KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — There are two restaurants with failing health inspection grades this week. One serves Mexican dishes, the other pizza.
The first eatery with the failing grade is in Monroe County, and the inspector was called to the place because of a customer complaint.
The grade is a 65 at El Jimador Mexican Grill on Highway 441 in Madisonville. This is a failing score as any grade of 69 and below is considered failing.
El Jimador Mexican Grill, 4621 US Hwy 441, Madisonville — Grade: 65, Follow Up: 89
To begin with, the inspector found that no sanitizer was running through the dishwasher, but it is supposed to. The temperature of a large pan of refried beans inside the refrigerator was 52 degrees. That’s too warm. The food was thrown away to prevent anyone from getting sick.
This is one we haven’t seen before. There was no proof that the manager had his American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification. To know the health regulations and to teach them to staff, the manager is supposed to have taken the course.
When the inspector returned to El Jimador, the critical violations had been corrected, and the new reinspected grade is an 89.
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The second restaurant this week that failed its inspection with a 69 is the Corner Pizza on US Highway 11 in Lenoir City.
Corner Pizza, 19668 US Highway 11, Lenoir City — Grade: 69, Follow Up: 89
The inspector found “severely dented” cans of black olives and jalapenos. Dents along seams of cans can potentially spoil the contents. The olives and jalapenos were thrown away.
The temperature inside the reach-in cooler was 51 degrees, which is way too warm; 41 and below is the correct cool temperature. To prevent potential illness, eight and half pounds of food was tossed.
When the inspector checked the date mark on a carton of spinach, it read “use by April 10,” which was last month. Ready-to-eat food is supposed to be used within 7 days. The spinach was thrown away.
During the inspector’s follow-up check at the Corner Pizza, the critical violations had been corrected, and the new grade is also an 89.
Top Scores of the Week
Connor’s Steak & Seafood, 10915 Turkey Dr, Knoxville — 100
Kefi, 120 E. Jackson Ave, Knoxville — 100
Yee-Haw Brewing Company, 745 N. Broadway, Knoxville — 100
Gosh Ethiopian Restaurant, 3609 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville — 100
Stefano’s, 10573 Hardin Valley Rd, Knoxville — 100
Sami’s Cafe, 9700 Kingston Pk, Knoxville — 99
Southside Garage, 1014 Sevier Ave, Knoxville — 100
Whistle Stop Cafe, 513 Main St, Rocky Top — 100
Hamock’s, Eagle Bend Rd, Clinton — 100
Nama Sushi Bar, 5130 Kingston Pk, Knoxville — 99
El Charro, 3816 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville — 99
Hard Knox Pizza, 4437 Kingston Pk, Knoxville — 99
Bida Saigon, 8078 Kingston Pk, Knoxville — 99
Verardi’s On The Lake, 1455 Hwy 139, Dandridge — 99
The Raven, 211 W. Broadway, Maryville — 99
McDonald’s, 2560 E. Morris Blvd, Morristown — 99
SECOND HELPING: Miss a Food for Thought segment? See them all here.
While dining out, if you notice something is wrong with your food, politely let your server or manager know. However, if no action is taken, call the health department in the county where you live and report the violation. Once you do that, an inspector will usually be sent for a surprise visit.
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