Macon restaurant fails its routine health inspection. Here’s what went wrong

Pickles, tarter sauce and biscuits not kept at the correct temperatures for food safety contributed to a Macon restaurant failing its most recent routine health inspection.

Popeyes at 3980 Northside Drive received a score of 67 for a grade of “U” for “unsatisfactory compliance” at its March 28 inspection, according to what was reported Wednesday in the state department of health’s online portal.

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 the chicken and biscuit restaurant’s required follow-up inspection was not included in what was reported Wednesday in the online portal.

When a restaurant fails its routine health inspection, its owner or manager is given a detailed report of the violations. The follow-up inspection is designed to ensure the restaurant has come into compliance.

If critical violations are not corrected within a specified time frame, the state health department may temporarily close the restaurant until compliance is achieved. The restaurant must then pass another inspection before it may reopen.

Failing grade

At the routine inspection of Popeyes on Northside Drive on March 28, pickles and tarter sauce stored in a prep top cooler were above the required temperature for food safety, while biscuits in a reach-in cooler also were not stored at the proper temperature.

Other violations cited in the inspection report included:

• The restaurant failed to keep all cooking equipment clean.
• Food debris and food stains were inside the microwave that needed cleaning.
• The assistant manager was packing food without any type of hair restraint.
• An employee working with food dropped a glove on the floor and failed to wash their hands before starting to put the glove back on.
• Ice was on boxes of product, on the wall and on the floor of the walk-in freezer.
• A certified food safety manager certificate was not on display for public viewing inside the restaurant.
• The prior restaurant inspection was not posted in the store or at the drive-thru window for public viewing.
• The restaurant’s health department permit was also not posted.
• The restaurant was experiencing a plumbing issue during the inspection.
• A three compartment sink wasn’t working properly, with water going onto the floor instead of into a drain.
• The restaurant failed to have a designated area for employee activity with lockers or another suitable way to store their belongings.
• An employee’s black purse was being stored on a rack beside a hand sink directly on top of to-go cups.
• A pest control service had not been set up yet.

This was the first routine inspection for the Popeyes on Northside Drive since the restaurant reopened earlier this year. The restaurant was among 16 Middle Georgia locations that abruptly closed in May 2024 after a franchise sale went awry.

More restaurant scores

Meanwhile, most Macon restaurants earned “A’s” on their routine inspections during the reporting period of March 1-31, according to what was reported in the online portal.

Five restaurants received “B’s” and one got a “C.”

Multiple restaurants, including several food stands at Smiley’s Flea Market, aced their routine inspections with a perfect score of 100.

Perfect scores

• 3rd & Cherry, 379 Third St.
• Anderson’s Country Kitchen, 1224 Eisenhower Parkway
• BJ’s Billiards, 430 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• Chick-fil-A, 5055 Brookhaven Road
• Daniel’s Concessions, Smiley’s Flea Market, 6717 Hawkinsville Road
• Starbucks, inside Kroger, 220 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd.
• Laura Mae’s Sidewalk Cafe & Famous Grill, Smiley’s Flea Market, 6717 Hawkinsville Road
• McDonald’s, 1670 Bass Road
• McDonald’s, 4630 Hartley Bridge Road
• McDonald’s, 1450 Rocky Creek Road
• Medi’s Mediterranean Fusion Restaurant, 1687 Bass Road, Suite 103
• S&S Cafeteria, 3724 Bloomfield Village Drive
• Nu-Way Weiners, 3780 Northside Drive, Suite 150
• Rubix Cube, Smiley’s Flea Market, 6717 Hawkinsville Road
• Satterfields BBQ, 120 New St.
• Taco Bell, 4040 Bloomfield Road
• Tacos Sige, Smiley’s Flea Market, 6717 Hawkinsville Road
• Texas Roadhouse, 5080 Riverside Drive
• The Monkey’s Paw Tiki Lounge, 470 First Street, Unit F
• Tokyo Alley Restaurant, 574 Mulberry St. Lane
• Tommy’s Bakery & Cafe, 5580 Thomaston Road, Suite 10

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.