ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) -Buck O’Neal knows cleanliness isn’t just a box to check — it’s the foundation of good food. O’Neal, chef at The Bread House in Albany, recently earned a perfect 100 on the restaurant’s food service inspection, something he says his team works toward every day.

“We usually expect it here,” O’Neal said. “We have a very clean kitchen, very clean establishment. We all work together to make sure this large area stays clean and well-kept at all times.”

O’Neal says his role goes beyond creating new dishes and keeping the menu fresh — it’s also about consistency, organization, and making sure food safety stays front and center. From opening prep to the end of the night, he says sanitizing and handwashing are constant.

Training new employees is also a major piece of maintaining those standards. O’Neal describes it as “very hands-on,” with new hires shadowing staff — and staff shadowing them — to make sure every step is done the Bread House way.

For other restaurant owners hoping to reach a perfect score, O’Neal says it starts with getting food safety standards up to par — and then staying consistent.

“Consistently enforcing it and making sure these things are done daily, weekly, monthly… making sure those things stay up to par,” he said.

And for first-time visitors, he says it’s hard to go wrong. The Bread House is known for handmade bread and crowd-favorite sandwiches, including the turkey bacon ranch, which he estimates has sold more than 11,000 in the last three years, plus the brisket burger.

“Seeing people’s reaction to food, especially if you hit something nostalgic,” he said. “I want somebody to feel something… We want people to feel something when they eat here, not just have a good meal.”

And, he added, that feeling starts with safety.

“You can’t make good food if you don’t have good food safety.”

Below is a list of restaurants that were inspected from April 17 through April 24 in South Georgia:

Restaurants from this week’s food service inspection are listed below, infractions included:

1. The Bread House of Albany
2. International House of Flavors
3. Merry Acres Pub House
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(3)(c)]Observed no CFSM certificate posted.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.07(3)(b)]Observed no paper towels at the handwashing sink in the bar area.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(b)]Observed drink nozzle at the bar area with black buildup.
      4. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(6)(g)]Observed items in the RIC and RIF not properly date-marked.
      5. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.5 (2)(jj)]Observed food items being stored in a Coca Cola fridge in the main kitchen area (tomatoes and lettuce).
      6. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(a)2,3]Observed the oven in the main kitchen area not clean to sight.
4. Armando’s on Wheels
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.07(3)(c)]Observed a large beverage container inside the employee handwashing sink, preventing the sink from being fully accessible for employee handwashing as required on the mobile unit.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)]Observed improper storage of raw chicken over ready-to-eat tomatoes in the reach-in cooler under the prep top cooler.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(b)]Observed black build-up in a large ice machine in the kitchen area in the base of operation.
      4. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(5)(j)]Observed an employee handling food without proper hair restraint in the base of operation.
      5. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(2)(a)]Observed household mini oven in the kitchen area on the prep table in front of the fryers and grill in the base of operation.
      6. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.06(1)(g),(h)]Observed lack of water pressure at the employee handwashing sink in the kitchen area in the base of operation.
5. Espresso 41
6. Grandaddy Bishop’s Soul Food
7. Hot Diggity Dogs

Below, you can find the food service inspection document for each restaurant covered in this week’s report:

The Bread House of Albany

International House of Flavors

Merry Acres Pub House

Armando’s on Wheels

Espresso 41

Grandaddy Bishop’s Soul Food

Hot Diggity Dogs

>> Click here to view previous Restaurant Reports <<

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