James Island IHOP permanently closed following health code violations
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James Island IHOP permanently closed following health code violations
A James Island IHOP is now permanently closed following inspections that showed multiple health code violations. The business was not forced to close its doors by the state, but voluntarily shut down. A family physician with Roper St. Francis, Dr. Valerie Scott, explained that a C-rating usually indicates there’s some fairly serious issues inside the business that could cause bodily harm. Now, the property remains empty and up for sale. The restaurant is located at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive in Charleston, S.C.
Located at 771 Daniel Ellis Drive in Charleston, the restaurant has received continuous reports of problematic food safety practices.
Reports from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture show that since March, the IHOP has received 11 straight C-gradings.
The restaurant violated the South Carolina Retail Food Establishment Regulations with the last recorded inspection on May 12, 2025.
Failures included temperature control for food safety, properly cleaned and sanitized surfaces, food in a good or safe condition, flies found in the dish area and utensils and other cleaning materials not properly handled.
Improper food date marking and disposal were noted in the reports, with steak, ham and pancake batter being held longer than seven days. The ham specifically was 14 days old when the inspection was conducted.
A family physician with Roper St. Francis, Dr. Valerie Scott, explained that a C-rating usually indicates there’s some fairly serious issues inside the business that could cause bodily harm.
“I think it is important for us to know when you see a rating, what does that mean to me, because you want to keep safe,” Scott said. “You do need to take a pause and be sure that where you’re eating takes good care to be sure you don’t get ill.”
As for the time and temperature control of food safety, reports state the IHOP was holding the following foods at a violated temperature:
Cheese: 53°F
Liquid eggs: 53°F
Buttermilk batter; 57°F
Sausage: 50°F
Beef: 50°F
Chicken; 50°F
Steak tips; 51°F
Turkey; 50°F
“I think we all think about that in our own homes; when we have Thanksgiving, you’re always careful about not leaving the food out too long. Restaurants, too, have to follow these rules, and there are a lot of good reasons for that because you can get salmonella, E. coli., or even norovirus,” Scott said.
The business was not forced to close its doors by the state, but voluntarily shut down.
Now, the property remains empty and up for sale.
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