Dirty pots, pans & utensils. Macon barbecue spot fails its routine health inspection

Dirty pots, pans and utensils stored as clean contributed to a Macon barbecue restaurant failing its most recent routine health inspection.

J & R Bar-B-Que at 836 Hazel St. scored a 66 for a grade of “U” for “unsatisfactory compliance” at its routine inspection Feb. 21, according to what was reported in the state health department’s online portal Wednesday.

Environmental health inspectors assign grades based on how many points are deducted from 100, with scores of 69 and below considered failing. Follow-up inspections are required when a restaurant fails its routine inspection and generally take place within 10 days.

A report on its required follow-up inspection was not included in what was reported in the online portal Wednesday.

Failing grade

At J & R Bar-B-Que’s routine inspection Feb. 21, an environmental health inspector noted: “interior of cooking pots, pans with debris, carbonization; utensils stored above cook line with debris, staining; pans stored as clean on cook line with debris, staining; interior steam well pans with staining; knives stored on racks with food debris, staining, dust, rust,” according to the health inspection report.

Multiple other violations cited in the inspection report included:

• The restaurant did not have a certified food safety manager.
• The restaurant did not have a verifiable method of reporting related to employee health as related to diseases transmissible through food.
• The facility did not have a body fluid kit or response procedures for employees to follow.
• Cans of Sterno, alcohol and cleaning products were improperly stored adjacent to dry plates, cooking utensils and cook pots above prep area on racks
• Multiple unlabeled spray bottles with unknown solutions inside were not labeled.
• An unknown container of white powder stored in a jug by microwave was not clearly and legibly identified.
• Multiple wiping cloths were laying on the flooring of the main cook area instead of being stored in an appropriate drying location or sanitizing solution.
• A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands was not provided at a hand washing sink.
• The facility’s permit was not posted.
• The restaurant’s most recent health inspection was not posted for public view.
• A white powder was stored in an ostensible pretzel container by microwave instead of in a reusable or the original container.
• Bare wood struts were used as support for a sneeze guard above the steam wells, for the rotisserie machine, for the fryer plug and other areas instead of corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent, and smooth material.
• A home microwave instead of a commercial grade microwave was being used in the kitchen.
• No testing strips to check the concentration of the sanitizing solution used in the restaurant could be found in the facility.
• The inspector observed “interior electric pot rusted, debris; interior rotisserie machine debris, staining; interior hot dog rotation device stained, dusty; interior RIC debris, staining; interior smoker debris, carbonization; interior oven debris, food stains; grates, shelving with debris, staining; interior hood cobwebs.”
• No covered trash can in a restroom.
• Doors of restrooms were without self-closing latches.
• The restaurant had visible damage such as missing tiles in the front food service area, a hole in the ceiling of the main kitchen area with wiring exposed and wallpaper peeling from the drywall of an interior bathroom.
• Bulb covers were missing on an interior food vent and for a fluorescent light bar on a rack in the main kitchen.
• The inspector observed “holes in windows in main kitchen area; holes in window in front food service area; gaps between doorframe and door in main dining area … Outer openings of a food service establishment shall be protected against the (potential) entry of insects and rodents.”
• The facility lacked an active pest control service.

At prior inspections included in the online portal Wednesday, J & R Bar-B-Que scored an 84 for a “B” for “satisfactory compliance” on May 2, 2023 and an 84 for a “B” on March 7, 2022.

Other restaurant scores

Most restaurants in Bibb County earned “A”s on their routine inspections for the reporting period of Feb. 1-28, according to what was reported in the online portal.

Three restaurants earned a “B” while none received a “C.”

These restaurants and a pool, bar and grill aced their routine inspections with perfect scores of 100:

• Brass Rack, 2440 Riverside Drive
• Cold Stone Creamery, 156 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd., Suite 254
• Fincher’s Barbecue, 5627 Houston Road
• Five Guys, 120 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd.
• Panda Express, 120 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd., Suite 105
• Sumo Steak & Sushi, 3850 Riverside Drive, Suite B
• Taco Mac, 5433 Bowman Road
• Wendy’s, 6040 Zebulan Road
• Your Pie, 1625 Bass Road, Suite 360

Additionally, two food trucks earned perfect scores on routine inspections: MAC Food Truck and Shiver Shack Shaved Ice.

Here’s how the scores are graded: “A” for a score between 90 and 100 that indicates “food safety excellence.” “B” for a score between 80 and 89, considered “satisfactory compliance,” and “C” for “marginal compliance’‘ for a score between 70 and 79. A “U” for “unsatisfactory compliance” is given when a restaurant scores a 69 or less.

Restaurant inspections are designed to protect public health. The Telegraph reviews inspection reports monthly and generally reports only the best and the worst scores.