March food safety checks in Columbus: Which spots got C grades?

Each month, inspectors from the Georgia Department of Public Health visit restaurants and other dining establishments in Columbus to check that proper food handling and safety practices are followed.

Inspectors visited more than 100 restaurants, lounges and other establishments serving food in Muscogee County during March.

Among them, 52 earned perfect scores, with 44 also receiving an A grade. Eleven earned a B, and two received a C.

How the grading system works

During inspections, restaurants receive one of four letter grades that are assigned based on how many points are deducted from 100:

• An A grade, for 90-100 points, means food safety is excellent.
• A B grade, for 80-89 points, means satisfactory compliance.
• A C grade, for 70-79 points, means marginal compliance.
• A U grade, for 69 points or less, means unsatisfactory compliance.

Establishments that receive a C or U will have at least one additional routine inspection added in 12 months, according to state law. Earning a B does not constitute a follow-up inspection.

Residents can find information about all inspections at the Georgia Department of Health’s online portal.

Restaurants receiving C grades and their violations

Per state law, establishments that receive a C or U will have at least one additional routine inspection added in 12 months. Two restaurants scored a C in March. Here are their violations.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, 6820 Midland Commons Blvd

• Score: 79
• No paper towels were at hand sink in drive-thru area
• Automatic handwashing sink was not turning on with hand motion activation
• Cooked rice under heat lamp was hot holding at 113 degrees
• Coleslaw and bacon stored in coolers all lacked a date of preparation or discard date.

Xin Kee BBQ, 5750 Milgen Road, Suite 106

• Score: 78
• Whole cuts of raw pork were sitting in a sink being seasoned, with no sanitizing agent available.
• Raw duck was stored in a walk-in cooler with an external thermometer reading 55 degrees . Additionally, cooked duck was stored in a walk-in cooler adjacent to the grill area, with the temperature above 41 degrees.
• Whole duck and sliced pork were hot, held below 135 degrees under a heat lamp located in front of the food service area
• No 7-day discard date was available for any TCS item held more than 24 hours throughout the main kitchen, walk-in-cooler, or reach-in-cooler area
• Several containers of seasonings were without labels, located in front of the stove
• Multiple cans of food were found in the storage area near the 3-compartment sink with expiration dates of February 2026 and December 2025.

Restaurants receiving B grades and their violations

C Town Wings, 3473 N. Lumpkin Road

• Raw chicken and raw bacon were stored above ready-to-eat sauces in the walk-in cooler of the main kitchen area
• The facility’s test kit for a three-compartment sink had expired.

Chef Lee’s Peking Restaurant, 6100 Bradley Park Dr.

• Cut mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, fried rangoons and chicken were stored uncovered in reach-in coolers located in the main kitchen area
• Ground pork, chopped pork, cooked duck, chopped chicken and cooked eggrolls were stored frozen in the freezer, out of the original packaging, with no date marking
• Spray bottle of cleaning chemicals were stored next to a container of rice on a cart in the walk-in cooler
• Soy sauce containers were being reused to store other sauces/paste
• The facility’s warewashing test strips had expired. Warewashing refers to the process of commercial cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and utensils that come into contact with food, according to the Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University.
• Facility used cardboard as mats in front of the fryer, as well as under buckets with grease.

Country’s Barbecue, 6298 Veterans Pkwy Ste 4D

• Whole intact pork ribs and beef brisket, after being cooked and pulled from the smoke pit, did not reach the correct cooking temperature. Just-cooked chicken tenders from the fryer did not reach an adequate temperature
• Several instances of residue buildup throughout the main kitchen area in steam-well units and cold holding units.

Hanks Bar & Grill, 1037 Broadway

• Mechanical warewashing machine chlorine sanitizer reached a concentration of 10ppm
• Time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods reaching temperatures greater than 41 degrees.

Macon Road Bar-B-Que, 2703 Avalon Rd.

• Several times, temperature control for safe food reaching temperatures was greater than 41 degrees.

Nonic, 207 13th St

• Several times, temperature control for safety foods cold holding at temperatures above 41 degrees
• Several spray bottles storing cleaners did not have labels in the top bar area and the dish washing area
• The facility lacked test strips for the three-compartment sanitizer.

Pizza Pronto, 440 2nd Ave.

• No 7-day discard date on the food container where TCS had been held for more than 24 hours. Must correct within 10 days
• A yellow tape with flying insects stuck on said tape was stored above a 3-compartment sink and below a pan used for baking
• Partially cooked chicken wings were stored above energy drinks in the walk-in cooler.

Samurai Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar, 1009 Broadway

• Food debris found in hand-washing sink in the main kitchen. An employee discarded a sanitizing solution from a sanitizing bucket into a handwashing sink in the bar area
• Multiple TCS items were stored through the main kitchen in the walk-in cooler, prep-top cooler and reach-in cooler without covering
• An employee’s food was stored in multiple coolers stored directly next to the restaurant’s food
• The inspector observed change and employee medication on top of the prep-top cooler in the main kitchen area.

Thai and Thai, 5870 Veterans Pkwy Ste C

• The time/temperature control for safety foods was maintained above 41 degrees in the reach-in cooler located in the front food area
• The reach-in cooler located in front of the food area was not properly holding cold temperatures. Observed thermometer inside cooler with temperature at 50 degrees.

Wasabi, 5413 Whittlesey Blvd, Unit 500

• One plastic container of cold chicken held above 41 degrees in a walk-in cooler.

Yamazaki Sushi and Hibachi, 6516 Kitten Lake Dr.

• A worker checked out a guest and collected money while wearing gloves, then went to the main kitchen to prepare plate sauces and drinks without removing gloves and washing hands, and donning a new pair of gloves
• Employee cooked food, then cleaned the grill, and then placed delivered food in the walk-in cooler without changing gloves or washing hands
• Multiple TCS items were in the main kitchen area, such as freshly prepared “crunch,” raw chicken next to the grill, as well as other items in the walk-in-cooler and reach-in-cooler without a covering
• Rice scoops with handles were submerged in water at a temperature of 65 degrees in a food-grade container
• Facility had expired chemical sanitizer strips from 2019 to be used for the 3-compartment sink and chemical dish washing machine
• An empty drinking container was placed next to the restaurant’s sauces. The inspector observed personal food items stored next to food prepared for the restaurant.

What are TCS foods, and why do they matter?

A time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food is any food that needs specific time and temperature controls to prevent harmful bacteria growth.

Per the Georgia Department of Agriculture, key temperature rules include holding cold foods at 41 degrees and below, holding hot foods at 135 degrees or above, and storing frozen foods in a frozen, or hard to touch, condition.

Not following these guidelines can result in serious risks.

During an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer last year, Danielle Saunders, Columbus environmental health manager for the West Central Health District in the Georgia Department of Public Health, said improper storage and incorrect holding temperatures can increase risks of cross-contamination and sickness.

“If they don’t cook it to the minimum required temperature, there are some associated risks where there are potential hazards for them to get sick,” she said.

Symptoms associated with illness transmitted through food include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, and sore throat with fever, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Restaurants that received A grades

• 13th Street BBQ, 5506 Veterans Pkwy.
• Acers Grill & Bar, 101 4th St.
• Arby’s #1055, 2627 Manchester Expy
• Basil Thai, 3131 Manchester Expy
• Buffalo Wild Wings #115, 5555 Whittlesey Blvd., Building 6
• Burger King #536, 4312 Veterans Pkwy.
• CC’s Place, 2023 Ft. Benning Road
• China Kitchen Columbus 1, 2424 Woodruff Farm Road 2C
• China Wok, 1290 Double Churches Road
• Country’s on Broad, 1329 Broadway
• Country Wings, 3753 Victory Drive
• DQ Grill & Chill, 3580 Macon Road
• El Carrizo, 6575 Whittlesey Blvd. Building C
• El Carrizo, 3721 Macon Road
• Five Guys Burger & Fries, 5413 Whittlesey Blvd Ste F
• Firehouse Subs, 6563 Gateway Road Ste 100
• Hibachi Express, 6563 Gateway Road Ste. A500
• Hong Kong Restaurant, 3846 St. Mary’s Road
• Jersey Mike’s, 1640 Rollins Way, Ste. 400
• Jersey Mike’s Subs, 8100 Veterans Pkwy Ste. 413
• The Juicy Seafood, 6780 Veterans Pkwy
• Krystal #6, 4823 Buena Vista
• Longhorn Steakhouse #5420, 5435 Whittlesey Blvd
• Nori Japan, 3515 Victory Drive
• Olive Garden, 5555 Whittlesey Blvd. #5
• Panda Garden, 5600 Milgen Road Ste 101-7
• Peluso’s House of Pizza, 4529 Woodruff Road
• Popeyes Chicken, 2340 Wynnton Rd
• Red Bowl, 8132 Veterans Pkwy
• Sharky’s Fish & Chicken, 2626 Manchester Expy.
• Sip n Dip, 3131 Manchester Expy
• Smoothie King #1439, 3025 Macon Road
• Smoke Tavern and Grill, 7600 Veterans Pkwy
• Subway #1011, 3590 Buena Vista Road
• Sonic Drive-In #3507, 1705 Manchester Expy
• Starbucks Coffee Company, 7026 Ruffie Way
• The Food Mill, 3718 2nd Avenue Ste. A
• That’s My Dog, 2001 South Lumpkin Road Ste. 1
• The Office Sports Bar & Grill, 2979 Northlake Pkwy
• Tim Hortons Cafe and Bakery, 6741 Veterans Pkwy.
• Twin Peaks, 3117 Adams Farm Drive
• Uptown Vietnam Cuisine, 1250 Broadway Ste A
• WNB Factory, 2424 Woodruff Farm Road
• Zaxby’s, 6190 Bradley Park Dr

Perfect food safety scores

• A&D Buffalo, 3131 Manchester Expy. #F-4
• Andre’s Top Shelf, 414 23rd St.
• Bella’s Caketering, 5750 Milgen Road Ste. 105
• Burger King #1325, 1218 Veterans Pkwy.
• Burger King 2682, 2550 Airport Thwy.
• Charred Oak Kitchen & Bar, 3501 Massee Ln. Ste. G
• Columbus Crab House, 3517 Victory Drive Ste. A7
• Dairy Queen, 6605 Whittlesey Blvd
• Dave’s Hot Chicken, 5279 Whittlesey Blvd
• Domino’s Pizza, 5750 Milgen Road
• Droolnolie’s (mobile and base), 3709 Gentian Blvd. Ste. 10
• El Vaquero North, 2976 Northlake Pkwy.
• First Watch, 2528 Weems Road
• First Watch, 6875 Ray Wright Way
• Flying Biscuit Cafe, 211 13th St. Unit 100
• Frank’s Alley, 1246 Broadway
• Hooters of Columbus, 2650 Adams Farm Drive
• Hot Wing Connections, 1807 S. Lumpkin Road Ste. F
• Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, 1635 Whittlesey Road
• Lauren’s Kitchen, 7591 River Road Unit 6
• Lily’s, 6597 Whittlesey Blvd, Ste. B
• Marco’s Pizza, 2901 University Ave Unit 22
• McDonald’s #15069, 1619 Bradley Park Drive
• McDonald’s #35634, 660 Flat Rock Road
• Mercy’s Jamaican Kitchen, 5753 Milgen Road
• Mellow Mushroom, 6100 Veterans Pkwy Ste 14
• Mi Mexico Restaurant Bar & Grill, 4475 Warm Springs Road Ste. 4-5-6
• Miles To Go #3, 5739 Whitesville Rd
• Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant & Bakery, 104 8th St.
• Motions Sports Bar and Grill, 4805 Buena Vista Road Ste. J
• Monterrey Tex-Mex, 1694 Whittlesey Road Unit B
• Mr. V’s BBQ & More, 6381 Milgen Road Ste. 5
• Netta’s Southern Flava, 2401 Whittesey Road
• Papa John’s Pizza, 7750 Old Moon Road 200 B11
• Papa John’s Pizza, 4801 Buena Vista Road unit A
• Papa John’s Pizza, 5870 Veterans Pkwy Ste A
• Red Lobster #6325, 5555 Whittlesey Blvd.
• Sandy’s Cafe, 2357 Warm Springs Road Ste 149
• Serving Spoon, 2109 Buena Vista Road
• Shark’s Fish & Chicken, 4910 Buena Vista Road Ste. A1
• Subway Sandwiches, 4022 B Victory Drive
• Steak and Shake, 1601 Bradley Park Drive
• The 706 Social, 1025 Broadway
• Twin’s Paleteria, 3743 N Lumpkin Road Ste. F and G
• Waffle House, 1326 Veterans Pkwy
• Waffle House #1440, 6751 Veterans Pkwy.
• Waffle House, 1646 Bradley Park Drive
• Wicked Hen, 1350 13th Street
• Wing Stop, 3201 Macon Road
• Wing Stop, 6361 Talokas Lane
• World Famous Hotdogs, 2616 Hamilton Road
• Zaxby’s, 7033 Ruffie Way Midland

This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 2:33 PM.