Inspectors have a checklist of safety and sanitary regulations restaurants and other commercial kitchens throughout South Mississippi must meet. So far this month, three kitchens failed their inspections.
Inspectors found bugs, rodents or animals present at two of the kitchens. Mississippi Health Department reports the violation as a category, without specifying what evidence was found.
Piggly Wiggly grocery store at 530 West Central Ave. in Wiggins was inspected Sept. 16 for a yearly permit renewal.
The store was cited for:
Insects, rodents or animals presentNo certified managerInadequate handwashing facilities supplied and accessible, a repeat violationImproper hot holding temperatures, also a repeat violation
This is the fourth C at the grocery store since 2021. Prior to that, the store scored As and Bs at every inspection from 2014 through 2020.
C&G’s Restaurant at Island View Casino, 3300 West Beach Blvd., Gulfport, was inspected Sept. 2 and was cited for:
Insects, rodents or animals present
The inspector returned two days later on Sept. 4 and scored the restaurant a B when no violations were found.
This is the only C at the restaurant dating back to 2012.
Taqueria Los Gordos, 3609 Chicot St., Pascagoula, was the third restaurant this month to score a C. The restaurant was inspected Sept. 16 for a permit renewal. It was cited for:
Improper cold holding temperatures
This was the second C dating back to 2019. The prior one was in 2021.
Mississippi scores restaurants an A when no violations are found, a B when violations are corrected during the inspection and a C when issues are deemed critical violations.
So far this month, 162 restaurants scored an A, 23 a B and three a C.
Mary has won numerous awards for her business and casino articles for the Sun Herald. She also writes about Biloxi, jobs and the new restaurants and development coming to the Coast. She is a fourth-generation journalist.
Dining and Cooking