Two Warner Robins eateries fail routine health inspections. What happened?

A well-known hot dog restaurant that got its start in Macon and a barbecue spot geared to takeout with some outside seating, both in Warner Robins, failed routine health inspections in June.

Violations ranged from leafy greens and cut tomatoes above the required temperature for food safety, to an employee grabbing biscuits off the grill, and shredded cheese, coleslaw, cooked oxtail, and raw chicken in a reach-in cooler above the required temperature for food safety.

Also, six other restaurants in Houston County received C’s on their routine inspections during the June 1-30 reporting period, according to what was reported Thursday in the state health department’s online portal.

The six restaurants include a coffee shop in Perry, a Mexican restaurant in Warner Robins, a grill & bar at a Warner Robins hotel, a new Japanese steakhouse in Perry, a well-known cafeteria-style restaurant in Perry, and a popular buffet in Centerville.

All six had priority violations related to food not at the proper temperature for food safety.

Of the eight restaurants with either failing or marginal compliance grades, most improved their scores at their required follow-up inspections, though one only improved to a C with another follow-up inspection expected.

State environmental health inspectors assign grades based on how many points are deducted from 100.

Restaurants and other food establishments that receive either a C for “marginal compliance” or a failing U for “unsatisfactory performance” on a routine inspection are required to have follow-up inspections, which usually take place within 10 days of the routine inspection.

Failing grades

Nu-Way Weiners

Nu-Way Weiners at 1762 Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins scored a 55 for a U at its routine inspection and a 77 for a C at its required follow-up inspection. Another follow-up inspection is expected for the C grade.

At its routine inspection, Nu-Way Weiners received a U in part because the person in charge/ certified food safety manager was not performing their duties to ensure time/temperature control for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations noted in the report include:

• The person in charge was not performing their duties to ensure food handlers were not using bare hands to handle ready-to-eat foods.
• A food handler grabbed biscuits off the grill with his bare hands and proceeded to prep them instead of using utensils or wearing gloves.
• The person in charge received a container of coleslaw and proceeded to place coleslaw into the reach-in cooler without verifying the temperature. The coleslaw was above the required temperature for food safety.
• Cut leafy greens and sliced tomatoes were above the required temperature for food safety and improperly stored in an ice bath with the food items sitting on top of the ice.
• A food handler with a beard greater than one-half inch in length was prepping food items without a required beard restraint.
• No food allergen notification was present at the facility as required.
• Wet wiping cloths near the grill area were sitting on the counter instead of in a chemical sanitizer solution.
• Outdoor light could be seen coming in at the bottom of the backdoor, indicating enough room for pests to enter the facility. The gap needs to be eliminated.

At prior inspections, Nu-Way Weiners received mostly A’s and B’s. Those scores include a 99 on a follow-up inspection March 3 after a 75 on a routine inspection Feb. 25; 96 on Sept. 24, 2025; 96 on May 29, 2025; 87 on Jan. 30, 2025; 95 on Sept. 3, 2024; 88 on May 1, 2024; 94 on Jan. 1, 2024; and 100 on July 24, 2023.

Q Time Barbeque

Q Time Barbeque at 1205 S. Houston Lake Road in Warner Robins scored a 66 for a U at its routine inspection June 11 and bounced back with a 95 at its routine inspection June 17 for an A for “food safety excellence.”

Q Time Barbeque received a U at its routine inspection in part because yellow rice and turkey wings reheating inside a warmer cabinet were below the temperature required for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations included:

• Shredded cheese, coleslaw, cooked oxtail, and raw chicken in a reach-in cooler near the entrance were above the required temperature for food safety.
• No date markings were on food items inside the reach-in coolers near the entrance and near the register.
• No food allergen awareness notification was posted as required.
• An employee was actively prepping food without wearing a required hair restraint.

At prior inspections, Q Time Barbeque had a mix of scores, including multiple 100s. Those scores include 88 on Feb. 25, 2026; 91 on Aug. 20, 2025 follow-up inspection after a 70 at its routine inspection Aug. 15, 2025; 93 on April 16, 2025; and four perfect scores of 100 on Jan. 2, 2025, July 18, 2024, March 6, 2024, and Oct. 25, 2023.

Marginal compliance

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ at 825 Russell Parkway in Warner Robins scored a 79 for a C for “marginal compliance” at its routine inspection June 8, but bounced back with a 94 for an A at its follow-up inspection June 10.

At its routine inspection, Dunkin’ received a C in part because sliced cheese and turkey sausage inside a prep top cooler to the left of the cooking ovens had temperatures higher than required for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations included:

• The required certified food safety manager certification posted on the wall had the name of an employee who no longer works at the facility.
• An employee poured liquid from a blender into a hand sink in which they also rinsed the blender. Hand sinks are for washing hands only.
• The facility did not have the most recent inspection report posted in public view, but a previous one instead.
• Plastic food-grade containers were stacked wet instead of air-dried first.

At prior inspections, Dunkin’ earned mostly A’s. Scores include 88 on April 9, 2026; 100s on Nov. 19, 2025, July 9, 2025 and Feb. 20, 2025; 97 on Oct. 24, 2024 and June 14, 2024; 96 on Feb. 27, 2024; and 93 on Oct. 13, 2023.

El Mural Mexican Grill & Cantina

El Mural Mexican Grill & Cantina scored a 74 for a C on June 10. The restaurant bounced back with a perfect score of 100 at its follow-up inspection June 12.

At its routine inspection, El Mural Mexican Grill earned a C partly because of a moldy tomato found in a reach-in cooler with other vegetables.

Other violations included:

• Liquid eggs were improperly stored over sauces, raw meat over shredded cheese and sour cream, and sour cream was improperly stored next to raw chicken. The issue is potential cross contamination.
• There was no date marking on any prepared food items.
• Several spray bottles of chemicals were not labeled as required with their common name.

At prior inspections, El Mural Mexican Grill & Cantina earned A’s and B’s with scores of 84 on March 4, 2026; 88 on Oct. 9, 2025; 90 on June 4, 2025; 91 on Jan. 28, 2025; 87 on Aug. 28, 2024; 96 on April 24, 2024; 91 on Jan. 8, 2024; and 100 on Nov. 7, 2023 at its initial inspection prior to opening.

Garden Grill & Bar

The Garden Grill & Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn at 207 N. Willie Lee Parkway in Warner Robins scored a 76 for a C at its routine inspection June 26. The restaurant improved its score with a 93 for an A at its follow-up inspection June 30.

At its routine inspection, the Garden Grill & Bar received a C in part because “several things” in the walk-in cooler were above the required temperature for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations included:

• Several items in the kitchen area should have been discarded two days prior to the inspection.
• Salmon and tilapia with “remove from packaging before thawing” on the package were being kept in the reach-in cooler without the package cut.
• Several sanitizer buckets did not have the required concentration levels because of an issue with the sanitizer dispenser.

At prior inspections, the Garden Grill & Bar earned mostly A’s. Here are prior scores: 100 on a follow-up inspection Jan. 5, 2026 after a 74 on routine inspection Dec. 30, 2025; 92 on July 15, 2025; 95 on Feb. 20, 2025; 90 on Oct. 17, 2024; 95 on May 23, 2024; 90 on Jan 16, 2024; and an 87 on July 7, 2023.

Koji

At its first routine inspection since opening last month, Koji at 100 Valley Drive in Perry scored a 70 for a C on June 29. The restaurant’s follow-up inspection was not included in what was reported Thursday in the state’s online portal.

Koji received a C at its routine inspection in part due to sea bass, red snapper and tuna inside the reach-in cooler being above the required temperature for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations included:

• Three bags of white rice cooked the day before the inspection and previously held on time temperature control were in the reach-in cooler of the sushi area. The rice should have been served or discarded within four hours after being removed from temperature control.
• Hand-washing sinks in the main kitchen and sushi area did not have paper towels as required.
• Numerous chemical bottles throughout the facility were not labeled as required.
• An employee’s prescribed medication was improperly stored near customers’ plates above the prep top cooler.
• Salt, pepper, chicken powder and various sauces were stored in containers that were not labeled as required.
• An employee’s deodorant was improperly stored near customers’ items.
• Prepped salads were tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and a bulk container of salad was tightly covered with its lid with no way to vent as required while in the cooling process.
• Fly traps hanging from the ceiling in the food prep area with flies attached needed to be removed.

Based on priority violations during the inspection, the person in charge will be required to demonstrate knowledge of state health department regulations and to train staff on proper food handling procedures, according to the inspection report.

At its initial inspection on May 1 prior to opening on June 1, Koji scored a 100.

Oil Lamp Restaurant

The Oil Lamp Restaurant at 401 General Courtney Hodges Blvd. in Perry scored a 78 for a C on June 18. The restaurant bounced back with a 96 for an A at its follow-up inspection June 24.

At its routine inspection, the Oil Lamp Restaurant received a C in part because squash casserole and lima beans inside the walk-in cooler were above the required temperature for food safety, according to the inspection report.

Other violations included:

• Several packages of corn that were above the required temperature for food safety were improperly being thawed in stagnant water inside the prep sink.
• The certified food safety manager certificate was not posted as required for public view.
• An employee was handling food while wearing a red plastic band on her wrist. Except for a plain ring such as a wedding band, employees working with food may not wear jewelry.
• A health inspection report was not posted as required for public view.
• A household reach-in cooler was being used to store okra and other food items for customers instead of in a required commercial-grade reach-in cooler.
• No chlorine test strips were on hand as required to check for the proper strength of the chlorine sanitizer solution.

At prior inspections, the Oil Lamp Restaurant earned mostly A’s. Those scores include an 87 on April 6, 2026; 93 on Sept. 23, 2025; 100 on May 28, 2025; 95 on Jan. 1, 2027; 96 on Aug. 22, 2024; 97 on April 2, 2024; and a 100 at its initial inspection Feb. 2, 2024 before operating under new ownership.

Ole Times Country Buffet

Ole Times Country Buffet at 2924 Watson Blvd. in Centerville scored a 78 for a C at its routine inspection June 11. The restaurant bounced back with a perfect score of 100 for an A at its follow-up inspection June 16.

At its routine inspection, Ole Time Country Buffet earned a C in part because of the person in charge not ensuring the time/temperature control for food safety.

Other violations include:

• Grilled pork chops, fried pork chops and fried fish on the self-serve buffet line were all below the required temperature for food safety.
• The person in charge failed to ensure foods were cooling to the correct temperature and that proper cooling methods were followed.
• Raw swai fish fillets were above the required temperature for food safety inside the food-grade container that didn’t have enough ice near the cooking area.
• Raw steak prepped the day before the inspection inside a meat cooler was above the required temperature for food safety.
• Chicken thighs prepped on June 3 were stored inside a walk-in cooler past the food’s required discard after seven days.
• Improper cooling methods were being used for a tightly covered container of raw steak that was prepped the previous day and for several containers of raw swai fish fillets and raw shrimp that also were tightly covered and stacked while cooling.
• Numerous food containers were stacked wet on the storage rack where clean containers are located instead of being air-dried first.
• Broken floor tiles in the dishwashing area, cooking area, and the waitress station across from the restrooms need to be repaired.

At prior inspections, Ole Times Country Buffet earned A’s and B’s. Those scores include an 83 on March 24, 2026; 82 on Oct. 30, 2025; 95 on June 5, 2025; 81 on Jan. 29, 2025; 85 Aug. 13, 2024; 91 March 18, 2024; perfect score of 100 on Oct. 25, 2023; and a 100 at its initial inspection Aug. 23, 2025, prior to opening at its current location after moving from the previous Russell Parkway location in Warner Robins.

How did other restaurants in Houston County fare?

Most restaurants in Warner Robins, Perry, Centerville and other locations in Houston County earned A’s on their routine inspections, with multiple earning perfect scores of 100.

More than 20 restaurants and two food trucks received “B’s.”

How grades are assigned

• An A is given for a score between 90 and 100 and denotes “food safety excellence.”
• A score of 80 to 89 is considered “satisfactory compliance” for a grade of B.
• A C is given for “marginal compliance” based on a score of 70-79.
• A U for “unsatisfactory compliance” is given when a restaurant scores 69 or less.

Restaurant inspections are designed to protect public health. The Telegraph reviews inspection reports monthly.