Rodents, ants, flies & roaches: July’s troubled restaurant inspections in Beaufort County
10 Beaufort County food businesses were cited with “B” and “C” grades in July’s health inspections by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
Here is a rundown of the restaurants that received the lowest ratings in July:
China Wok: 350 Shanklin Road, Suite 5, Beaufort
China Wok scored 75% (C) on July 21 in a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- An employee handled money and did not wash their hands before returning to food prep.
- Ready-to-eat foods were stored in cardboard box originally used to hold raw chicken.
- Raw chicken, raw beef and cooked shrimp were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- The facility did not have a date marking system in place.
- An open pack of cigarettes was stored on a tabletop in contact with a food surface.
- Cleaning spray was stored in contact with knives.
- A large amount of chicken was left in a sink to thaw without running water.
- Fruit flies were seen throughout the facility.
- Food in boxes and bags was stored on the floor.
- Scoops without handles were stored in dried goods.
- The prep cooler is in poor repair and cannot hold food at the right temperature.
- There were missing/broken ceiling tiles and the screen door was not closing correctly.
China Wok has not been reinspected as of Aug. 1, but one is required within 10 days.
Maria’s Mexican Kitchen: 330 Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort
Maria’s Mexican Kitchen scored 74% (C) during a routine inspection on July 29. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Prepackaged foods had black organic matter.
- Raw chicken was stored above ready-to-eat food in the walk-in cooler.
- Cooked pork, raw chicken, salsa and raw shrimp were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- Cooked chicken, cooked pork and cooked potatoes were not date-marked. Cooked meat was also held past its discard date.
- Cooked tostitos were held at room temperature without a time stamp.
- Large pump spray bottles of chemicals were not labeled.
- Bottles and boxes of cleaner were stored above food items.
- A bottle of RAID spray was stored on top of a soap dispenser in the kitchen.
- The main cooler cannot hold food at the right temperature.
- Roaches and flies were seen in the kitchen and bar area.
- The walk-in cooler door seal was in poor repair.
- Water was dripping out of two light fixtures.
Maria’s Mexican Kitchen has not been reinspected as of Aug. 1, but one is required within 10 days.
Jersey Mike’s Subs: 101F Commerce Place, Bluffton
Jersey Mike’s Subs scored 98% with a “B” letter grade for repeat offenses during a follow-up inspection on July 23. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- The facility has signs of an active pest infestation of roaches. They were crawling down walls and the dining room ceiling tiles.
- Multiple live roaches were on the kitchen back room floor.
- Multiple dead cockroaches were noted behind the garbage can next to the grill.
Jersey Mike’s Subs has not been reinspected as of Aug. 1, but one is required within 10 days.
Bojangles: 109 Robert Smalls Parkway, Beaufort
Bojangles scored 81% (B) on July 3 in a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Hand sinks and dishwashers didn’t have warm enough water as required.
- One hand sink had trash left in it.
- No paper towels were available at a hand sink by the ice machine.
- Dirty rice was held at the wrong hot temperature.
- Raw chicken items were held at the wrong cold temperature.
- The chicken walk-in cooler is in poor repair and cannot hold food at the right temperature.
- The drive-thru window is not self-closing.
- All cooler and hot holding areas had a buildup of grease.
- Standing water was left on the shelving in the drive-thru area and in front of the freezer.
- One sink and the hot water dispenser were leaking.
- The tile floor was in poor repair.
Bojangles was reinspected on July 10 and scored a 97% (A).
Chin Dynasty China Bistro: 108 Buckwalter Parkway, Suite 2H, Bluffton
Chin Dynasty China Bistro scored 78% (B) on July 21 in a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Observed a food handler rinsing hands with spray from a hose as a hand-washing technique.
- A food handler touched a cell phone and then prepared food without handwashing.
- A food handler touched raw fish, then cleaned plates and utensils without washing hands.
- The line hand sink had no hot water.
- Ready-to-eat cabbage was left sitting directly on refrigeration shelving.
- Chicken nuggets and fresh garlic were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- A bucket of bleach solution was stored in an old soy sauce bucket.
- Multiple pest control sprays were left throughout the facility.
- Raw tuna was thawing in its packaging.
- Live and dead cockroaches were around the dishwashing area.
- A food handler had heavily soiled towels hanging from the front of their uniform.
- Wet and soiled wiping cloths were stored on the sushi cutting board and prep tables.
- Shelving had an accumulation of food debris and organic matter.
Chin Dynasty China Bistro was reinspected on July 25 and scored a 100% (A).
Lowcountry Produce Market & Cafe: 302 Cartaret Street, Beaufort
Lowcountry Produce Market & Cafe scored 85% (B) on July 25 during a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Blue cheese, feta cheese, pimento cheese and salmon were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- Multiple open bait rodent stations were left in the kitchen and storage areas.
- Rodent droppings were found on the ground and on shelving units.
- Ice was in direct contact with food in the walk-in freezer.
- A pan of grits was stored uncovered below a drain line.
- Single-use items were stored in boxes on the floor.
- Prep cooler is in poor repair and cannot hold food at the right temperature and had a major buildup of rust.
- The walk-in cooler door jam was in poor repair.
- There was a buildup of ice on the floor inside of walk-in freezer.
Lowcountry Produce Market & Cafe has not been reinspected as of Aug. 1, but one is required within 10 days.
Okko: 95 Mathews Drive, Suite C, Hilton Head
Okko scored 79% (B) on July 14 during a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Hand sinks didn’t have warm enough water as required.
- The staff restroom sink was blocked for use by a large piece of equipment.
- An uncovered and unprotected bucket of raw sprouts was stored under tubs of raw chicken.
- The three-bay sink was not cleaned correctly.
- Crispy shrimp, crispy chicken, raw squid, egg rolls, sushi case, tuna, yellowtail and crab sticks were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- Unpasteurized raw shell eggs were stored on a hibachi cart.
- A working spray bottle of ammonia-based cleaner was labeled incorrectly as “Bleach.”
- The kitchen door was left propped open with a cinder block.
- A quart container with no handle was left floating in ready-to-eat sauce.
- The sushi display case and the line refrigerator could not reach the correct cold temperatures.
- The station cutting board on the hot line was deeply scored, stained and no longer easily cleanable.
- Chlorine strips were not provided at the three-bay sink or dish machine.
- There was excessive ice buildup in the walk-in freezer.
- Multiple ceiling tiles were damaged, broken or sagging.
Okko was reinspected on July 21 and scored a 100% (A).
The Cat Island Club: 8 Waveland Avenue, Beaufort
The Cat Island Club scored 79% (B) on July 18 during a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Line cook and chef food manager certificates had expired.
- A food handler touched a cell phone, put on gloves, then prepared food without washing hands.
- The bar area hand sink was not supplied with paper towels.
- An open package of tortilla shells were left sitting in pooled condensation.
- The prep unit cutting board was unclean, with deep score marks and a buildup of brown and black organic matter.
- The chemical dish machine did not have chlorine test strips as required.
- Tomato sauce, beef au jus and roasted garlic were held past their date mark.
- The menu is missing the required reminder that proteins can be cooked to order.
- The facility is oxygen sealing beef and fish without an approved plan.
- The grill area prep unit is in poor repair.
- The automatic dishwasher dispensing lines are in poor repair and not delivering chemicals to the dishwasher.
- Heavy organic matter buildup was on equipment handles, doors, drawers and seals.
- The hood filter had an excessive amount of grease and grime.
The Cat Island Club was reinspected on July 25 and scored a 99% (A).
Tienda Y Tortilleria San Jose: 120 Arrow Road, Hilton Head
Tienda Y Tortilleria San Jose scored 84% (B) on July 11 during a routine inspection. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- The food storage bins in the bakery room had an accumulation of dried food debris, grease and grime, making them not clean to sight or touch.
- Milk, cheese, hot dogs, salsa and ham were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- Multiple spray bottles of chemicals were left unlabeled throughout the facility.
- Spray bottles of water were stored unlabeled in the bakery line and the kitchen.
- Roaches and rodent droppings were seen in the storage area and near sinks.
- The facility has not removed expired items from the sale display area.
- Raw wood shelving was used in the bakery room.
- A cooler was not able to hold the correct cold temperatures.
- Toilet room doors were left open.
Tienda Y Tortilleria San Jose was reinspected on July 18 and scored a 98% (A).
Waffle House #1975: 116 High Tide Drive, Beaufort
Waffle House scored 82% (B) during a routine inspection on July 29. Issues noted by inspectors included:
- The inside walls of the ice machine had a buildup of organic matter.
- Pancake batter, hash browns and chocolate milk were held at the wrong cold temperatures.
- The facility’s date marking system has failed; chili, pancake batter and hash brown items were unmarked.
- Eggs were left on the line. Some eggs were left in the grill area basket without a time stamp.
- Ants were crawling on counters in the dining room.
- Food debris was found on cooler vent covers, inside walls, floors and gaskets of units.
- Hood filters had grease dripping down from the bottom of the vents.
- Dry storage area shelving had dust and food crumbs and the walk-in freezer shelves were dirty.
- The garbage area was unclean and open bags of garbage were left on the ground.
- Black crows were seen eating garbage out of the dumpster.
Waffle House has not been reinspected as of Aug. 1, but one is required within 10 days.
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 July, the SCDA recorded 238 inspections of restaurants, schools, stores and other food establishments in Beaufort County.
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.
To learn more about how the grading system and inspections work, click here.
This story was originally published August 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
