Hamilton County health inspectors uncovered a number of problems during some recent restaurant visits.
There were no failures reported - a failure is anything below a 70 -but a handful of restaurants were penalized for food safety violations.
At Merv's on Mountain Creek Road, the health inspector discovered that the inside of the cooler was dirty, and a wooden cutting board had cracks across it. A dusty fan was blowing on the food and prep area, and a cook was observed making contact with the phone, their hair and their hands, then preparing food without washing hands.
The restaurant initially received a 76, the lowest score of the week, but later corrected the problems and received a 96.
Porker's BBQ on Market Street, which once hosted George W. Bush, also received a low score, with a 77. The food inspector found an excessively soiled cutting board, mildew in the ice machine and on the floor, a dirty hood, a vent covered in excessive dust and a lack of food safety knowledge among employees.
At the Great American Cookie Co. at Northgate Mall, the inspector found multiple dead roaches in a bathroom, a dirty hand sink and a scarred cutting board. The restaurant received an 81, but corrected it to a 93.
Taco Mac on Market Street had grease buildup on the hood, food debris on various pieces of equipment, as well as mildew on the lid of the ice machine. Its initial score of an 86 was corrected to a 96.
And finally, Wally's on McCallie Ave. lost points for storing a soiled knife, and mouse droppings on top of the diswashing machine.
There were a number of perfect scores as well:
- 100 Taco Bell 7304 Shallowford Road
- 100 Starbuck's Coffee 1951 Gunbarrel Road
- 100 I Love Juice Bar 7407 Igou Gap Road
- 100 Buster's Mobile 1406 Jenkins Road
- 100 Lupi's 1414 Jenkins Road
- 100 Goodman Coffee 1110 Market Street
- 100 Little Tokyo Express 4516 Hixson Pike
- 100 Auntie Ann's 96 Northgate Mall
- 100 Marsha's Backstreet Cafe 5032 Brainerd Road
- 100 Krystal 124 Harrison Lane