Kobe Hibachi & Sushi in Covington receives a 61% on their recent health inspection

Kobe Hibachi & Sushi, located at 3161 Elm St NE in Covington, received a score of 61 points out of a possible 100 points during their 04/27/2026 inspection by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The violations noted by the inspector were:

Violation #1:
1-2A: .03(1)(a);(b);(c)1,4,5,6,7, 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16Based on the score earned during today’s routine inspection the persons in charge was not able to demonstrate their food safety knowledge. The person in charge must be able to demonstrate their food safety knowledge in one of the following ways: complying with this Chapter by having no violations of Priority Items during the current inspection; be a certified food safety manager by passing a test that is part of an accredited program; or be able to provide correct answers to food safety questions as they relate to the food service operation at hand. (Pf)

Violation #2:
2-1B: .03(5)(c)Observed a child in the kitchen area wiping her nose and clothing and then handling soy sauce cups and touching food prep surfaces without washing her hands. Employees must wash hands and exposed portions of arms immediately before engaging in food preparation including working with exposed food, clean equipment and utensils, and unwrapped single-service articles, and: 1) after touching exposed body parts; 2) after using the toilet room; 3) After caring for or handling service animals or aquatic animals; 4)after coughing, sneezing, using tobacco, eating, or drinking; 5) after handling soiled equipment or utensils; 6) during food preparation, as often as needed to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross contamination when changing tasks; 7) when switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food; 8) before putting on gloves; 9) after engaging in other activities that contaminate hands; 10) a second time when entering the kitchen from using the restroom. (P)
Corrective Actions: Education was provided to the person in charge discussing that hands must be properly washed after being contaminated before handling food or prep equipment. Any contaminated items were discarded.

Violation #3:
2-1C: .04(4)(a)1,2,3Observed an employee touch a crab wagon and ice with their bare hand. Except when washing fruits and vegetables, 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)
Corrective Actions: Both items were discarded.

Violation #4:
2-2B: .03(5)(k)1&2Observed a grape Powerade bottle stored in the prep cooler in the work station where the grill is located. Employees shall consume food and drink only in approved designated areas separate from food preparation and serving areas, equipment or utensil areas and food storage areas (unless drinking from a single service beverage cup with a secure lid and straw that is handled to prevent contamination of the employee’s hands, the container, exposed food, clean equipment, utensils and linens, unwrapped single-service and single-use articles). (C)
Corrective Actions: Education was provided to the person in charge discussing employees can have beverages in the work stations but it must be stored in a cup, lid, and straw from the facility. The person in charge discarded the beverage.

Violation #5:
4-1A: .04(4)(c)1(i)(ii)(iii)(v) (vi)(vii)(viii)Observed cooked chicken stored in a raw chicken cardboard box in the walk in cooler. Observed mushroom stored in the original cardboard box stored over bubba tea (matcha, mango, and classic) in the prep cooler in the grill area. Food shall be protected from cross contamination by: (i) Except as specified in paragraph (i)(IV) of below, separating raw animal foods during storage, preparation, holding, and display from: (I) Raw ready-to-eat food including other raw animal food such as fish for sushi or molluscan shellfish, or other raw ready-to-eat food such as fruits and vegetables, (P) and (II) Cooked ready-to-eat food; and (P) (III) Fruits and vegetables before they are washed; (P) (IV) Frozen, commercially processed and packaged raw animal food may be stored or displayed with or above frozen, commercially processed and packaged, ready-to-eat food. (ii) Except when combined as ingredients, separating types of raw animal foods from each other such as beef, fish, lamb, pork, and poultry during storage, preparation, holding, and display by: (I) Using separate equipment for each type, (P) or (II) Arranging each type of food in equipment so that cross contamination of one type with another is prevented, (P) and (III) Preparing each type of food at different times or in separate areas; (P) (iii) Cleaning and sanitizing equipment and utensils; (v) Cleaning hermetically sealed containers of food of visible soil before opening; (vi) Protecting food containers that are received packaged together in a case or overwrap from cuts when the case or overwrap is opened; (vii) Storing damaged, spoiled, or recalled food being held in the food service establishment separate from food, equipment, utensils, linens and single-service and single-use articles; or (viii) Separating fruits and vegetables, before they are washed from ready-to-eat food.
Corrective Actions: The chicken was discarded. The mushrooms were relocated.

Violation #6:
6-1D: .04(6)(i)Observed rice for sushi on time control with a discard time of 3:08 PM and it was 5:10 PM. When using time without temperature control (Time Control, TPHC) for a maximum of 4 hours: 1) hot foods shall start at 135°F (57°C) or above and cold foods shall start at 41°F (5°C) or below when removed from temperature control; (P) 2) the food items shall be marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time the food was removed from temperature control; (Pf) 3) foods not cooked and served or consumed within 4 hours of being removed from time control shall be discarded; (P) 4) food in unmarked containers or packages, or marked to exceed a 4-hour limit shall be discarded; (P) 5) written procedures for TPHC (including methods of compliance with cooling foods is prepared, cooked, and refrigerated) shall be created in advance, kept in the food service establishment, and made available upon the Health Authorities request. (Pf)
Corrective Actions: The rice was discarded.

Violation #7:
6-2: .04(6)(g)Observed fried salmon, fried soft crab, and fried potato cooked and stored in the reach in freezer without a prep date. The person in charge stated that the items were frozen the same day it was cooked. Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety foods prepared and held in a food establishment for more than 24-hours shall be clearly marked to indicate the date of prep or the date by with the food shall be consumed, sold, or discarded when held at 41°F (5°C) or below for a maximum of 7 days. The day of preparation shall be counted as Day 1. (Pf)
Corrective Actions: Education was provided to the person in charge discussing that any food cooked and stored in the facility by cooling in the walk in cooler or freezer after 24 hours must be dated with the prep date. The dates were added as 7 days had not pass.

Additional remarks:
A follow up inspection will be conducted within the next 10 day. Additional fees will apply.

All cold and hot holding temperatures were in compliance

All frozen foods were frozen solid

CLICK HERE to read the full report