DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) - Bainbridge Express 2, located in Bainbridge, had 7 health infractions during its health inspection on May 21. Of the 7 infractions, 4 of them were corrected while the inspector was on site. Over in Douglas, The Magnolia Cafe & Tearoom got a 100.

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A new local restaurant is already making a strong first impression in terms of food safety.

Claire Elliott, owner of the Magnolia Cafe and Tea Room in Douglas, said the cafe earned a perfect 100 on its food service inspection just weeks after opening.

Elliott said her background helped set the standard from day one.

“Growing up in the restaurant business, I know what you have to do to maintain sanitation in all areas of the restaurant,” she said, adding that culinary school was “very, very strict.”

She said training is a key part of maintaining those standards.

“I did the Serve Safe Manager course. And so I’ve shared that with the ones that have not worked in a restaurant before,” Elliott said. “We’ve trained them as well. But it is very important to have a clean and safe restaurant so that everybody can come and enjoy and feel safe doing that and be a success.”

Elliott said the team starts early and stays organized to keep the kitchen running smoothly.

“Well, opening, we’re here at seven o’clock, and we start with a clean slate every day,” she said. “If anything needs to be put away, it’s labeled correctly.”

She said having enough staff on hand helps the team catch small things before they become problems.

“We just have enough staff so that everything is covered,” Elliott said. “If one person might miss labeling something, somebody else will. We’re a really good team.”

At closing, she said the focus is on resetting the space for the next morning.

Elliott said community response has been strong, with repeat customers returning multiple times a week.

“It’s been a great experience so far,” she said. “We have some people that have come multiple times a week for the five or six weeks that we’ve been open.”

The cafe is located in a house built in 1914 on Gaskin Avenue, and Elliott said the setting is meant to feel familiar.

“I wanted people to feel welcome immediately and feel like they were at home or with family,” she added.

Elliott said the food follows the same theme.

“I want them to feel like they’re at their grandmother’s table,” she said. “Some of the recipes that I’m using are from my grandmother. Her quiche recipe is what I use to make the quiche every day.”

She said the menu includes four varieties of chicken salad, along with popular items like a turkey club sandwich, a hot wing panini, and caprese options.

“I wanted to offer things that you maybe couldn’t find anywhere else in town,” Elliott said. “This is the kind of place that I look for when I would go out of town. So I just brought it home to Douglas.”

When the cafe gets busy, Elliott said the word that best describes the team’s mindset is simple.

“Grateful. I mean, being busy is a blessing,” she said. “The fact that people are choosing to come here, we are so grateful.”

Elliott said earning a 100 score starts with the people behind the counter.

“To be able to get 100 is having a staff that cares and then training them, obviously,” Elliott added. “But, you know, the ones that will actually try — that’s what will do it.”

MORE RESTAURANT REPORT:

>> LAST WEEK: Restaurant Report: ‘Black residue’ found inside ice machine at Albany restaurant corrected on site <<

Below is a list of restaurants that were inspected from May 18 through May 25 in South Georgia:

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

1. 3 Beards BBQ
2. Nikki B’s Spot
3. The Magnolia Cafe & Tearoom
4. Surcheros Fresh Mex
5. San Joes Cantina Grill
   1. Infractions
      1. Observed bell peppers with mold growth. CA: Food shall be safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented. PIC discarded the bell peppers.  Corrected On-Site.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.05(7)(b)]Observed the interior of the ice machine was not clean to sight or touch.
6. Oasis Ebenezer
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(3)(a)]No Certified Food Manager for establishment.  Repeat Violation.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(6)(f)]Cooked Pork in reach in cooler #2 was found to be 52 degrees. Cooked chicken in cooler #2 was found to be 58 degrees. These foods were placed in an ice bath until the temperature dropped to 41 degrees, and will be moved to the larger reach in cooler #1.  Corrected On-Site.  New Violation.
7. Bainbridge Express 2
   1. Infractions
      1. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(3)(a)]No Certified Food Manager for establishment.
      2. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)]Observed improper horizontal separation of raw animal foods and ready-to-eat foods. Raw sausage was observed touching fully cooked sausage in reach in cooler. PIC moved items.  Corrected On-Site.
      3. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(4)(c)1(iv)](Potato Kegs) found stored in (Reach in Freezer) uncovered and subject to contamination. PIC had an employee seal bag.  Corrected On-Site.  
      4. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.04(6)(f)]Observed potentially hazardous food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed Raw Chicken at 47F, Cooked Burger Patties 45 F, Butter 44 F, Sliced Cheese 44 F, and Velveeta at 44 F in the walk-in cooler—new Violation.
      5. Observed potentially hazardous food thawed improperly. Raw Tubes of ground beef were left to thaw in the meat sink without the use of cool running water. PIC turned on the cool water for the item to thaw properly. Corrected On-Site.
      6. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.03(5)(j)]Observed employee in kitchen area handling/prepping food without any hair restraint. COS: Employee put on a hair net, corrected On-Site.  
      7. Violation of Code:[511-6-1.02(1)(d)]The most current inspection report is not prominently displayed in public view, within 15 feet of the front or primary public door, and between five feet and seven feet from the floor or in an area where it can be read at a distance of one foot away. The report posted was from 2024. Last inspection occurred in 2025.

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

3 Beards BBQ

Nikki B’s Spot

The Magnolia Cafe & Tearoom

Surcheros Fresh Mex

San Joes Cantina Grill

Oasis Ebenezer

Bainbridge Express 2

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