.

Oct. 17

Name and location: El Tropical Caribbean Grill, 3907 Burns Road

Score: 100/A

Previous scores: N/A - new permit

No violations cited.

Name and location: , 4018 Lawrenceville Highway

Score: 74/C

Previous scores: 91/A on Feb. 17, 2011 and 96/A on Aug. 3, 2010

Violations cited: Containers of pancake batter were filled above the cooling line, and some were stacked inside the walk-in cooler while the batter was cooling. (They shouldn't be stacked, because that retains the heat). An employee used a serving bowl to scoop fruit salad, and the employee, who wasn't wearing gloves, used bare hands to pick some fruit from the bowl. A drain pipe under a sink was broken, and water was spilling out onto the floor.

Oct. 14

Name and Location: , 4031 Highway 78

Score: N/A

Previous scores: 81/B on Oct. 3, 2011, 95/A on March 15, 2011 and 95/A on Aug. 13, 2010

Violations cited: Food containers had too much residue on the outside from stickers/labels.

The inspector noted that since the last inspection, the ice machine had been cleaned, the beer taps serviced, the current permit was on display, the flooring had been repaired, beard guards were ordered for the cook, and the drain under the prep cooler had been cleaned.

Name and location: Las Arepas de Julia, 4044 Highway 29

Score: 66/U

Previous scores: 96/A on March 31, 2011 and 84/B on Aug. 9, 2010

Violations cited: An employee took out trash and came back into the kitchen and rinsed hands in the vegetable sink, over a pot of cut potatoes, then washed hands in the correct sink with soap. There were leaky bags of raw chicken, raw beef, and raw pork together in a bowl. A thermometer wasn't sanitized before it was used to measure the temperature of steak on the grill. Cooked beans out on a counter weren't kept cold enough. Raw meats were taken from the cooler and put on a shelf to be used later, and it was too warm. Some of the cooked foods had the wrong preparation dates on them. Open milk wasn't labeled with the date opened. Some bulk foods were stored on the floor. The women's restroom didn't have self-closing mechanisms on the door. Some ceiling tile needed to be repaired.

Name and location: , 510 Pleasant Hill Road

Score: 93/A

Previous score: 91/A on Jan 29, 2011 and 97/A on July 16, 2010

Violations cited: Pizza sauce cooling in the cooler was filled above the cooling line of the container. The self-closing mechanism on a restroom door needed to be adjusted. A base board covering needed repairing and the self-closer on the back door needed to be reattached to the wall.

Name and location: , 4044 Highway 29

Score: N/A

Previous scores: 89/B on Oct. 4, 2011 and 92/A on Jan. 20, 2011

Inspector's remarks: The original certificate for the food saftey manager was posted, and the hot water is running properly since the last inspection. Food containers had been cleaned of sticker residue.

Oct. 13

Name and location: , 605 Indian Trail

Score: 91/A

Previous scores: 90/A on Feb. 25, 2011, 95/A on July 20, 2010

Violations cited: Some spray bottles of chemicals weren't labeled to identify the chemicals. The drain line in a cooler was leaking. Handles on fryer baskets needed replacing. Water was leaking frm a sink faucet, and hot and cold water knows were stripped. Floors under an oven, a cooler and a sauce station had some grease and food build-up. Some ceiling tiles needed to be repaired.

Name and location: 130 Killian Hill Road

Score: 95/A

Previous scores: 100/A on Feb. 25, 2011 and 100/A on Aug. 26, 2010

Violations cited:The soap in the dispensers at the cold water sinks were filled with a soap that's not on the list of approved hand cleansers. A fan at one of the prep stations had thick dust over the fan guards.

Oct. 12

Name and location: Lilburn Cafe, 5514 Lawrenceville Highway

Score: 44/U

Previous scores: 90/A on Feb. 23, 2011, 96/A on Sept. 27, 2010

Violations cited: The person in charge wasn't there at the beginning of the inspection, and employees didn't show that they knew the proper temperature for foods, for labeling foods and for storing raw meats. An employee handled a sliced tomato with bare hands. Raw chicken was stored above bread, and raw eggs in shells were above the lettuce. There were bits of food in the microwave. Some foods in the prep cooler weren't kept cold enough. Some pre-cooked meats weren't labeled with a date. The solution in a sanitizer was too strong. The inspector saw a residential brand of pest spray. Some sliced turkey was held beyond the use-by date; an employee said it was to be sent back to the supplier for a refund. Two coolers had no internal thermometers. The prep cooler wasn't keeping foods cold enough. Some ceiling tiles needed replacing. External doors were kept open that had no screens. Door weatherstripping and brush needed repairs.

Oct. 11

Name and Location: , 5319 Lawrenceville Highway

Score:  96/A

Previous scores: 75/C on Oct. 1, 2011, 91/A on March 4, 2011 and 87/B on July 27, 2010

Violations cited: Shredded pork was cooling in a plastic container that was too tightly covered to allow the food to cool in a timely manner.