EL Mojito Mexican restaurant fails health inspection with dead mouse in kitchen

A state health inspector visited El Mojito Mexican Restaurant on Donelson Pike Wednesday and found a restaurant without any managerial control with multiple priority violations, putting the public at risk. The inspector’s final report, which gave the restaurant a score of 65, notes there is no hand sink in the bar area, milk in the prep cooler was days expired and smells spoiled, and the floor under the drink stand was “extremely dirty,” according to the inspector. Additionally, the restaurant was noted to have a dead mouse found under a shelf near their fryer and mouse droppings on the counter next to the prep cooler.

Hermitage Bonfire Mongolian Grill flunks health inspection with a 62

A state health inspector visited the Bonfire Mongolian Grill in Hermitage Tuesday afternoon and found a restaurant without any managerial control of the kitchen with multiple priority violations, putting the public at risk. The inspector’s final report, which gave the restaurant a score of 62, notes the hand sink was blocked with work utensils, raw chicken stored above other food, and a dish machine that had no chlorine to sanitize the dishes. The restaurant will use a manual three-compartment sink until this is remedied. Food, including Tofu, bean sprouts, and baby cord, was found at improper temperatures, resulting in ten pounds of embargoed product. Cans of “hot-shot” and “RAID” were located in the kitchen, and fly strips were hanging above the dish area. The ice machine reportedly had a “black mold-like build-up.”

Harrington Place Dining at Belmont scored 72 on health inspection

Harrington Place Dining inside Belmont University scored a 72 on a health inspection on October 26th. The inspector’s report says employees were eating cherries on the line. The dish machine did not reach the required temperature to clean appropriately, so it cannot be used until it is repaired and re-inspected. Chicken and sausage were improperly stored in the cooler, and items labeled 9/28 and 9/26 were without expiration information on them. The inspector observed the chicken being prepped on 10/26 and dated for 10/27. A roach crawled on the counter, and ice cream cones were not adequately covered. In total, cherries, dented cans, sausage, chicken, and an unlabeled bottle with blue liquid were all embargoed during the visit, totaling five pounds.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House scores 81 after serving undercooked Sea bass; restaurant is “dirty”

An inspector with the Department of Health conducted an inspection of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Nashville on Friday after receiving a complaint of a person who was sick with diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps, after eating the Sea bass at the restaurant on August 5. Management conducted their own investigation and determined the Sea bass was undercooked, causing the customer to become ill. During the inspection on Friday, the Veal ravioli was temped at 61 degrees and had to be embargoed. The cheese sauce was too warm at 51 degrees; it was also discarded. Blue cheese and blue cheese dressing temped too warm at 47 degrees. The lobster prepped for cooking expired the day prior. Cooked cavatappi pasta expired four days prior and was in the reach-in cooler across from the stove.

In total, ten pounds of food was embargoed during the visit. Other notable violations during the visit include small flies present, a dirty ice machine, improper labeling, no thermometers, dirty exhaust hood filters, dirty ceilings, dirty floors, dirty mop sink, dirty walk-in cooler, and an employees food and purses stored on shelves with kitchen food for the restaurant.

#FOOD: Antioch IHOP scores 75; tree branch is found stored on prep table

The IHOP on Target Drive in Antioch scored a 75 on a health inspection Monday afternoon. 15 pounds of food were embargoed from the restaurant after the open cooler at the prep table was not maintaining food at a safe temperature as it was ‘cooling’ at over 55 degrees. The inspector noted excessive fly activity in the kitchen and found a tree branch was inexplicably stored on the prep table. Other causes of concern included the food in the walk-in freezer was thawing instead of freezing, employees handling dirty dishes then clean plates with no handwashing, and excessive build-up and dirt throughout cook line, walls, and ceilings.