One Restaurant Cited in Lancaster County Food Inspections in April 2026

Lancaster County food service establishments posted strong overall results in April 2026, with nearly all inspected businesses earning top marks. Of the 65 inspections conducted by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture during the month, one establishment received a B grade and one received a C grade — both involving the same business, Nizam Bistro, a food truck operating in Indian Land.

All other inspected establishments across Lancaster, Indian Land, Kershaw, Fort Mill, Fort Lawn, and surrounding communities received A grades during the month.

Summary of Below-A Grades

Note: Nizam Bistro received a B on its April 14 routine inspection, then was downgraded to a C on its April 21 follow-up despite a higher numerical score.  A further follow-up was pending at the time of this report.

Nizam Bistro — Indian Land

Nizam Bistro, a food truck operating at 4374 Tournette Drive in Indian Land, had a difficult April, receiving a B on a routine inspection April 14 and then being downgraded to a C on a follow-up visit April 21 when priority violations remained unresolved.

The April 14 routine inspection found the handwashing sink unable to exceed 79°F — well below the required 100°F minimum. No food handler was on site, and a child was observed in the food preparation area. The facility had two or more priority violations, triggering a supervision violation for the person in charge.

Cold holding was a major concern. In the main prep area, chopped garlic was measured at 58°F, cooked rice at 78°F, and chicken at 78°F — all far above the required 41°F maximum cold-holding temperature. Those items were corrected on site. The facility also lacked an active date marking system for temperature-controlled ready-to-eat foods, and two specific items — mint chutney and curry paste, both made April 12 — were stored without any date markings. Those were also corrected on site, but verification was required for both.

Sanitizing test strips were not available at the time of inspection, and all equipment surfaces inside and out had excess grease and debris. Cooking equipment in the food prep area had accumulated soil and debris. Food was stored on the floor. The back door was propped open, and the service window had neither a fan nor an air curtain to prevent pest entry. Floors, walls, and ceilings had excess debris and dirt accumulation.

A Chapter 9 violation was also cited: the food truck was not returning to its commissary kitchen every 72 hours after service as required by state standards for mobile food operations. A follow-up inspection was required within 10 days.

When inspectors returned on April 21, the handwashing sink — the same priority violation that had been cited April 14 — still could not exceed 79°F. Under South Carolina’s grading system, an uncorrected priority violation at a follow-up inspection triggers a downgrade regardless of the overall numerical score. The facility scored 93 points on the April 21 visit but received a C grade as a result. The date marking issues with the mint chutney and curry paste were also still present at follow-up, though those items were corrected during the visit. The back door remained propped open, and the service window still lacked a fan or air curtain. A further follow-up inspection was required, and its results were pending at the time of this report.

Grading Scale and Context

South Carolina grades retail food establishments on a 100-point scale. Scores of 88 or above earn an A; scores between 78 and 87 earn a B; scores between 68 and 77 earn a C. As demonstrated by Nizam Bistro’s April 21 inspection, a facility can receive a C grade even with a high numerical score if priority violations from a previous inspection remain uncorrected at the time of follow-up.

Inspection reports are public records available through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture at agriculture.sc.gov.