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by ERIN PARROTT
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With South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) inspectors continuing to conduct routine restaurant inspections across the Palmetto State, FITSNews is back with another installment of our Carolina Kitchen Confidential series – a look behind the scenes at what’s really happening inside South Carolina’s food service industry.
Our latest stop brings us to The Farmhouse Grill in Lexington, S.C., where inspectors issued a “C” grade during a routine inspection (.pdf) conducted on July 8, 2026 following findings of multiple violations.
One of the first issues noted involved food handling practices.
Inspectors observed an employee using their bare hands to garnish ready-to-eat drinks – a priority violation because it increases the risk of contaminating food served directly to customers.Inspectors also found several examples of improper food storage.
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Raw shell eggs were stored over open pudding and beside ready-to-eat beans inside a walk-in cooler, per the report Additionally, partially cooked and uncooked products were being stored together with repackaged ready-to-eat foods inside a freezer, the report alleged.
Sanitation issues also raised concerns.
According to the report, the restaurant’s warewashing machine registered zero parts per million chlorine sanitizer, meaning food-contact surfaces were not being properly sanitized. Inspectors also noted the facility lacked sanitizer test strips to verify proper chemical levels.
Temperature control proved to be another recurring problem.
Noodles prepared the previous day were measured at 51 degrees Fahrenheit, while breakfast gravy and grits remained well below required hot-holding temperatures long after breakfast service had ended. Multiple refrigerated foods also exceeded safe cold-holding temperatures.
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Inspectors documented tomatoes, shredded cheese, ham, turkey, roast beef, liver pudding, bologna and chicken wings being stored above the required temperature threshold.
The report also cited date-marking violations, including several ready-to-eat meats that had no date labels indicating when they were opened, while baked beans had already passed their required discard date.
Elsewhere, inspectors reported heavy rodent droppings in a wait station area, utensils stored in standing water, single-service items stored on the floor, missing sanitizer test strips, and unauthorized immediate outdoor cooking. The inspection also noted the restaurant failed to provide the required consumer advisory for foods served undercooked upon request.
The restaurant was also cited for failing to provide customers with the required consumer advisory for foods that may be served raw or undercooked upon request.
SCDA ordered a follow-up inspection within ten (10) days to verify the priority violations had been corrected. The restaurant is also scheduled for another routine inspection within sixty (60) days.
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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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