Syd Walker has carved out a niche reading public health inspection reports aloud for her followers. Recently, she returned with an update on Finn and Feathers, a Midtown Atlanta, Georgia restaurant whose score has slipped from 74 in 2026 to 70 as of June 5.
Walker (@sydwalker0) walks through the inspector’s findings, citing the health department site directly. She gets ahead of the inevitable backlash early: “I never once said don’t eat here. They’re still getting business, so it’s up to you if you wanna eat there or not.”
She catalogs a new violation first. “They observe water use bottles in the main kitchen area. They also observe and employ making a drink for personal consumption” alongside glassware in the handwashing sink. The TikTo creator notes this was corrected on-site.
Then she goes over all the repeat violations. Chicken wings and egg wash uncovered. Flour and sugar without lids. An ice cream scoop in a dirty container. Lamb and steak kept at the incorrect temperature. “Once again, another repeat violation,” Walker said.
The most pointed finding involves transparency itself. The restaurant, she says, failed—for the second consecutive inspection—to post its most recent score within 15 feet of the main walkway, legible, visible to customers. “I know some people told me they had a 100 up there. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but once again, they had the incorrect score at the front of the restaurant,” she says.
Walker ends her video with the disclaimer she opened with. “I’m just sharing this information,” she says. “I’m not saying anything bad about these establishments. It’s up to you if you want to continue eating there or not.”
“Their reviews are great”
“What happened in the 3 months that they went from 100 to a [70]?” asked one person. “They probably got too busy and instead of improving their systems and probably…continued how [they were] operating and did not compensate for the higher volume,” replied a second.
Some people expressed surprise over Walker’s findings. “Dang!! Their reviews are great, lines out the door. Scary. Never knew the rating could get this low,” wrote one person.
This is true. Google reviews for Finn and Feathers are pretty positive. On Yelp it has 4 out of 5 stars. Many made glowing remarks about the restaurant’s food.
“One of the best dining experiences I’ve had. Everything tasted amazing. Clean place, affordable prices, and excellent customer service,” one wrote earlier this week.
Those who did make negative comments in their reviews mostly complained about wait times, service, and atmosphere.
When TikTok becomes the health inspector
Last year, Santa Clara County health officials temporarily closed a California restaurant after a TikTok showed an employee slamming frozen beef ribs onto cardboard and dirty pavement behind the restaurant.
Reddit users identifying themselves as “hobbyist geoguessers” matched details from the TikTok video to the location and reported the eatery to the county before officials had independently traced it. County environmental health director Marilyn Underwood said investigators found “a cockroach infestation, a lack of any method to properly sanitize utensils and equipment and a failure by staff to demonstrate basic food-safety knowledge.”
A similar dynamic happened in Indianapolis in 2024, when a restaurant closed a day after a TikTok went viral showing workers — at least one shoeless — stepping over aluminum pans of chicken, fries, and lettuce, with a mouse visible. A health inspector revoked the restaurant’s food license indefinitely. State Rep. Robin Shackleford framed the incident as systemic.
“There’s been some concern about the Marion County Health Department and those violations and why this company is still in existence,” she said, per Yahoo News. “A compliance issue is definitely in urban areas where we’re seeing a lot of neglect from the businesses.”
The Big Lead reached out to Walker and Fin and Feathers Midtown via email for more information.
