Local Restaurants Improve After Low Food Safety Scores

News Summary

Recent inspections have revealed concerning food safety scores at several local restaurants in Hamilton, Catoosa, and Walker Counties. Establishments like Rain Thai Bistro and The Hummus Bowl faced critical issues. However, follow-up inspections indicate improvements, especially at the Rodizio Grill. While some restaurants struggled, others achieved perfect scores. The community is encouraged to remain vigilant about food safety standards.

Multiple Local Restaurants Receive Low Food Safety Scores; Follow-up Inspections Show Improvement

In the charming cities around Hamilton County, Catoosa County, and Walker County, residents enjoy a variety of dining experiences. But, as it turns out, some establishments recently found themselves in hot water due to food safety scores that raised eyebrows! Each restaurant is inspected twice a year by health departments, and they are graded on a scale of 100 points. If they don’t meet the critical standards, they get re-inspected, and the original scores can be quite concerning.

Dining Dangers

For instance, take Rain Thai Bistro, which scored a mere 74. That’s not a score anyone would want to hang on their wall! Some of the issues included the person-in-charge not showing proper managerial control, staff mishandling food, and even scenarios like cracking raw eggs and not washing hands after handling raw food. Yikes! On top of that, they had problems with food temperature control, lack of proper food labeling, and sanitation issues like dirty dishes and disorganized utensils.

Another notable mention is The Hummus Bowl, which earned a score of 83. Here, things went awry when an employee was found partially consuming food in customer areas. That’s definitely not how you win friends in the dining business! There were also issues with storing raw animal products above ready-to-eat foods, missing date-marking for time-sensitive items, and messy utensils. Let’s hope these little hiccups are addressed quickly!

And it doesn’t end there! Hunan Wok also received a score of 83, citing employees sipping on personal beverages in food prep areas and concerns about the strength of their sanitizers. With uncovered food items and dirty surfaces, it’s no wonder that cleanliness is the heart of a good dining experience!

What’s Cooking at Other Restaurants?

85, while Tupelo Honey Cafe managed to get an 87. Brothers Bagel scored 90, and KFC, coming in strong, got a score of 91. However, not every place fared poorly. Multiple restaurants managed to impress and received perfect scores of 100, including popular fast-food chains, school cafeterias, and mobile food vendors. Now that’s something to celebrate!

An Update on Improvement

On a brighter note, in Cleveland, Jenkins Restaurant & Deli faced a few road bumps scoring 80. They had some issues with not marking dates for cooked dishes, along with clutter and improper storage of items near food prep areas. Meanwhile, in downtown Chattanooga, the Rodizio Grill had a fantastic turnaround! After initially scoring a lowly 71, they improved immensely to a score of 95 by addressing their food storage problems. Way to go, Rodizio Grill!

Common Concerns

As always, a few common themes emerged from the inspection results, such as improper storage of raw meats, unmarked cleaning products, and a general lack of cleanliness in food prep areas. It’s clear that while some places need a nudge in the right direction, others are on the path to improvement. If you’re ever concerned about food safety at a local restaurant, feel free to reach out to respective health departments through these numbers:

• Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department: 423-209-8110
• Catoosa County Health Department: 706-406-2030
• Walker County Health Department: 706-639-2574

Keep enjoying those local restaurants, and here’s to hope for better scores all around in the future!

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Additional Resources

• Times Free Press: Bare-Handed Chopping Improperly Constructed
• Local 3 News: Popular Cleveland Restaurant Receives Below Average Score
• Wikipedia: Food Safety
• Times Free Press: Unwashed Avocados, Chips on the Floor in Chattanooga
• Local 3 News: Chattanooga Restaurant Almost Fails Inspection