Hot Holding, Cold Truths: This Week in Louisville Food Safety
Welcome back, Louisville! Between July 13–19, our inspectors were out in full force from the Highlands to Prospect, checking temps, tidiness, and everything in between. A few spots stumbled on the basics — hot food staying hot, cold food staying cold — while plenty of others reminded us why the Ville's food scene is worth the hype. Let's dig in.
LouVUE by the Numbers
- Total inspections: 141
- Regular inspections: 127
- Follow-ups: 10
- Other: 4
A Quick Refresher on How the Grades Work in the Ville
- Grade A (green): A passing grade indicating a generally safe facility. Score of 85–100 with no priority violations — serious issues most likely to cause foodborne illness, such as improper food holding temperatures.
- Grade B (blue): Facility is "under review" while health officials work with them to pass future routine inspections. Issued after failing two routine inspections in a row, or automatically during a follow-up inspection if the facility had to close because of an imminent health hazard (regardless of prior grades). Patrons should be mindful.
- Grade C (red): Facility has failed its inspection. Issued for any of these reasons: (1) one or more priority violations, such as poor hygienic practices, lack of hot/cold water, or improper sanitizing — even with a score as high as 98; (2) score below 85 due to a high number of non-priority violations; or (3) an imminent health hazard requiring closure (e.g., infestation, loss of electricity or water). These are serious and require a follow-up within 7–10 days.
- Priority violations: High risk for foodborne illness. Even one is enough to drop a place to a C.
Second Servings: Redemption Arcs Worth Toasting
Some kitchens turned things around this week — proof that a C isn't the end of the story:
- Za's Pizza & Pub — C to A, perfect 100. Now that's a comeback slice.
- Gralehaus — C to A, 100. Breakfast is back on solid footing.
- Heitzman Bakery & Deli — C to A (100) on one follow-up, 99 on another. Rising to the occasion, one loaf at a time.
- Five Points Food Mart in Prospect — C to A across both follow-ups, 100 each time.
- Shawnee Golf Course — C to B, 100 points. Still under review, but trending the right direction — par for a comeback course.
- McDonald's — C to B, 100. Progress, even if the arches aren't fully golden yet.
- Sam's Club #8276 and Senor Pupusas held steady at A, 100 — no drama, just consistency.
Cautionary Cuisine: Where the Temps Went Sideways
This week's C-grades mostly boil down to one theme: temperature control. Here's the rundown.
Taquero Mucho — 5700 Outer Loop — Score: 82
- Flying insects present in the facility.
- Queso held at 105°F and cooked peppers/garlic at 118°F — well below the required 135°F hot-holding threshold. Both discarded.
- Employee drink stored inside a reach-in cooler, right next to and above customer food.
- Employee handled food after using a cell phone without washing hands or changing gloves.
Tino's Taste of Heaven — 1800 W Muhammad Ali Blvd — Score: 83
- Moldy potatoes found in storage.
- Employee eating on the food prep line.
- Raw chicken and fish sitting out at 77°F — nowhere near safe cold-holding range. Discarded.
- Sanitizing chemical sprayed near uncovered food.
China Chef — Beulah Church Rd — Score: 83
- Employee drink stored on the counter next to customer food.
- Cooked chicken at 71°F, raw chicken at 69°F — both dangerously above the 41°F safe zone.
- Hose sitting inside mop sink basin without backflow prevention — a contamination risk for the water supply.
- Utensils washed but not sanitized; soiled can opener blade and knife found among clean dishware.
K-Pot Korean BBQ and Hotpot — S Hurstbourne Pkwy — Score: 92
- Melons and kimchi on the cold buffet above 41°F.
- Potatoes, chicken, and tempura shrimp on the hot bar at only 110°F.
Derby Dogs — Bardstown Rd — Score: 93
- Deli meat, hot dogs, and wings left un-dated beyond safe timeframes (corrected on-site).
- Utensils not properly sanitized before reuse (corrected on-site).
The House of Marigold — Shelbyville Rd — Score: 93
- Dish machine not sanitizing properly.
- Cold items — sauces, cheeses, scrambled eggs — above 41°F in an open-top fridge.
Taqueria El Sazon Oaxaqueno — Score: 95
- Ants found near the water tank.
The Check, Please: Keep Your Eyes on the Thermometer
This week's theme was loud and clear: temperature is everything. Whether it's queso or kimchi, if it's not hot enough or cold enough, it's a risk. Kudos to our Second Servings crew for proving redemption is possible — and to our top scorers like Retta's and Paul E's Pizza for keeping it tight. As always, check your favorite spot's full history on LouVUE before your next order — knowledge is the best side dish.