Grime, black mold & more. Here are the worst Beaufort County restaurant inspections in November
Three Beaufort County food businesses received B grades and one received a C grade in November’s health inspections conducted by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. No locations in Jasper County received B or C grades this November.
Here is a rundown of the restaurants that received the lowest ratings and why they scored poorly:
Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila: 1742 Ribaut Road, Port Royal
Pedro’s Tacos & Tequila had a routine inspection on Nov. 18 and scored a 75% (C). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- An employee washed dirty pots and pans, then transitioned to handling food without washing their hands or putting on gloves.
- The handwashing sink was being used to clean food items and hold a dirty spoon.
- Raw beef and cheese were stored in the same pan.
- An employee washed pots and pans without the required sanitizing step.
- Cooked chicken was stored and cooled incorrectly.
- Glass cleaner was stored above single-use items, and bathroom cleaner was stored next to the sink and dishes.
- A gap leading outside was between the double doors.
- Linen was used to cover cilantro.
- Sanitizing strips were not available.
- Spray foam was used to fill a hole under the sink.
- The glass cooler was in poor repair.
A reinspection is required within 10 days, but it has not occurred as of Dec. 1.
Jameson’s Charhouse: 671 Cypress Hill Drive, Bluffton
Jameson’s Charhouse had a routine inspection on Nov. 17 and scored an 83% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- The ice machine had a buildup of black organic matter
- Spinach dip, garlic, raw shrimp, rice, and chicken breast were stored at incorrect cold holding temperatures.
- The facility has a date marking system in place, but has failed to date items, including tomato sauce, meatloaf, heat-treated prime rib, and deli meat chub.
- Salmon was not removed from the packaging before thawing.
- A ramekin without a handle was floating inside the dressing on the tabletop prep cooler.
- Tabletop prep cooler is unable to reach the correct temperature.
- Debris and organic matter had built up on top of the mechanical dish machine.
- There was a buildup of ice on the condenser and door inside the walk-in freezer.
Jameson’s Charhouse was reinspected on Nov. 24 and scored 100% (A).
Bowdie’s Chophouse: 11 Palmetto Bay Road Suite #104, Hilton Head
Bowdie’s Chophouse had a routine inspection on Nov. 18 and scored an 81% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Items to dry hands were not available at the bar handwashing station.
- The dish machine is not properly sanitizing dishes.
- Butter was not kept at the correct cold holding temperatures.
- The facility has a date marking system in place, but has failed to label scalloped potatoes, risotto, heat-treated pork belly, and heat-treated baby carrots.
- Butane was stored with ready-to-eat foods.
- The inside doors of the mechanical dish machine had a buildup of grime and organic matter.
- The vent covers in the walk-in cooler have a heavy accumulation of dust.
- The grill and sauté burners have a heavy accumulation of food debris and carbon.
- The hood vents have a heavy accumulation of grease.
- The floor around the dish area had a heavy accumulation of debris and organic matter.
- The walk-in beer cooler has no lighting.
Bowdie’s Chophouse was reinspected on Nov. 25 and scored 100% (A).
Speedway #2879: 421 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head
Speedway had a routine inspection on Nov. 19 and scored an 84% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- The person in charge was not certified.
- Temporary HVAC drainage lines were zip-tied to the handles of and draining into the line hand sink.
- The customer island hand sink had no cleanser provided.
- The line hand sink, dish area hand sink and customer island hand sink had no approved drying items.
- Buffalo chicken, chicken wings, hot dogs, and taquitos were held at incorrect hot holding temperatures.
- Anti-freeze and motor oil were stored above food items.
- The facility does not have a food thermometer to measure food temperatures.
- Boxes and bags of food items were on the dry storage room floor.
- The clean side drain board of three bay sink was soiled with debris.
- The trash enclosure was in poor repair, with trash on the ground.
- The floor in the dry storage room was dirty with soda syrup, trash and food debris.
Speedway was reinspected on Nov. 24 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 November, the SCDA recorded 196 inspections of restaurants, schools, stores, and other food establishments in Beaufort County and 31 in Jasper 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 December 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
