The Water’s Edge Restaurant, a popular waterfront dining spot in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, has been given a ‘C’ grade following a recent health inspection by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA). The inspection, conducted on May 8, 2026, revealed numerous food safety and sanitation violations that prompted this rating.
Inspection Findings
Located at 1407 Shrimp Boat Lane, Water’s Edge Restaurant was cited for a range of issues, including improper cold holding temperatures and unsafe cooling methods. Inspectors found soups and cream sauces being cooled overnight at 57 degrees, which is above the safe temperature. Other items such as mussels, penne pasta, marinated fish, salmon, boiled eggs, and crab dip were also found to be stored at unsafe temperatures, leading to voluntary disposal of several items during the inspection.
The restaurant also faced criticism for its date marking system, with multiple ready-to-eat foods stored without date labels or held beyond the allowed seven-day period. Items like beef stock, deli ham, marinara sauce, cooked mushrooms, and sausage were discarded as a result.
Sanitation and Safety Concerns
Further violations included the storage of raw or undercooked seafood products above other foods, creating a potential cross-contamination risk. Inspectors noted thawed tuna was kept in reduced oxygen packaging against labeling instructions, and fish and calamari were thawing in still water.
Additional concerns were raised about food stored uncovered in walk-in coolers, food placed directly on freezer floors, and cut lettuce left unprotected near raw animal proteins. The inspection also highlighted corrosion on shelving, improperly adjusted coolers, soiled areas, dusty fan covers, and a back door that was not tight-fitting or self-closing.
Management and Compliance
A priority plumbing violation was documented due to a brewing water line connected without the required dual backflow prevention device. Management was cited for failing to demonstrate proper control over food safety operations, given the number of priority violations observed.
Under South Carolina law, such violations may lead to enforcement actions, including fines of up to $1,000 per violation per day for continued noncompliance. However, the report did not require a routine follow-up inspection at the time of the visit.
FITSNews will continue to monitor restaurant inspection reports across South Carolina, highlighting conditions within the state’s food service industry.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
