KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The low-scoring restaurant is a pizza place. Half a dozen critical violations were checked off in the report.
The grade is 69 at Portofino Pizza on West Andrew Johnson Highway in Morristown. A score of 69 and below is considered a failing grade.
Portofino Pizza, 3304 Andrew Johnson Hwy, Morristown — Grade: 69, Follow-up Grade: 89
First, the inspector writes that he found several live cockroaches in the food service area. Also, live flies were present in the kitchen. Cockroaches and flies carry germs and bacteria, possibly leading to foodborne illness.
The inspector found medication bottles being stored on a food preparation counter. At restaurants, medicines are supposed to be kept far away from food.
There’s more. When the inspector checked, the dates of first use had long expired on Alfredo sauce and pizza sauce. Once ready-to-eat food is prepared, it must be used within seven days to maintain its wholesomeness. The Alfredo and pizza sauces were thrown away.
Dents were also found on the seals of several canned foods in dry storage. A dent along the seal of a can could potentially spoil the contents.
The inspector returned to Portofino Pizza in Morristown for a follow-up. When checked, all of the original critical violations were corrected. The initial failing grade of 69 was upgraded to 89.
Top Scores of the Week
- The Back Alley At Creekside, 6729 Malone Crk Dr, Knoxville — 100
- Golden Garden Chinese Restaurant, 5737 Western Ave, Knoxville — 100
- Dead End BBQ, 3621 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville — 100
- McDonald’s, 327 Lovell Rd, Knoxville — 100
- Chick-fil-A, 2141 Andrew Johnson Hwy, Morristown — 100
- Domino’s, 1250 Decatur Pk, Athens — 100
- Bojangles, 11561 Chapman Hwy,. Seymour — 99
- Stockyard BBQ, 1419 Jacksboro Pike, La Follette — 99
Those high health inspection grades are reflective of management and staff knowing the rules and following them.
