Get notified by email when this case is updated.
Hickory Flat Kitchen, located at 6205 Hickory Flat Hwy Ste 112 Canton, GA 30115, received a score of 52 points out of a possible 100 points during their 08/03/2026 inspection by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The violations noted by the inspector were:
Violation #1:
1-2B – certified food protection manager
511-6-1-.03(3)(d) – certified food safety manager responsibility
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed Certified Food Safety Managers (CFSM) not following the responsibilities of the CFSM. Four repeat violations were observed during this inspection in addition to other critical violations. There is no active managerial control in kitchen. 511-6-1-.03(3)(d) – Certified Food Safety Manager Responsibility 1. The responsibility of the CFSM shall include the safety of food preparation and service by ensuring that all employees who handle, or have responsibility for handling, unpackaged foods of any kind, have sufficient knowledge of safe preparation and service of the food. The nature and extent of the knowledge that each employee is required to have may be tailored, as appropriate, to the employee’s duties related to food safety issues. 2. The CFSM shall: (i) Be the person-in-charge while on the premises of the food service establishment and shall designate someone else to be the person in charge when not on the premises; (ii) Supervise and instruct food service employees in the techniques of sanitary food handling and proper maintenance of the facility; (iii) Offer a training program for all food service employees to satisfy employee proficiency in their job responsibilities for food safety; (iv) Communicate with representatives of the Health Authority about the effectiveness of employee training programs; and (v) Assess training needs of the food service employees and request formal training as needed.
Violation #2:
2-1C – no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods or approved alternate method properly followed
511-6-1.04(4)(a)1,2,3,4(i) – preventing contamination from hands (p), (pf), (c)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed bartender handling ready-to-eat (RTE) foods such as limes at bar with bare hands. Bartender was observed handling dirty customer dishes and taking payments with no handwashing prior to handling food with bare hands. 511-6-1.04(4)(a)1,2,3,4(i) – Preventing Contamination from Hands (P), (Pf), (C) (4) Protection From Contamination After Receiving. (a) Preventing Contamination from Hands. 1. Food employees shall wash their hands as specified under DPH Rule 511-6-1-.03(5). 2. Except when washing fruits and vegetables or as specified under subsection (a)4, food employees shall not contact exposed, ready-to-eat food with their bare hands and shall use suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment. P 3. Food employees shall minimize bare hand and arm contact with exposed food that is not in a ready- to-eat form. Pf Drink was served to customer before corrective action could be taken.
Violation #3:
2-2D – adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible
511-6-1.06(2)(o) – using a handwashing sink- operation & maintenance (pf)
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed a large amount of dishes stored in handsink in warewash area. Dishwasher is required to wash hands after handling dirty dishes and before handling clean dishes. 511-6-1.06(2)(o) – Using a Handwashing Sink- Operation & maintenance (Pf) (o) Using a Handwashing Sink. 1. A handwashing sink shall be maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee use. Pf 2. A handwashing facility may not be used for purposes other than handwashing. Pf COS by removing dishes from sink.
Violation #4:
4-1A – food separated and protected
511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) – packaged & unpackaged food separation, packaging, and segregation (p, c)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed PIC drop pen on floor, pick pen up, and place pen directly on cutting board located on prep top unit. Ready-to-eat foods such as sandwiches are placed directly on cutting board to cut prior to plating. Soiled/contaminated items may not be stored on food contact surfaces. COS by removing pen and cleaning cutting board.
Violation #5:
4-2B – food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized
511-6-1.05(7)(a)1 – equipment, food-contact surfaces,& utensils (pf)
Points: 4
Corrected during inspection?: No
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: Observed: 1. Deli slicer stored as clean but visibly dirty with food debris 2. Various dicers, vegetable slicers, and graters stored as clean but visibly dirty 3. Clean dishes and dirty dishes stored as clean in numerous dirty bins 4. Glassware at bar stored face down on dirty mats and on dirty shelves in freezer. Shelf in bar freezer had employee hair inside. Equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils shall be clean to sight and touch. All areas listed above must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Must increase cleaning frequency to a rate that precludes accumulations. Dicers/slicers/graters must be thoroughly cleaned after each use. PIC stated that items will be cleaned at close.
Violation #6:
6-1A – proper cold holding temperatures
511-6-1.04(6)(f) – time/temperature control for safety; cold holding (p)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: Observed all time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods in prep top/reach-in unit across from fryer being cold held above 41°F. Ambient temperature of unit was ~48°F with TCS foods ranging between 47-54°F. TCS foods must be cold held at 41°F or below. COS by discarding. TCS foods may not be stored in unit until minimum cold holding temperature can be maintained.
Violation #7:
6-1A – proper cold holding temperatures
511-6-1.04(6)(f) – time/temperature control for safety; cold holding (p)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: Observed buttermilk being cold held at 74°F on ice bath. The ice bath made was not effective as it was not in direct contact with pan holding buttermilk. COS by discarding and creating an effective ice bath for new buttermilk. NOTE: an effective ice bath is ~80% ice and 20% water. Ice water must come up to highest level of food in container in order to maintain temperature.
Violation #8:
6-1B – proper hot holding temperatures
511-6-1.04(6)(f) – time/temperature control for safety; hot holding (p)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: Observed mashed potatoes being hot held at 128°F in steam table. Also observed caramelized onions and mushrooms being hot held on stove at 124°F and 127°F, respectively. TCS foods must be hot held at 135°F or above. COS by discarding.
Violation #9:
6-1C – proper cooling time and temperature
511-6-1.04(6)(d) – cooling (p)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed soup prepared around 2:45pm not cooled to at least 70°F within 2 hours of reaching 135°F. Temperature of soup was 100°F at 5:15pm. PIC placed soup on ice in walk-in, however, it was not a sufficient ice bath and soup was not being periodically stirred to release heat from center. Temperature of soup was 79°F at 7pm. Cooked time/temperature control for safety food shall be cooled: (i) Within 2 hours from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C); P and (ii) Within a total of 6 hours from 135°F (57°C) to 41°F (5°C) or less. P COS by discarding.
Violation #10:
6-1D – time as a public health control: procedures and records
511-6-1.04(6)(i) – time as a public health control (tphc) (p, pf, c)
Points: 9
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Inspector Notes: Observed blanched fries utilizing Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) with incorrect time on product. At 4:35pm, the time observed on the fries was 11am-3pm, however, new fries were brought out an hour prior and employee did not update time label. If using TPHC, must have time documentation on or near product indicating time removed from temperature control and use/discard within 4 hours. COS by discarding, bringing out new fries, and placing time documentation on pan.
Violation #11:
11A – proper cooling methods used: adequate equipment for temperature control
511-6-1.04(6)(e) – cooling methods (pf, c)
Points: 3
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed green beans and soup cooling in moderately deep containers and stored tightly covered in walk-in cooler. Also observed meatloaf cooling while covered; there was about 45 mins left in the cooling window and the temperature in the center was ~50°F. 1. Cooling shall be accomplished in accordance with the time and temperature criteria specified under DPH Rule 511-6-1-.04(6)(d) by using one or more of the following methods depending on the type of food being cooled: (i) Placing the food in shallow pans; Pf (ii) Separating the food into smaller or thinner portions; Pf (iii) Using rapid cooling equipment; Pf (iv) Stirring the food in a container placed in an ice water bath; Pf (v) Using containers that facilitate heat transfer; Pf (vi) Adding ice as an ingredient; Pf or (vii) Other effective methods. Pf COS by transferring green beans to sheet tray, placing soup on an ice bath, and moving meatloaf to freezer. NOTE: Health Authority recommends maintaining a cooling log so that cooling can be properly tracked by employees throughout shift and at shift change. Evening staff are not aware of or monitoring items cooling from morning shift.
Violation #12:
14A – in-use utensils: properly stored
511-6-1.04(4)(k) – in-use utensils, between-use storage (c)
Points: 1
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed in-use utensils stored in water on stove at 100°F. The stove was not on. If utensils are going to be stored in water the water must be at least 135°F. COS by discarding water and replacing utensils.
Violation #13:
17D – adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas used
511-6-1.07(4)(b) – designated areas for employee activity, located to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, & single service articles (c)
Points: 1
Corrected during inspection?: Yes
Repeat: No
Inspector Notes: Observed two employee drinks stored directly on cutting board of prep top unit. Employee drinks must be stored in a designated area separate from food prep. COS by moving drinks.
Additional remarks:
*Hamburgers must be stored below steaks as they have a higher final cook temperature. The final cook temp of hamburgers are 155°F and the final cook temp of steaks are 145°F.
*Consumer advisory on menu must be updated to include asterisk next to all ahi tuna items.
*If bacon is going to be stored in its fat then it is subject to temperature control
*In-use utensils such as tongs must be washed and sanitized every 4 hours at minimum
*Dish machine- 50 ppm (Cl)
*Sanitizer bucket- 300 ppm (quat)
*An unannounced reinspection will be conducted within 10 days. Please use inspection report as a guide to correct all deficiencies. Failure to receive a satisfactory score on reinspection will result in facility being asked to close until necessary training can be completed.
CLICK HERE to read the full report