A Marietta restaurant is under scrutiny this week after a routine health inspection turned up a long list of violations — including a broken walk-in cooler that staff kept using anyway.
The Corn House, at 2060 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta, scored a 54 out of 100 on a March 12th inspection conducted by the Georgia Department of Public Health. That score earns the restaurant a “U” — for Unsatisfactory.
According to the inspection report, health inspectors documented ten violations during the routine visit, several of them serious enough to be classified as priority violations, the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness.
Perhaps the most alarming finding: the restaurant’s walk-in cooler was registering an ambient temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit — well above the 41-degree threshold required for safely storing temperature-sensitive foods. The report notes that kitchen staff and management were aware of the problem and continued using the unit anyway. Multiple cold-holding violations were documented as a result, and foods were discarded on the spot.
The cooler itself was cited separately as being in disrepair and unable to maintain safe temperatures. The restaurant was given 72 hours to correct that problem.
Inspectors also found a can of nacho cheese stored in a dry storage cabinet — covered with aluminum foil and showing what the report describes as mold-like growth. That food was discarded during the inspection.
Raw beef was found sitting directly on top of a container of cooked beef inside the walk-in cooler — a cross-contamination risk that also resulted in food being thrown out.
The ice machine in the main kitchen had heavy mold-like buildup in the water reservoir and on the ice prongs. That violation was not corrected during the inspection and is also a repeat offense. The restaurant has ten days to address it.
Both hand sinks in the facility — one on the grocery side and one in the main kitchen — were found blocked by piled-up dishes, making them inaccessible for employee use. The dishes were removed during the inspection.
An employee was observed rinsing metal skewers previously used on raw meat with plain water before storing them as clean. The skewers were properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized before the inspector left.
In another finding, an employee was caught washing dishes at the three-compartment sink using floor cleaner. The dishes were rewashed during the inspection.
Several containers of food — including beans, sugar, and cornmeal — were found uncovered and unattended throughout the kitchen. They were covered before the inspector departed.
The report notes that the violations reflect a broader pattern of insufficient food safety training among kitchen and food preparation staff. The person in charge was educated on food safety practices during the visit.
A follow-up inspection is required.
