In the past several weeks, many locally owned eateries in the Marietta community have received a daunting number of dangerously low health inspection scores. Some of our community’s most popular restaurants—such as Mac’s Chophouse, Hoboken Cafe, and WEI—fell victim to this scrutiny, receiving scores well into the 60s. Thus, prompting community members to question whether it was safe to dine there.
Many customers, however, were quick to defend their favorite restaurants.
“I’ve been eating here for years and have always found the food and cleanliness to be solid. In my opinion, the recent score does not represent the experience this place consistently delivers,” a community member under Eat Safe Cobb’s Facebook post regarding Hoboken Cafe said. “One inspection doesn’t erase years of great meals. I will absolutely continue to support them.”
On the other hand, many others have raised concerns about restaurant management, eager to hear how they intend to address any issues that may have arisen in their initial evaluations.
Mac’s Chophouse—for instance—is one of Marietta’s oldest and most established steakhouses, known for its accommodating staff, ambient atmosphere, and, without a doubt, delectable food. While their low health score came as a shock, customers gathered together over social media and swiftly came to the restaurant’s defense.
“Something is fishy about the inspectors,” one person commented on Eat Safe Cobb’s Facebook page, with several other community members agreeing with the comment.
This isn’t to say that the restaurants’ initial reviews weren’t a little alarming, but their low scores caused many individuals to question who should be held accountable: the restaurants themselves or new inspection guidelines.
As a matter of fact, the Georgia Department of Public Health updated its Food Service Rules and Regulations last February in order to reflect changes based on the adoption of the 2022 FDA Food Code, which aimed to reduce airborne illnesses by requiring local health inspectors to follow stricter and more comprehensive standards. These updated guidelines are now being enforced this year, which has impacted inspection scoring and explains the recent decline in scores for many food establishments in the area.
Although many restaurants initially received low inspection scores, they’ve all come back and proved their worthiness in the Marietta food scene with improved and close to perfect scores, and even better reviews.
