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by ERIN PARROTT
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As the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) continues conducting routine restaurant inspections across the Palmetto State, FITSNews is continuing its Carolina Kitchen Confidential series – pulling back the curtain on what regulators say is really happening behind the scenes inside South Carolina’s food service industry.
According to a May 8, 2026 inspection report (.pdf), the SCDA gave Water’s Edge Restaurant in Mount Pleasant – which also features an outdoor cabana bar – a “C” grade following numerous priority and core violations documented by state inspectors.
The waterfront seafood restaurant – located at 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane – was cited for a wide range of food safety and sanitation issues, including improper cold holding temperatures, unsafe cooling methods, cross contamination concerns and foods stored uncovered throughout the kitchen.
Among the more serious violations, inspectors documented soups and cream sauces being cooled improperly overnight at 57 degrees, while mussels, penne pasta, marinated fish, salmon, boiled eggs and crab dip were all found above safe cold holding temperatures. Several items were voluntarily discarded during the inspection.
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Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inconsistencies in its date marking system, with multiple ready-to-eat foods reportedly being stored without date labels or held beyond the allowed seven-day period – including beef stock, deli ham, marinara sauce, cooked mushrooms and sausage. Those items were also voluntarily discarded.
Additional violations included raw or undercooked seafood products – including oysters, tuna and calamari – being stored above rice and desserts, creating a potential cross contamination risk.
Elsewhere in the kitchen, inspectors documented thawed tuna remaining in reduced oxygen packaging despite labeling instructions stating it should be removed before thawing, along with fish and calamari reportedly thawing in still water.
The report also noted food stored uncovered in walk-in coolers and exposed to debris and organic matter, food stored directly on freezer floors and cut lettuce left unprotected from raw animal proteins near the triple sink.
Inspectors further cited corrosion on shelving, improperly adjusted coolers, soiled shelving and cook-line areas, dusty fan covers and a back door that was not tight-fitting or self-closing.
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A priority plumbing violation was also documented after inspectors observed a brewing water line connected without a required dual backflow prevention device. One hose was voluntarily removed during the inspection.
The inspection report additionally noted that management failed to demonstrate proper control of food safety operations due to the number of priority violations observed during the visit.
As this outlet has previously reported in prior Carolina Kitchen Confidential installments involving multiple establishments, repeated temperature control violations and improper food storage remain among the most common issues identified during SCDA inspections statewide.
Under South Carolina law, violations may be subject to enforcement action – including fines of up to $1,000 per violation per day for continued noncompliance.
According to the inspection report, no routine follow-up inspection was marked as required at the time of the visit.
FITSNews will continue monitoring restaurant inspection reports across South Carolina and spotlighting the conditions uncovered inside the Palmetto State’s food service industry.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Erin Parrott is a Greenville, S.C. native who graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2025 with a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism. Got feedback or a tip for Erin? Email her here.
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