Cobb restaurant fails health inspection with score of 59

A Cobb Parkway restaurant best known for its New Orleans-style cooking has some explaining to do after state health inspectors found nearly a dozen violations serious enough to push the eatery into failing territory.

Copeland’s of New Orleans, at 3101 Cobb Parkway, received a score of 59 during a routine inspection August 4, well below the 70 needed to pass. A follow-up inspection has been scheduled.

Bare hands, dirty gloves, and cross-contamination

Inspectors observed a cook sprinkling finishing seasonings and garnishes directly onto a steak pasta dish with bare hands before it was sent out to the dining room. The dish was thrown out and remade.

In a separate incident, a cook wearing gloves used a sanitizing cloth to wipe down a counter, then went straight back to preparing food and handling chicken parmesan without removing the gloves or washing hands. That food was also discarded.

Raw chicken was found stored behind ready-to-eat shredded cheese in a prep cooler, and raw tenderized steaks were stored above raw catfish in the walk-in cooler. Both situations create the potential for cross-contamination. Foods were rearranged during the inspection.

Temperature failures throughout the kitchen

The most widespread problems inspectors found involved food being held at unsafe temperatures — a concern flagged in multiple areas of the restaurant.

Several hot foods were not being kept hot enough. Creole rice, sweet potato mash, lemon bordelaise sauce, baked potatoes, and Gambino sauce were all found in steam wells and warming drawers holding below the required 135 degrees. Most were reheated during the inspection, but the Creole rice was thrown out.

On the cold side, raw animal proteins in a cooler drawer in the grill prep area, spinach dip in the main kitchen, and raw shrimp in a prep cooler were all holding above the required 41 degrees. The proteins were moved to a walk-in cooler, the spinach dip was discarded, and the shrimp was replaced. Inspectors noted this was a repeat violation.

Butter held without time tracking — a repeat problem

Garlic butter and whipped butter were being held without temperature control — a practice that requires strict written procedures and time stamps to be done safely. Neither was in place. Inspectors noted this was a repeat violation. The restaurant has 10 days to submit a written procedure to the health department for approval.

Uncovered food across the restaurant

Inspectors found uncovered food in nearly every area of the kitchen and front service area. The list included broccoli bites, spinach dip, raw catfish, red fish, egg rolls, crab cakes, strawberries, salad toppings, sauces, seasonings, butters, and bacon — many sitting open and unprotected while not in use. Two tea urns in the front service area were also uncovered. All were covered during the inspection.

Dirty equipment and menu problems

Pans, plates, and cutting blades stored as clean and ready to use were found soiled with food debris. Margarita machine dispensing nozzles had black, orange, and pink buildup on them. All were removed for cleaning during the inspection.

The restaurant’s menu also contained an incorrect consumer advisory — the required warning for raw or undercooked animal foods. The restaurant has 10 days to correct it.

Staff health reporting not documented

The person in charge could not show inspectors proof that food handlers had been informed of their responsibility to report illnesses or symptoms that can be transmitted through food. Staff present at the time of the inspection read and signed health agreements on the spot. The restaurant has 10 days to submit the remaining signed agreements to the health department.

B.T. Clark

Publisher at The Georgia Sun – btclark@thegeorgiasun.com – Web

B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.