Another Coast food truck fails health inspection with bugs, rodents or animals present
Few food trucks failed their health inspections in South Mississippi over the past year, and now two scored a C within a month.
Two Gulfport restaurants also got a failing grade in the past two weeks.
Tortilleria Morelos mobile unit, 1982 E. Pass Road. Gulfport, had a scheduled inspection April 30. The food truck was cited for:
▪ Adequate hand washing facilities not supplied and accessible
▪ Food contact surface not cleaned and sanitized
▪ Insects, rodents or animals present
▪ Hot and cold water not available at adequate pressure
A corrective follow-up inspection on May 1 showed the violations were corrected and the food truck was given a B.
This was the first C. The other three inspections since September 2023 were As.
Hibachi Express, 9354 U.S. 49, Gulfport, had a scheduled inspection April 24. It was cited for:
▪ Last inspection grade not posted, a repeat offense
Corrected during the inspection were:
▪ Proper eating, tasting, drinking or tobacco use
▪ Food separated and protected
▪ Proper cold holding temperatures
▪ Toxic substance properly identified, stored and used
During a corrective follow-up inspection on April 30, the latest inspection report was posted and the restaurant was given a B.
This is the fourth C dating back to 2011. The previous C was in 2021.
Mizu at 11515 U.S. 49 in Gulfport was inspected May 7 for a permit renewal.
It was cited for:
▪ No certified manager
▪ Food not separated and protected, a repeat offense.
This is the third C since November 2023. Prior to that, all inspection grades dating back to 2016 were As and Bs.
Restaurants and kitchens in Mississippi receive the following health inspection grades:
▪ A: if they pass the health department inspection
▪ B: if all violations are corrected during the inspection
▪ C: if the violations are critical.
Most restaurants in South Mississippi pass without any violations. Since April 23, the health department gave 154 As to restaurants in South Mississippi and 24 Bs.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 8:38 AM.
