Nashville Restaurant Inspections Unveil Unsettling Findings
The dazzling city of Nashville, popularly recognized for its gastronomic scene, saw several of its restaurants fail health inspections in the past month. The Tennessee Department of Health carried out over 675 inspections in foodservice establishments across Davidson County in June. Of these, 14 reported less than satisfactory scores of 74 or below, bringing some alarming observations to light—flies, gnats, warm salmon, and even peculiar pink growth on an ice machine.
Restaurants Going Under the Scanner
The inspected establishments spanned the gamut, including restaurants, food trucks, and kitchens in the county. The restaurants below received poor initial scores, most of them managing to rectify the issues before the follow-up inspections performed. Full inspection reports, available on the Health Department’s website, highlight the gravity of the violations. See who made the list:
1. 417 Union Kitchen: Score = 74
Dated June 20, the initial inspection uncovered the existence of black and pink growth in the ice maker, gnats around the sink and food storage area in the basement, and eggs stored at room temperature.
2. ACME Feed & Seed: Score = 72
On June 20, this popular spot was found to harbor a massive quantity of insects in the basement, and dented cans not discarded. The inspection also noted that cut leafy greens were stored in close proximity to raw eggs. A follow-up score of 92 was recorded on July 8.
3. Birrieria y Taqueria Arandas: Score = 54
This restaurant was inspected on June 25, where violations such as thawing beef at room temperature, poor storage of raw chicken above raw beef, and a fly seen inside a spice container were noted. The subsequent inspection on July 9 noted marked improvements with a score of 94.
4. Blue Moon Waterfront Grill: Score = 73
Among other violations observed on June 10, flies around the establishment, date-less day-old rice, and a cooler without a visible thermometer stood out. The restaurant managed an encouraging follow-up score of 93 on the same day.
5. Caesar’s Italian Restaurant: Score = 63
On June 4, the presence of gnats flying around the kitchen, and cleaning supplies stored above raw pasta were noted. Also, a sealed, unidentifiable product was found spoiled and leaking next to eggs and hamburger buns. The follow-up score on June 27 was a commendable 90.
6. High Point Coffee: Score = 72
Violations like room-temperature-stored cream, and chemical bottles stored alongside coffee beans were seen during the inspection on June 14. A significant improvement was observed with a scoring of 99 noted during the follow-up on June 24.
7. Johnny Cash Kitchen and Saloon: Score = 73
Some major violations noted on June 18 included the finding of damaged cans, improper hand washing procedures, and hair gel being stored above skewers. A perfect follow-up score of 99 was recorded on June 28.
8. Kebab Gyros: Score = 66
A bug zapper placed above a pot with a lid full of dead flies was among the violations spotted on June 25. Improvements were recorded with a follow-up inspection score of 92 on July 9.
9. La Cubulera Restaurant: Score = 69
On June 3, violations such as raw chicken thawing on the counter and a bug spray next to food were observed.
10. Louie’s Bar and Grill: Score = 74
During the June 13 inspection, open doors attracted flies into the kitchen, raw chicken was stored improperly, and lard containers were found in the mop sink. The follow-up inspection on July 8 saw a raised score of 93.
11. Maru Nations: Score = 65
Flies were seen in the establishment, one of the sushi cases lacked a thermometer, and raw shrimp was stored above leafy greens. These violations were noted during the inspection on June 20th.
12. Oak Steakhouse: Score = 73
During the inspection on June 27, the top of the ice machine was found dirty, milk was not dated, and raw crab cakes were stored above ready-to-eat foods. The follow-up showed a score of 98 on the same day.
13. Bob’s Steak & Chophouse at the Omni Hotel: Score = 74
Durty pans, warm chicken, and heavy cream were some of the violations found on June 11. Their score raised to 96 during the follow-up on June 21.
14. Sushi Kingdom: Score = 59
During the inspection on June 5, raw salmon was found at a worrying 46 degrees. One of the employees was seen handling a deep-fried sushi roll with their bare hands. Additionally, the person in charge could not correctly answer food safety questions.
While some violations were quickly fixed, others, more serious, made reinspection a necessity. Meanwhile, food lovers in Nashville can breathe easy knowing that thorough health inspections are in place to ensure food safety and quality.
