The coolers at Ball Ground Tavern in Cherokee County kept food temperatures too high during a routine health inspection. And the restaurant was improperly using a drink cooler to store food items.

The ambient air temperature of one of the units was 49 degrees, and foods were at unsafe temperatures ranging from the high 50s to the high 60s, well above the 41-degree maximum limit. For example, pork was at 68 degrees in the reach-in cooler.

The inspector said the drink cooler was unapproved for food storage and that all coolers needed servicing.

In other violations, raw chicken was over numerous packages of tortillas, and raw eggs were over ready-to-eat foods in the coolers.

Several pans of queso prepared the day before had not cooled to 41 degrees within six hours. It was discarded.

At the bar, the cleaning bucket had no sanitizer, cleaned glassware still had visible debris and several bottles of beer were stored in consumable ice.

Ball Ground Tavern, 270 Gilmer Ferry Road, scored 61/U, down from 74/C earned in March. It will be re-inspected.

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