Coastal Georgia boba tea restaurant scores 57 on health inspection

A Kingsland restaurant is facing a follow-up inspection after earning a failing score from state health officials this week.

Boba Tea & Pho LLC at 1891 Georgia Highway 40, received a score of 57 out of 100 during a routine inspection on Wednesday — a grade the state classifies as unsatisfactory.

Eleven violations were documented during the inspection. Several of the most serious were corrected on the spot, but others remain unresolved.

Temperature Violations and Equipment Failures

Among the most significant findings, inspectors noted that three coolers holding temperature-controlled foods were operating between 44 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit — well above the required 41 degrees or below. According to the report, all foods that had been out of temperature for more than four hours were discarded, and remaining items were moved to working coolers. The restaurant was instructed not to use the failing units until they can properly maintain safe food temperatures.

Inspectors also found that water used for food preparation was being drawn from a three-compartment sink. That happened, according to the report, because the designated vegetable and food water sink had been disconnected from the plumbing. The restaurant was directed to reconnect the sink and use bottled water in the meantime. That violation was corrected during the inspection.

Food Storage and Sanitation Issues

Raw chicken was stored over raw pork, with a piece of raw pork uncovered and sitting on the bottom of the chicken container. The report says the items were discarded. Sanitizer was also found stored in an unlabeled food bottle — that, too, was discarded on site.

Other violations that were not corrected during the inspection include a front hand sink made of plastic that does not meet NSF or ANSI standards, an inoperable kitchen hand sink, and no paper towels at the back hand sink. The restaurant has 90 days to repair the kitchen hand sink, according to the report.

Additional Concerns Noted

Additional concerns noted by the inspector include stained and dusty ceiling tiles, peeling wallpaper, a missing thermometer in the front boba cooler, a rice scoop stored in standing water, water containers stored on the floor, and tools and rat traps stored alongside food items in a walk-in storage area. To-go utensils were also found stored with food-contact surfaces facing up rather than inverted.

Because of the unsatisfactory score, the state has flagged the restaurant for a follow-up inspection.