Roaches, fruit flies & pink slime: Worst restaurant inspections in Beaufort County this May
There were 11 Beaufort County food businesses cited with “B” and “C” grades in May health inspections by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Here is a rundown of the restaurants that received the lowest ratings in May:
Bowdie’s Chophouse: 11 Palmetto Bay Road, #401, Hilton Head
Bowdie’s Chophouse scored 85% (B) on May 13 in a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
The hand-wash sink was not equipped with soap or drying towels.
Observed clean dishes with baked-on food debris stacked as clean.
A chemical spray bottle on the bar sink did not have a label to identify it.
Chemicals were stored over ready-to-eat foods.
The walk-in freezer has a condenser leak.
Water from the condenser in the walk-in freezer froze onto boxes of food.
Broken-down cardboard boxes were used as shelf liners.
Cutting boards on the hot line were heavily scored, soiled and no longer cleanable.
Hood vent covers had a buildup of grease.
Bowdie’s Chophouse was first reinspected on May 22 and scored 92% with a C letter grade for repeated infractions.
On May 30, Bowdie’s Chophouse was reinspected and scored 97% (A).
Plum’s Cafe: 904 Bay Street, Beaufort
Plum’s Cafe scored 78% (B) in a routine inspection on May 6. Issues noted by inspectors included:
Employees handled dirty plates in the dish area, then made drinks and ran food without washing their hands.
Observed a line cook handle raw products, then change his gloves without washing their hands, then handle ready-to-eat bread.
The hand sink behind the bar was blocked and unusable.
Raw beef was cut on a cutting board, then ready to eat food was placed and prepared without the board being sanitized.
The employee’s phone and keys were on the cutting board while it was in use.
Improper cold holding temperatures for cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and buttermilk.
Observed cleaning products stored above single-use items.
Cleaning products were hung on shelves with clean plates.
Fish was thawed and not removed from the packaging.
Water from the handwash sink splashed onto food inside a cooler because there was no splash guard.
Single-use items were stored in boxes on the floor.
There was a large gap behind the hand sink on the cookline.
There was a buildup of debris under the dish machine and the cookline.
Plum’s Cafe was first reinspected on May 14 and scored 93% with a C letter grade for repeated infractions.
On May 21, Plum’s Cafe was reinspected and scored 98% (A).
Panini’s Cafe: 926 Bay Street, Beaufort
Panini’s Cafe scored a 95% with a B letter grade due to consecutive violations on May 7 in a follow-up inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
The Lowboy cooler is in poor repair and cannot hold food at the required minimum temperature.
Improper cold holding temperatures for cold pasta, cheese and She-crab soup.
Panini’s was reinspected on May 8 and scored 100% (A).
La Familia: 435 William Hilton Parkway, Suite MN, Hilton Head
La Familia scored a 74% (C) in a routine inspection on May 15. Issues noted by inspectors included:
Observed a food handler wash hands incorrectly.
Observed ready-to-eat empanadas and desserts on display that were prepared in someone’s home and not eligible for sale or consumption in a retail food establishment.
Cornbread had green organic growth and was held in the walk-in cooler.
Berries had decay and visible white organic growth.
Poblano Peppers with visible decay were offered in the retail refrigerator.
Mixing bowls and utensils were stored as clean that were unclean to sight and touch.
A food handler washes mixing bowls with no three-step system and no sanitizing step as required.
Chicken empanadas and eggs were stored at incorrect holding temperatures.
Observed fruit flies swarming at the onion and plantain display table.
A crate of Nopales (cactus) was stored on the walk-in floor.
The white chest freezer was in poor repair with a broken lid.
Equipment in the kitchen area, equipment stands and shelving had an accumulation of food debris and soil.
The ceiling in the walk-in cooler was flaking and in need of repair.
La Familia was reinspected on May 21 and scored 100% (A).
La Poblanita Restaurant: 4490 Bluffton Park Crescent, Bluffton
La Poblanita Restaurant scored a 76% (C) in a routine inspection on May 19. Issues noted by inspectors included:
Observed a food handler wash hands incorrectly.
Food handlers had repeated infractions of not washing hands or changing gloves as required.
Shell oysters that were delivered live do not have the correct date identification.
The facility is not maintaining shellstock tags for 90 days as required.
Raw beef was in direct contact with raw chicken.
A food handler prepared raw beef and then handled clean wiping cloths and utensils without washing hands and changing gloves.
Knives were stored as clean, but were unclean to the sight and touch.
The ice machine deflector plate had a buildup of pink organic slime.
The facility is not date-marking ready-to-eat foods prepared in-house as required.
The facility has a menu advisory but no reminder of which items may be served raw or undercooked.
Octopus was thawing in standing water.
Cases of raw chicken, beef and sugar were stored on the walk-in cooler floor.
Wet and soiled wiping cloths were stored on the cutting surfaces of the hot line.
Single-service and single-use items were stored incorrectly.
The prep cooler, gaskets, hot line, shelves and griddle were soiled.
Observed a two-door freezer with raw animal drippings pooled and frozen at the bottom.
The trash was not properly disposed of.
La Poblanita Restaurant was reinspected on May 28 and scored 100% (A).
Papaya Thai & Sushi: 1001 Boundary Street, Beaufort
Papaya Thai & Sushi scored a 71% (C) in a routine inspection on May 2. Issues noted by inspectors included:
No paper towels were at the hand sink near the dish area.
Raw beef was stored over ready-to-eat foods in the prep cooler.
Observed thawed raw chicken stored on top of raw unpackaged fish in the deep freezer.
Improper hot holding temperature for soup and rice.
Improper cold holding temperature for shrimp, chicken, beef, eggs and tuna.
The facility does not have a date marking system in place.
Cooked duck, house-made egg rolls and house-made ragu did not have labels with proper discard dates.
Spray bottle with cleaner not labeled.
Observed a can of household Raid in the kitchen.
Observed a large baited rodent trap.
The walk-in cooler and the Lowboy are in poor repair.
Tuna was thawed in the packaging.
Observed live roaches in the facility.
Observed rodent droppings on top of the water heater and on the floor of the kitchen.
Scoops without handles were stored in dried goods.
In-use kitchen knives are stored in the crevice between the prep cooler and the table.
Cardboard is used to line shelves in the kitchen.
Refrigerators, deep freezers and shelving units had a buildup of grease and debris.
Papaya Thai & Sushi was reinspected on May 13 and scored a 93% with a C letter grade for repeated violations.
Papaya Thai & Sushi was reinspected again on May 21 and scored 100% (A).
E Tang: 811 William Hilton Parkway, Suite A, Hilton Head
E Tang scored a 78% (B) in a routine inspection on May 6. Issues noted by inspectors included:
Cooked duck, par-cooked egg rolls and raw beef were all stored in the same pan.
Improper hot holding temperature for rice.
Improper cold holding temperature for fried chicken.
The facility has a date marking system in place, but items including fried pork, fried chicken, sauce and soup did not have correct date markings.
Containers of bleach and other cleaning chemicals are stored with and over ready-to-eat foods.
Ready-to-eat foods were stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
Bulk food bins had scoops without handles stored in them.
Heavily soiled, broken-down cardboard boxes are used as shelf liner under and near the sauté burner.
The hood system and hood vents were heavily soiled with thick and dripping grease.
E Tang was reinspected on May 13 and scored 100% (A).
El Don Juan: 1 Matthews Court, Suite C, Hilton Head
El Don Juan scored a 79% (B) in a routine inspection on May 21. Issues noted by inspectors include:
Observed a food handler using a cell phone, then cleaned a spill off the floor, then moved to handling food and cleaning utensils without washing hands as required.
Observed ready-to-eat empanadas and desserts on display that were prepared in someone’s home and not eligible for sale or consumption in a retail food establishment.
Packaged food is offered for sale with no labeling information.
Raw, unprotected cuts of beef and pork were stored in direct contact with chest freezer walls.
Improper hot holding temperature for empanadas.
Improper cold holding temperature for pasta salad, pico, creamy slaw and potato salad.
The facility does not have a date marking system.
Unwrapped single-use cutlery at the buffet line was stored and offered in a manner that does not protect from contact surfaces.
Observed wash, rinse and sanitize solutions to be heavily soiled and not maintained clean.
El Don Juan was reinspected on May 29 and scored 100% (A).
Olive Garden: 1266 Fording Island Road, Bluffton
Olive Garden scored an 83% (B) in a routine inspection on May 27. Issues noted by inspectors include:
The kitchen hand-washing sink was being obstructed by a box.
The facility did not have hand-washing cleanser available.
Marina sauce was held at the wrong temperature.
Scallops, cheese and tomato sauce were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
The facility incorrectly labeled sliced tomatoes and garlic butter before placing them in cold holding.
Required food risk logs are not being filled out correctly, and some were missing.
The interior of the mechanical dishwasher had an accumulation of food debris.
The walk-in produce cooler fan cover had a buildup of dust.
Olive Garden has not been reinspected as of June 2, but one is required within 10 days.
Sub Station II: 3662 Trask Parkway, Beaufort
Sub Station II scored an 82% (B) in a routine inspection on May 23. Issues noted by inspectors included:
The handwashing sink was blocked and unusable.
Meatballs and soup were held at the wrong hot temperatures.
Ham, turkey, and cheese were held at the wrong cold holding temperatures.
Spray cans of Raid pesticides were stored in the kitchen.
A box of medicine was stored on the same shelf as food utensils.
Food in boxes and bags was stored on the floor.
Glass cooler is in poor repair and cannot hold food at the required minimum temperature.
The hot press grill is not clean to the touch or sight and has a buildup of grease and debris.
Inside and outside of prep coolers have a buildup of food debris.
There was a buildup of food debris on the floor throughout the facility.
Sub Station II has not been reinspected as of June 2, but one is required within 10 days.
Yummy House: 2 Southwood Park Drive, Suite A, Hilton Head
Yummy House scored % (B) in a routine inspection on May 8. Issues noted by inspectors included:
Food handlers had repeated infractions of not washing hands or changing gloves as required between handling cell phones, food and changing gloves.
Knives and utensils were stored as clean but unclean to the sight and touch.
Facility staff rinsed a soiled bowl and stored it as clean without the three-step cleaning and sanitization steps as required.
Potatoes were stored at incorrect hot holding temperatures.
Watermelon, honeydew melon and sushi rolls were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
Working spray bottle of degreaser not labeled for identification as required.
Observed a working sanitizer bucket of chlorine solution in the chicken basin.
House house-made bleach solution was stored without a label.
Observed WD-40 stored on the same shelf as food items.
Cut lemons stored in ice that was being used as an ingredient for beverages.
Observed a pint container with no handle stored as a scoop in ready-to-eat Jello.
The dish area drain board had an accumulation of food debris and residue.
Yummy House was reinspected on May 16 and scored 100% (A).
What the grades mean
Inspectors give restaurants a grade of A, B or C, depending on the conditions found at the time. Points are docked for various infractions, and restaurants have a chance to correct the problems and improve their score in a reinspection.
The grade scale is as follows:
A: 88% to 100%
B: 78% to 87%
C: 77% or less
In May, the SCDA recorded 244 inspections of restaurants, schools, stores and other food establishments in Beaufort County and 35 in Jasper County.
Jasper County did not have any inspected establishments receive B or C grades in May.
The agency publishes the results of these health inspections on its website.
Newer food-grade decals include a QR code that customers can scan with their phones to see a food establishment’s latest report.
How to request an inspection
If there is an establishment for which you wish to request an inspection, you can submit a concern to the SCDA by filling out this Food Safety Complaint Form.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
