COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus restaurants received eight C grades during the first 10 months of 2026, four times the two C grades recorded during the same period last year. The average restaurant inspection score also declined to 96.48, compared with 97.13 in 2025, according to the Columbus Times restaurant inspection database. The figures cover 1,151 inspections in Muscogee County through Oct. 26.

The database, available at columbustimes.com/restaurants, uses Georgia Department of Public Health food service inspection records. Restaurants received 90 B grades, eight C grades and no U grades during the 2026 reporting period. Despite the increase in lower grades, inspectors awarded 587 perfect scores of 100, representing 51.0% of all inspections, according to Columbus Times calculations.

How Georgia Grades Restaurants

Georgia uses a numerical scoring system that assigns restaurants a letter grade based on their inspection results. An A represents a score of 90 to 100, a B covers 80 to 89, a C covers 70 to 79, and a U represents 69 or below. Restaurants generally undergo inspections twice a year, while establishments receiving a C or U receive a follow-up inspection.

An inspection provides a snapshot of conditions during a particular visit rather than a complete picture of a restaurant's operations over time. Inspectors may identify problems that restaurants correct during the same inspection, and many violations are resolved before the inspector leaves. The latest inspection scores are especially important when reviewing older C grades because subsequent visits can produce different results.

8 Restaurants Received C Grades in 2026

Eight inspections resulted in C grades between Jan. 2 and Oct. 26, 2026, according to the Columbus Times database. The lowest score was 70 at Chef Lee's Peking Restaurant, followed by two restaurants that received scores of 72. Six of the eight restaurants subsequently earned higher grades, one remained at a C as its latest recorded inspection, and the remaining restaurant improved from a C to a B.

The following list ranks the eight C-grade inspections from lowest to highest score. Each entry includes the inspection date, restaurant address and most recent score recorded through Oct. 26. These results distinguish the original C-grade inspection from any subsequent inspection.

1. Chef Lee's Peking Restaurant - 70 C. The restaurant at 6100 Bradley Park Drive received a score of 70 on Aug. 25, 2026. That remained its latest recorded inspection as of Oct. 26.

2. Pho Sai Gon80 - 72 C. Located at 2301 Airport Thruway, Suite D-11, the restaurant received a 72 on Aug. 27. Its latest inspection, Sept. 30, resulted in an improved score of 80 B.

3. Wing City81 - 72 C. The restaurant at 3846 St. Marys Road, Suite 12, received a 72 on June 17. Its latest inspection on July 17 produced an 81 B.

4. Taqueria Tapatios91 - 75 C. Located at 7042 Moon Road, Suite C, the restaurant scored 75 on Jan. 28. Its latest inspection on July 9 resulted in a 91 A.

5. Wakis African Kitchen93 - 76 C. The restaurant at 2901 University Ave., Suite 1, received a 76 on April 24. Its latest inspection on Sept. 10 produced a 93 A.

6. Xin Kee BBQ95 - 78 C. Located at 5750 Milgen Road, Suite 106, the restaurant scored 78 on March 3. Its latest inspection on Sept. 30 resulted in a 95 A.

7. Popeyes Louisiana Chicken - 79 C. The restaurant at 6820 Midland Commons Blvd. received a 79 on March 24. Its latest inspection on July 23 produced a 91 A.

8. Captain D's #3601 - 79 C. Located at 3281 Victory Drive, the restaurant received a 79 on April 2. Its latest inspection on Oct. 14 resulted in a 95 A.

Most Restaurants Improved After Their C Grades

Seven of the eight restaurants that received C grades had higher scores on their next recorded inspections, according to the available records. Five eventually reached the A range, while Pho Sai Gon and Wing City improved into the B range. Chef Lee's Peking Restaurant remained the only establishment on the list without a newer inspection recorded through Oct. 26.

The improvements were substantial for several establishments. Wakis African Kitchen increased from 76 to 93, Xin Kee BBQ improved from 78 to 95, and Captain D's rose from 79 to 95 on their latest recorded inspections. Those results show why an older low score should be considered alongside the restaurant's subsequent inspection history.

Other Restaurants With Low Inspection Scores

The eight C grades represent the lowest numerical range above Georgia's U category, but several other establishments received scores near the bottom of the B range. These scores ranged from 80 to 81 during inspections conducted throughout the reporting period. Some establishments improved on subsequent inspections, while others had the same or slightly higher scores in their latest records.

• Pho Sai Gon: 80 B on Sept. 30, its latest inspection.
• The Legends80: 5762 Milgen Road, 80 B on June 26, still its latest recorded score.
• Ole Times Buffet85: 1900 Manchester Expressway, 80 B on April 21; latest score of 85 B on Oct. 20.
• JD Wings: 3507 Macon Road, 81 B on Jan. 16 and again on Oct. 1.
• Bowlero Columbus84: 1636 Bradley Park Drive, 81 B on April 17; latest score of 84 B on Oct. 16.
• Chickchickporkpork Grill81: 6516 Kitten Lake Drive, Suite E1, Midland, 81 B on Aug. 24, still its latest recorded score.

These results show that lower B grades did not always lead to identical outcomes on subsequent visits. Ole Times Buffet improved from 80 to 85, while Bowlero Columbus increased from 81 to 84. JD Wings recorded an 81 on both listed inspections, while The Legends and Chickchickporkpork Grill had no newer scores in the reporting period.

2026 Compared With 2025

The Columbus Times database shows 1,151 restaurant inspections between Jan. 1 and Oct. 26, 2026, compared with 1,006 during the equivalent period in 2025. The average score declined from 97.13 to 96.48, a decrease of 0.65 points, according to our math. The number of B grades increased from 52 to 90, while C grades increased from two to eight.

That represents 38 additional B grades and six additional C grades in the 2026 reporting period, according to Columbus Times calculations. The number of C grades was four times the previous year's total, although there were also more inspections overall. No inspections in the 2026 data received a U grade, the designation reserved for scores of 69 or below.

Restaurant Inspection Scores by Month

Monthly inspection averages varied during the first 10 months of 2026. August recorded the lowest monthly average at 95.4, followed by July at 95.7 and April at 95.9. February had the highest average at 97.4, followed by September at 97.3.

June recorded the most inspections with 158, while August had the fewest with 94. September's average rebounded to 97.3 after August's 95.4, before declining to 96.3 in October. The October figures include inspections through Oct. 26 rather than the entire month.

What the Numbers Mean for Columbus Diners

The inspection data shows two trends occurring at the same time: lower grades became more frequent, but perfect scores remained common. More than half of the 1,151 inspections resulted in scores of 100, even as B grades increased and C grades quadrupled compared with the same period last year. The overall average of 96.48 also remained within Georgia's A-grade range.

Readers can compare individual inspection results and follow-up scores rather than relying on a single older grade. Most restaurants that received C grades during 2026 subsequently recorded higher scores, including several that returned to the A range. The Columbus Times restaurant database provides inspection histories at columbustimes.com/restaurants.

## How we did this Columbus Times analyzed its restaurant inspection database, which is built from Georgia Department of Public Health food service inspection records for Muscogee County. The 2026 analysis covers inspections from Jan. 2 through Oct. 26, the newest record available as of Oct. 28, 2026, and compares the reported totals with the same calendar period in 2025. Columbus Times calculated the 51.0% share of perfect scores, the fourfold increase in C grades, the additional B and C grades, and the 0.65-point decline in average scores using the database totals. Restaurant names, addresses, inspection dates, grades and follow-up results came from the same records, and an inspection represents conditions during one visit rather than a permanent assessment of an establishment.