Three Lancaster County Establishments Flagged in June Food Inspections

A Mexican food trailer in Lancaster received a C grade in June 2026, the lowest mark among the 92 food inspections the South Carolina Department of Agriculture recorded in Lancaster County during the month. Two other establishments received a B.

The Department of Agriculture oversees retail food safety in the state, grades establishments after each inspection, and posts the reports as public record. A C is the lowest letter grade the agency assigns. Most Lancaster County establishments inspected in June held an A, including restaurants, groceries, and convenience stores in Lancaster, Indian Land, Kershaw, and Heath Springs.

Hondumex in Lancaster

Hondumex, a mobile food unit at 2151 W. Meeting St. in Lancaster, was cited across three June visits before returning to good standing. A routine inspection June 1 scored 87 points and earned a B, with the inspector noting multiple priority violations that were not corrected during the visit.

The June 1 report found refried beans on the cook line at 84 degrees, below the 135 degree minimum for hot holding, and a full make-line cooler holding above the 41 degree cold limit, including cooked chicken at 56 degrees and raw chicken at 54 degrees. Inspectors also reported that the unit was not drawing water from an approved source and that gray water was leaking from a front pipe.

When an inspector returned June 8, the cold holding was still out, with the same items reading well above safe temperatures. Because that priority violation remained uncorrected, the unit was downgraded to a C despite a score of 97 points. Hondumex corrected the problem and returned to an A on a second follow-up June 17.

MJ Mart in Lancaster

MJ Mart, at 2561A Kershaw Camden Highway in Lancaster, scored 83 points and received a B during a routine inspection June 9. The convenience store, which offers self-service hot food, had no certified food protection manager on site and a bathroom sink without soap or hand drying supplies.

Inspectors found self-service items below the safe hot holding temperature, including a chicken biscuit at 110 degrees, and ranch dressing at 72 degrees, above the cold limit. Both were corrected during the visit. The report also noted a residential pesticide stored across from the three-compartment sink, a repeat violation that could be referred to enforcement, and living quarters that were not separated from the store’s storage area. MJ Mart returned to an A on a follow-up inspection June 16.

Wing Shack in Lancaster

Wing Shack, at 1352 Reece Road in Lancaster, scored 80 points and received a B during a routine inspection June 24. The inspector cited two or more priority violations and noted that the business had neither a food handler nor a certified food protection manager on site.

Inspectors found raw chicken stored above cut raw potatoes in a reach-in cooler, which staff corrected, and reported that the business did not have an active date-marking system, leaving several prepared sauces and toppings without prep or discard dates. The report also noted grease buildup on the hood filters, single-service items stored on the floor, and a missing dumpster drain plug. A follow-up inspection is required.

How the grades work

The Hondumex result shows that a high point total does not guarantee a top grade. Under the state system, a priority violation that stays uncorrected from one visit to the next can drop an establishment a full letter grade, and repeat problems can be referred to the department’s enforcement section. State law allows penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for each day an establishment remains out of compliance.

All inspection reports are open to the public under the Freedom of Information Act and are available through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Hondumex and MJ Mart returned to an A within June, while Wing Shack, inspected in the final week of the month, faces a follow-up that was still pending as June closed.