Honey Baked Ham Co. Cafe

Considering standing in line to purchase one of those hand-crafted, spiral-sliced hams this holiday? Consider this: You risk running afoul with food borne illness. Especially, since spiral slicing multiplies the surface area where any potential contamination is exposed to oxygen and oxygen, time, temperature, available water, and slight acidity contribute to pathogen propagation. When you purchase a grocery store ham, it is still in its factory packaging. However, your hand-crafted ham had to be removed from the original factory packaging and now it’s exposed to potential cross contamination. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 ° and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the Danger Zone. To apply that special glaze requires the hams to be removed from cold storage, opened, and glazed in the back. Then the hams must sit out a spell to cool before being preened, wrapped and returned to cold storage. Speaking of cold storage, because of the extra holiday demand, the coolers are opened more frequently by the kitchen and counter personnel, jeopardizing that safe zone. When it’s your turn to step up to the counter, a ham is pulled, exposed once again and presented for your examination (and perhaps other customers before you). Finally, as you complete your purchase, the associate recommends that you DON'T heat your ham before serving, but rather you should allow it to sit at room temperature for a half hour or so. Does this strike you as conflicting advise? If you go back to the grocery store, you're ham is still in its pristine factory wrapper, and hasn't been exposed and handled out of cold storage, and should have a USDA inspection label with a warning about food borne illness that recommends heating it to at least 140° F. It's up to you, but I know which one I’m NOT serving my family and guests!

Their food is worth it. It might be a little more for a turkey or ham that you would buy at the grocery store but they cut out half the work since it's pre cooked. I can't wait for the holidays so I can order some delicious food. I was in the mood for it one day so I thought I would stop by and get a sandwich. I had a coupon for a $5.99 lunch comco. Includes a sanwich, side and a drink. It was delicious. Nice honey baked ham sandwich!