Roaches, rodents & black mold. Worst December restaurant inspections for Beaufort & Jasper
Five Beaufort County food businesses and two Jasper County locations received B and C grades in December health inspections conducted by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
Here is a rundown of the restaurants that received the lowest ratings for the month and why they scored poorly:
El Don Juan: 1 Mathews Court, Suite C, Hilton Head
El Don Juan had a routine inspection on Dec. 1 and scored a 78% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- A food handler cleaned dirty dishes and put on gloves without washing their hands.
- A food handler touched raw meat and did not wash their hands before touching clean equipment.
- The kitchen hand sink was blocked for use by fresh plantains in the basin.
- No hand soap was available at the kitchen sink.
- Ready-to-eat breads and pastries offered for retail sale that were purchased from another retail vendor and not an approved source.
- Raw, unprotected cuts of beef were in direct contact with a soiled chest freezer wall.
- Items like buffet line chicken wings, cooked carrots and rice were kept at incorrect hot holding temperatures.
- The facility has a date marking system, but has not marked multiple homemade ready-to-eat foods.
- Shrimp ceviche, four styles of ready-to-eat salsa, heat-treated steak and heat-treated chicken flautas were held without date marks.
- A bag of sugar, cases of avocado and cases of plantains were stored on the floor.
- Shelving in the walk-in cooler was damaged and rusty.
El Don Juan was reinspected on Dec. 10 and scored a 100% (A).
La Marmota: 1180 Ribaut Road, Unit 6, Beaufort
La Marmota had a routine inspection on Dec. 8 and scored an 83% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Personal/employee drinks were stored on the same table as food items.
- An employee handled raw chicken with gloves on, then handled ready-to-eat foods without handwashing.
- The kitchen hand sink does not reach the minimum temperature requirement.
- Raw beef was stored next to and over shredded cheese.
- Grill cleaner was stored on the same shelf as clean dishes.
- Multiple live and dead roaches were seen in the kitchen area.
- Single-use items in boxes were seen stored on the floor.
La Marmota was reinspected on Dec. 18 and scored a 100% (A).
Productos Moreno LLC La Casita: 163 Bluffton Road, Suite G, Bluffton
Productos Moreno LLC La Casita had a routine inspection on Dec. 11 and scored an 85% (B). Issues noted included:
- The butcher area hand sink and staff restroom sink had no hand drying items available.
- The ice machine deflector plate had an accumulation of black organic matter.
- Tire foam, WD-40 and commercial fly spray were stored with food and clean equipment.
- Multiple cases of raw chicken were thawing at ambient temperatures in the back prep room.
- A case of fresh corn was stored on the walk-in refrigerator floor.
- Multiple cases of rotting peppers and plantains were stored with and atop other fresh produce.
- Many cases of single-use takeout cups and straws were stored on the floor.
- The sliding glass top freezer had a broken door and was in poor repair.
- The floor of the back prep area and the walk-in refrigerator were heavily soiled.
- Containers of employee food were commingled with food offered for retail sale.
Productos Moreno LLC La Casita was reinspected on Dec. 19 and scored 100% (A).
Red Rooster Cafe: 2045 Boundary Street, Beaufort
Red Rooster Cafe had a routine inspection on Dec. 30 and scored an 84% (B). Issues noted by inspectors included:
- Inspectors noted that not a single employee washed their hands.
- The hand sink near the dish area was in poor repair.
- No hand soap was available at the cook line hand sink.
- Raw beef and pork were stored next to and over ready-to-eat food in the walk-in cooler.
- Containers holding bulk dry goods items were not clean to the sight or touch.
- Bottles of bleach were stored in the same area as clean dishes, and spray bottles of chemicals were stored next to food items.
- The inside and outside areas of the dish machine had a buildup of debris.
- Cooking equipment, coolers and tables had a buildup of debris and grease.
- The floor in the dish area was in poor repair.
Red Rooster Cafe has not been reinspected as of Jan. 6, but one is required within 10 days.
Tiger Express #12: 1 Fairfield Road, Beaufort
Tiger Express #12 had a routine inspection on Dec. 19 and scored an 86% (B). Issues included:
- The ice machine reflector plate had a buildup of black organic matter, rust and grime.
- Fried gizzard, fried chicken tenders and fried chicken wings were kept at incorrect hot holding temperatures.
- A can of residential pest control spray was in the kitchen area.
- Shelving throughout the kitchen area was lined with cardboard.
- The hood vents above the hot line had a heavy buildup of grease.
- The walls and floor near the hot line had a heavy buildup of grime and food debris.
Tiger Express #12 was reinspected on Dec. 29 and scored 100% (A).
Dean O’s Enterprises LLC Savannah Pizza Company: 22141 Whyte Hardee Boulevard, Hardeeville
Savannah Pizza Company had a routine inspection on Dec. 18 and scored a 92% with a C letter grade for repeated infractions from previous inspections. These repeated issues included:
- Inspectors said the facility has an active pest control problem and has failed to provide proof of an active pest control plan from a professional pest control service.
- Pepperoni, tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, diced ham, meatballs and sausage were kept at incorrect cold holding temperatures.
- The table-top prep cooler is unable to maintain a temperature of 41 degrees or below as required.
- The hood vents had an accumulation of grease.
Savannah Pizza Company was reinspected again on Dec. 29 and scored a 98% with a C letter grade for a consecutive violation:
- The table-top prep cooler is unable to maintain a temperature of 41 degrees or below as required.
Savannah Pizza Company has not been reinspected as of Jan. 6, but the SCDA report says one is not required.
Roxy’s Restaurant: 11382 North Jacob Smart Boulevard, Ridgeland
Roxy’s Restaurant had a follow-up inspection on Dec. 10 and scored a 98% with a B letter grade for a pest issue. Inspectors noted:
- Fresh rodent droppings were seen all throughout the shed that is used to store single-use and food items.
Roxy’s Restaurant was reinspected on Dec. 29 and scored a 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 December, the SCDA recorded 197 inspections of restaurants, schools, stores, and other food establishments in Beaufort County and 39 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 January 7, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
