Two Rock Hill buffet restaurants earned the region’s lowest health scores of the year
Editor’s note: This story was published March 18 and updated on March 28 to reflect follow-up inspection scores and a correction. An earlier version of this story misstated The Little Cafe’s response before the story was initially posted. The Herald was unable to reach The Little Cafe before this story posted on March 18.
Two Rock Hill buffet restaurants scored C grades last week during health inspections, earning the two lowest scores this year in a three-county area.
Ginza Buffet of Rock Hill had three inspections last week after the first one scored a 67%. Restaurants are scored on a 100-point scale. Anything above 87 points is an A, with a 78-87 score getting a B grade.
Any lower number is a grade C and indicates food safety practices need “significant improvement,” according to the state health department.
By the third inspection Ginza was able to get an A, scoring a perfect 100%. The restaurant did not respond to The Herald’s initial request for comment about the score.
The Little Cafe also got a C inspection, scoring 71%. A follow-up inspection on March 21 showed a score for the restaurant of 100% for an A grade, too.
The Herald was unable to reach The Little Cafe for comment before this story initially posted.
Ginza Buffet near Galleria Mall
A routine inspection March 11 found a number of issues at Ginza, an Asian food buffet at 2275 Dave Lyle Blvd.
T-shirt bags were being used to store food and hand washing sinks were being used for dump sinks (disposal of liquid waste), according to the inspection report. The drink station ice machine had “pink and black organic accumulation.”
Fly paper was being used over a food prep area and gnats were found in a storage area near the dish room. A sink pipe was leaking and there were grease and debris buildup in several areas listed on the report.
An inspector found problems with the thawing of pork chops, oysters, crab meat and shrimp. Ground pork was stored over ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler, and raw meat was stored over vegetables in a hibachi reach-in cooler, the report stated. A variety of foods weren’t kept hot or cold enough, according to health department guidelines. Bug spray was found under the drink station hand sink.
A low score often leads to a follow-up inspection within 10 days. The Ginza score prompted a follow-up within 24 hours.
The March 12 inspection also had a C grade, but with a 91% pass rate. The health department can give letter grades that don’t match numerical ones when there’s a history of problems or issues already noted on inspections haven’t been addressed.
The follow-up inspection found raw fish being stored over ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler and pans at the cook line that weren’t clean to the sight or touch.
A second follow-up March 15 found no concerns that needed to be addressed from above and resulted in the A score and 100% rate. The report noted no further inspection would be needed for at least 60 days.
The Little Cafe near Winthrop
Also on March 15, a routine inspection at The Little Cafe scored a 71%. A follow-up is required within 10 days.
Servers failed to wash hands before preparing ready-to-eat food and the back door was left open during inspection, according to the report. Raw chicken was stored over raw beef in a walk-in cooler, the sink sanitizer wasn’t strong enough, dented cans were found in the dry storage area and several foods weren’t held at temperatures hot or cold enough, per health department guidelines.
Air fresheners and sprays were stored on a shelf above the food prep area with spices and seasonings, according to the inspection.
The two buffets received the lowest numerical scores of a relative handful of C grades so far this year. Of 539 restaurant or food site inspections this year in York County, only seven had a C grade. Two sites, Ginza and the 7-Eleven on Fort Mill Parkway, account for two of those scores, each.
Only one of 144 inspections this year garnered a C grade in Lancaster County. None of the 58 Chester County inspections this year fell into that range.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 12:09 PM.
