25 worst Nashville restaurant inspections in September included vaping staff, gnats, dirty utensil
The Tennessee Department of Health completed more than 1,000 inspections of restaurants and other food service kitchens across Davidson County in September. Most restaurants received high marks. The median score was 97 out of 100.
Not all restaurants scored that well. Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the 25 lowest inspection scores 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 September 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
360 Bistro
Score = 73Date of inspection: 9/11/23
Examples of violations: staff vaping in kitchen and smoking in food prep area; raw fish stored underneath raw beef and pork; cleaning chemicals not labeled
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score = 94Date of follow-up inspection: 9/14/23
6000 Highway 100
ACME Feed & Seed
Score = 74Date of inspection: 9/12/23
Examples of violations: employee put away clean dishes after loading dirty dishes and not washing their hands; expired pork not thrown out; dented cans not discarded
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score = 95Date of follow-up inspection: 9/12/23
101 Broadway
America's Deli
Score = 65Date of inspection: 9/1/23
Examples of violations: raw chicken stored above raw fish; person in charge not aware of food safety rules; employee did not wash hands between handling dirty and clean dishes
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 9/20/23
831 Hamilton Cross, Antioch
Bag Lady's Fry Joint
Score = 69Date of inspection: 9/20/23
Examples of violations: water leaked from the roof onto shelf and then dripped onto a steam table; no paper towels at the hand sinks; raw shrimp stored above ready-to-eat items
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 95Date of follow-up inspection: 9/25/23
1402 Buchanan St.
Bajo Sexto Taco
Score = 64Date of inspection: 9/8/23
Examples of violations: small flying insects in storage area near food; milk on the counter was 86 degrees; inside of ice machine was dirty
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 9/8/23
216 Fifth Avenue South
Bang Bang Hibachi & Sushi
Score = 72Date of inspection: 9/5/23
Examples of violations: excessive flies in food prep area; no paper towels for hand sink; raw beef stored above teriyaki sauce
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 93Date of follow-up inspection: 9/5/23
3720 Dickerson Pike
Blue Moon Waterfront Grill
Score = 77Date of inspection: 9/29/23
Examples of violations: fruit flies and gnats in the kitchen; supposedly clean utensils had caked-on food debris; dense black buildup on ice machine
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score = 93Date of follow-up inspection: 10/10/23
525 Basswood Ave.
Caney Fork River Valley Grille
Score = 72Date of inspection: 9/28/23
Examples of violations: roach seen in dry food storage area; raw beef, pork and fish stored in cooler that was 64 degrees; no thermometer in a mobile walk-in cooler
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 93Date of follow-up: 10/9/23
2400 Music Valley Dr.
Chick Fish
Score = 72Date of inspection: 9/8/23
Examples of violations: half-cooked chicken left out at room temperature (77 degrees); catfish nuggets stored between containers of raw chicken; employee washed dishes without sanitizer
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 93Date of follow-up inspection: 9/8/23
720 Rivergate Parkway, Goodlettsville
China Wok
Score = 70Date of inspection: 9/28/23
Examples of violations: cooked chicken stored in re-used raw chicken box; raw chicken stored above raw shrimp; cooked ribs cooling on counter for almost two hours at 95 degrees
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 91Date of follow-up inspection: 10/4/23
903A Gallatin Pike, Madison
Gyros King
Score = 67Date of inspection: 9/12/23
Examples of violations: mice droppings seen along walls and under sink in back of kitchen; extremely dirty cardboard boxes used as liners in food storage area; bottom of reach-in freezer excessively dirty
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 91Date of follow-up inspection: 9/12/23
907 Gallatin Pike South, Madison
Layer Cake
Score = 72Date of inspection: 9/7/23
Examples of violations: low-temperature dishwasher not dispensing chlorine; liquid eggs stored in a container were 67 degrees; dirty dishes stored with clean dishes on utensil rack
See the full inspection report
Note: This inspection was of the second floor, main kitchen
Follow-up score: 95Date of follow-up inspection: 9/18/23
127 Third Ave. South
Louie's Taco Shop & Bar
Score = 73Date of inspection: 9/11/23
Examples of violations: small winged insects in the kitchen; bar sink has no soap or paper towels; kitchen floors excessively dirty
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 10/20/23
2940 Murfreesboro Pike, Antioch
Lucia Tacos Express
Score = 65Date of inspection: 9/18/23
Examples of violations: knowledge of basic food safety not shown during the inspection; raw chicken stored above ground beef; food stored on the floor of the food truck
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score = 96Date of follow-up inspection: 9/25/23
3205 Clarksville Pike
Mirko Pasta
Score = 71Date of inspection: 9/5/23
Examples of violations: raw beef stored above cooked beef and bread; meatballs cooked the day before stored at 50 degrees; condensation in reach-in cooler dripping onto raw sushi and bacon
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 95Date of follow-up inspection: 10/5/23
2264 Lebanon Pike
The Moxy Hotel
Score = 74Date of inspection: 9/19/23
Examples of violations: reach-in cooler not at 41 degrees or lower; damaged cans in storage area; spray bottles of chemicals unlabeled
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 98Date of follow-up inspection: 10/9/23
110 Third Ave. South
The Nashville Jam Cafe
Score = 73Date of inspection: 9/21/23
Examples of violations: mouse dropping seen under cooking equipment; no soap at hand sink; spinach in reach-in cooler spoiled
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 89Date of follow-up inspection: 10/4/23
2806 Columbine Place
Sal's Family Pizza
Score = 55Date of Inspection: 9/26/23
Examples of violations: employees touching ready-to-eat food after eating and not washing hands; raw ground beef stored above mozzarella cheese; utensils washed without being sanitized
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 10/3/23
5545 Edmondson Pike
Subway
Score = 75Date of inspection: 9/14/23
Examples of violations: person in charge could not answer questions on reheating temperatures, cold holding or reportable illnesses; ham on prep table was 50 degrees; soda nozzles had white build up
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 96Date of follow-up inspection: 9/28/23
907 Rivergate Parkway, Goodlettsville
Tacos 1989
Score = 55Date of inspection: 9/7/23
Examples of violations: person in charge had no knowledge of food safety; hand sink does not have hot water; frozen fish left on counter to thaw; raw beef stored above cooked chicken
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 91Date of follow-up inspection: 9/21/23
600 Ninth Ave. South
Two Hands Restaurant
Score = 72Date of inspection: 9/21/23
Examples of violations: employee handled raw salmon and then ready-to-eat food without washing hands; employee handled dirty dishes and then clean dishes without washing hands; employee prepared a salad without wearing gloves
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 10/3/23
606 Eighth Ave. South
West Coast Taco Shop
Score = 77Date of inspection: 9/25/23
Examples of violations: flies seen in kitchen area; employee picked up trash off the floor and then touched ready-to-eat food without washing hands and changing gloves; containers of food and sauce stored on floor of cooler
See the full inspection report
Follow-up score: 94Date of follow-up inspection: 9/25/23
1609 Murfreesboro Pike
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's 25 worst Sept. restaurant inspections included flies, mice
