Popular Lawrenceville pizza restaurant flunks health inspection with a score of 57

A Lawrenceville pizza restaurant failed its most recent health inspection with a score of 57 out of 100, putting it one more repeat violation away from losing its permit to operate.

What happened: Inspectors from the Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments visited Riverside Pizza at 2100 Riverside Pkwy, Suite 110, on September 29 and found 16 violations, several of them serious enough to require food to be thrown out on the spot.

The food that was thrown away: Inspectors ordered multiple items to be discarded during the visit, including:

• Tomatoes, ham, and tomato sauce that were not cold enough.
• Three whole pizzas that were not hot enough.
• Cheese prepared the night before that had not cooled down to a safe temperature.
• Uncooked pizzas intended to be held at room temperature for a limited time but had no label showing when that time started or ended.
• Spinach in the bottom of a prep cooler that had mold-like growth on it.

The repeat problem: Inspectors flagged improper cheese cooling as a second consecutive violation, meaning the same issue was cited at the previous routine inspection. Under state health rules, a third consecutive violation of the same rule on a routine inspection triggers automatic permit suspension. Inspectors found large quantities of shredded cheese cooling inside closed plastic bags packed into thick, tightly lidded containers stacked on top of each other, a method that traps heat and prevents safe cooling.

Other violations: Beyond the food temperature and cooling problems, inspectors found:

• The front display cooler could not hold food at a safe temperature, with the inside of the unit measured at 48.3 degrees, well above the required 41 degrees or below.
• The handwashing sink at the front of the restaurant had no way to dry hands and provided only hot water, with no cold water available.
• Mold-like growth and debris on and around an air conditioning vent above the three-compartment sink.
• Residue buildup on the can opener blade, walk-in cooler door and handle, prep cooler door seals, shelving throughout the facility, and the exterior of several containers stored as clean.
• The person in charge could not provide a full sanitizer test kit.
• An employee preparing pizzas with hair longer than half an inch and no hair restraint. The employee put on a hair net during the inspection.
• No evidence that the person in charge was making sure food safety rules were being followed.

What’s next: A follow-up inspection must take place within 10 days of September 29. If violations are not corrected by then, the restaurant’s permit can be suspended. A second routine inspection is also required within the next 12 months. Residents can contact the health department at (770) 963-5132 or gnrhealth.com.