KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The restaurant with the low score is in Anderson County. Nearly a dozen violations were marked off in the report.
The grade is a 73 at the IHOP on South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. This is a passing score, as a grade of 69 and below is considered failing.
IHOP, 355 S. Illinois Ave, Oak Ridge — Grade: 73, Follow-up Grade: 93
The inspector wrote that an “excessive amount of flying insects” were found around the dishwasher and the food preparation area. With the germs they carry, insects are not allowed in restaurants.
In the walk-in cooler, the inspector found what he describes as a bag of brown, slimy and rotten chopped lettuce. It was thrown away. In addition, the inspector found food stored in the cooler and in the freezer left uncovered and unprotected from potential contamination.
Dirty wiping rags were found on a food preparation table where clean dishes were stored. When the inspector checked inside the microwave oven, he found that it was “excessively dirty” with old dried food debris.
Finally, an employee who was talking on his phone did not wash his hands and put on a pair of clean gloves before continuing to prepare food. Proper hygiene is required to slow the possibility of foodborne illness.
Now, the inspector returned to the IHOP in Oak Ridge. During the follow-up, all of the critical violations were corrected and the new score is 93.
Top Scores of the Week
- Q Korean Steakhouse, 8851 Town & Country Circle, Knoxville — 100
- Wendy’s, 3000 Broadway, Knoxville — 100
- El Tequila Grill Knox, 7002 Maynardville Hwy, Knoxville — 99
- Firehouse Subs, 1812 Decatur Pk, Athens — 99
- Cook Out, 1227 Congress Pkwy, Athens — 99
- Panda Express, 4150 Roberts Ln, Morristown — 99
- Kfc, 521 E. Morris Blvd, Morristown — 98
- Chicken Salad Chick, 1281 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge — 98
Local public health departments inspect restaurants twice a year to make sure they are following safe food handling procedures, so the food you are served is wholesome.
