Popular Cobb barbecue spot re-evaluated after failed health check

UPDATE: This restaurant was re-inspected March 6 and received a 91/A. The inspector noted there were multiple racks of ribs and some barbecue chicken "recently removed from the smoker improperly cooling at the prep table near the walk-in cooler." The issue was corrected right away.

ORIGINAL (published Feb. 22): The owner of a Kennesaw barbecue joint says he's fixed some of the issues that caused the restaurant to fail a routine health inspection Tuesday.

Barbecue Street, 3895 Cherokee St. off Jiles Road, scored a 67/U after an inspector found issues including lack of hot water and plates that were being cleaned without sanitizer.

Any score 69 or below is considered failing.

“We take very serious the health concerns of both employees and customers,” said Don Jensen, owner of the 19-year-old Barbecue Street.

The restaurant scored an 85/B on its previous inspection in June 2016 and a 94/A before that in December 2015.

In this week’s inspection, Barbecue Street was cited for having no chlorine in its dishwasher to properly sterilize dishes.

Kitchen staff immediately replaced the chlorine and rewashed the two loads of dishes that had been run through the machine while the inspector was there, Jensen said.

He said the thermometer on his walk-in cooler was displaying the temperature as being seven degrees warmer than it actually was, and the restaurant was penalized for that.

Jensen said he pitched all the food, replaced the thermometer and installed a back-up thermometer inside the cooler.

The inspector also noted that there was no hot water in the bathrooms for guests and employees because of a broken water heater, which means they couldn’t properly wash their hands.

Jensen said Wednesday afternoon that the water heater has been replaced.

He will have to wait for a follow-up inspection. Those are usually done within 10 days of the original evaluation

“I would have liked to have had her back immediately,” Jensen said.