15 worst Nashville restaurant inspections in October: Rotten fruit, flies and dead mice
In October, the Tennessee Department of Health inspected more than 1,000 restaurants, food trucks and other food service kitchens in Davidson County. Most restaurants received high marks. The median score was 95 out of 100.
But not all restaurants scored that well. Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the 15 restaurants that received a score of 70 or below on their initial inspection last month. Unless specified, the restaurants are in Nashville. Restaurants are given a chance to correct issues. Sometimes a follow-up inspection is done the same day.
A full list of October inspections can be found at the end of this post.
Want to learn more about restaurant health inspection in Tennessee? See our explainer. The Tennessean also posted a searchable database with health inspection scores going back to August 2022.
Full inspection reports can be found on the website of the Tennessee Department of Health.
More: What you need to know about restaurant health inspections
Best City Gyro
Score = 64.
Date of inspection: Oct. 10.
Examples of violations: raw chicken spilling out of bucket onto cut lettuce; hand sink blocked and cannot be used; boxes of frozen fries stored outside on the ground.
See the full inspection report.
Closure notice issued due to inaccessible hand sink.
907 Gallatin Pike South, Madison
City Tap House
Score: 70.
Date of inspection: Oct. 19.
Examples of violations: hand-washing sink had no cold water; film on ice machine; vents were noticeably dirty.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 96.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 31.
204 Third Ave. S.
Daddy's Gyros
Score: 64.
Date of inspection: Oct. 17.
Examples of violations: cooked chicken and gyro meat held below 135 degrees; food debris under equipment; staff was not knowledgeable about food-borne symptoms and diseases.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 95.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 31.
2804 West End Ave.
Dolce Vita
Score: 64.
Date of inspection: Oct. 24.
Examples of violations: food build-up on mushroom grinder; gaps in the kitchen floor lead to the outside; flies seen in the kitchen; no paper towels in the employee restroom.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 90.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 3.
2613 Franklin Pike
El Metate Mexican Restaurant
Score: 68.
Date of inspection: Oct. 18.
Examples of violations: peppers and greens had brown mold-like buildup; a hand-washing sink had no soap; raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 94.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 26.
1805 Dickerson Road
Hot Spot Fish and Wings
Score: 55.
Date of inspection: Oct. 9.
Examples of violations: expired milk in cooler; prep table not cleaned after it was used for raw meat; raw chicken sitting in a bucket of water to thaw out.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 86.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 17.
2543 Murfreesboro Pike
JW Marriott (Stompin’ Grounds restaurant)
Score: 65.
Date of inspection: Oct. 30.
Examples of violations: expired onion dip and feta cheese not discarded; significantly damaged cans in rack; employees put on gloves without first washing their hands.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 96.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 9.
201 Eighth Ave. S.
Korea BBQ & Sushi
Score: 66.
Date of inspection: Oct. 23.
Examples of violations: raw chicken boxes reused to store frozen food; pack of cigarettes stored on sushi prep counter near wasabi; corner of floor in walk-in freezer dirty with food debris.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 90.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 1.
6688 Nolensville Pike, Brentwood
Leaf n' Brew
Score: 61.
Date of inspection: Oct. 4.
Example of violations: no hot water at the hand-washing sink; rotten cantaloupe stored above ready-to-eat fruit; live roach seen near freezer.
See the full inspection report.
319 Peabody St.
Liberty Common
Score: 70.
Date of inspection: Oct. 13.
Examples of violations: raw chicken stored above raw ground beef; coleslaw in cooler was 54 degrees; wet cloths stored on prep surfaces throughout the kitchen.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 96.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 3.
207 First Ave. S.
Lulu's Cafe & Donut
Score: 70.
Date of inspection: Oct. 25.
Examples of violations: no hot water at hand sink; cooked rice sitting out for hours was 79 degrees; cooked peppers sitting in mop sink.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 96.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 6.
215 S. Main St., Goodlettsville
Memories Cafe
Score: 64.
Date of inspection: Oct. 12.
Examples of violations: dripping meat cooling down in freezer over bananas; excessive mouse dropping in dry storage area; dead mice under cooking equipment.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 88.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 24.
1098 Murfreesboro Pike
Roma Pizza
Score: 67.
Date of inspection: Oct. 17.
Examples of violations: person in charge lacks knowledge of food safety; ceilings and walls excessively dirty; flying insects around sink.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 87.
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 31.
2418 Elliston Place
Thirsty Turtles
Score: 69.
Date of inspection: Oct. 27.
Examples of violations: moldy oranges in case with good oranges; dented cans of tomatoes and pineapples; no paper towels in men's restroom.
See the full inspection report.
Follow-up score: 91.
Date of follow-up inspection: Nov. 2.
1307 Bell Road, Antioch
Titans Press Box at BNA
Score: 70.
Date of inspection: Oct. 16.
Examples of violations: employee touched raw beef then did not change gloves or wash hands before grabbing mushrooms; raw beef stored above cooked chili; lettuce stored at 62 degrees (must be 41 degrees or below).
Follow-up score: 98
Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 23.
1 Terminal Drive
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Dept. of Health releases food inspection ratings for October
