KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The restaurant with the failing grade is in Blount County. The inspector visited the restaurant as the result of a customer complaint.

The grade is 63 at the Pizza Hut on Foothills Mall Drive in Maryville. That 63 is a failing score as any grade of 69 and below is considered failing. The inspection returned for a follow-up.

Pizza Hut, 804 Foothills Mall Dr, Maryville — Grade: 63, Follow-up Grade: 88

To begin with, the inspector wrote he watched the manager enter the rear door and begin preparing pizzas without washing his hands. To prevent the potential for foodborne illness, hand washing is required. The inspector added that the manager then left the store.

At the buffet, the marinara was at 99 degrees, but 135 degrees and above is a safe hot temperature to kill bacteria growth. Five pounds of sauce was thrown away. The date of ready-to-eat pasta, held in the refrigerator, was found to have expired. Prepared food can be kept for up to seven days. Five pounds of pasta was thrown away.

There’s more. The inspector found an employee’s soda bottle and a bag of popcorn stored directly on top of and beside pizza platters and trays. Employee food is required to be kept far away from things like platters and trays to prevent cross-contamination.

The inspector found partially opened cardboard pizza boxes on the floor in the restaurant’s lobby. Those partially opened boxes belonged up on shelves to prevent any potential contamination.

The dish machine racks contained a heavy brown buildup. In addition, the shelving above a sink was heavily soiled with grease buildup and debris.

Finally, the inspector writes the person in charge, the manager, could not answer basic food safety requirements which they’re required to know and pass on to employees. The report also details that the manager refused to go over the inspection and placed a front-of-house employee as the person in charge.

Now, the inspector returned to the Maryville Pizza Hut, on Foothills Mall Drive. All of the original critical health violations were corrected. The new re-inspected grade is 88.

Top Scores of the Week

• Radius Rooftop Lounge, 507 S. Gay St, Knoxville — 100
• Fat Tuesday, 415 S. Gay St, Knoxville — 100
• Pancho’s Mexican Grill, 7509 Chapman Hwy, Knoxville — 100
• Union Landing Restaurant, 2832 Boat Dock Rd, Louisville — 100
• Tennessee Jed’s, 450 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg — 100
• Downtown Grill & Brewery, 424 S. Gay St, Knoxville — 99
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, 900 Parkway, Gatlinburg — 98
• Rocky’s Jamaica Sunrise, 501 N. Cusick St, Maryville — 98

Restaurant health inspection reports are required to be posted where you can find them and read them.