Nashville and Davidson County health inspectors conducted 1,342 food-service inspections in September, including 883 routine inspections and 459 follow-ups. Inspectors awarded perfect scores of 100 during 328 inspections. Not all establishments fared so well. Nineteen food-service establishments sco

Nashville and Davidson County's 8 lowest scores

Sangamon County Department Health inspector Ashley McClinton uses a flashlight to look under kitchen shelfs during an inspection of Cook's Spice Rack & Chili restaurant Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Springfield.

Fulins Asian Cuisine

Score: 51
Date of inspection: Sept. 16

Examples of violations: Cooked rice measured 55 degrees, while raw salmon, cooked shrimp and crab sticks in a sushi cooler measured 45-47 degrees. Inspectors discarded all seafood and other perishable foods in the sushi cooler.

Raw chicken and beef were stored above vegetables, and an employee dried dishes with a towel instead of allowing them to air-dry.

Inspectors also found mouse droppings around a dry goods container, grime on a can opener and walk-in cooler shelves, and significant grease buildup on hood filters. Mop water was being poured into the three-compartment sink.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 24
Follow-up score: 84
Address: 782 Old Hickory Blvd., Brentwood
View the full inspection report.

La Costa Mexican Seafood

Score: 51
Date of inspection: Sept. 15

Examples of violations: Inspectors found live roaches on a wall near the ice machine and inside a bag. Lettuce was stored in an open container beneath an employee cutting raw chicken, and lettuce and chicken were being cut on the same table. Inspectors threw out the lettuce.

Employees failed to wash their hands after taking out trash. Another employee handled a container of raw chicken with gloved hands, then returned to cooking without washing hands or changing gloves.

Oysters were stored without a shellstock tag, and parasite-destruction paperwork was unavailable for fish used in ceviche. Inspectors also found raw fish thawing at room temperature and food debris and grime on an oyster shucker.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 22
Follow-up score: 92
Address: 5332 Cane Ridge Road, Nashville
View the full inspection report.

Deir Cafe

Score: 55
Date of inspection: Sept. 15

Examples of violations: The person in charge could not demonstrate proper handwashing or dishwashing procedures, identify safe cooking and holding temperatures, or explain proper food storage. Employees entered the kitchen and began preparing food or beverages without washing their hands.

Yogurt and raw beef left out in the kitchen measured 62 and 59 degrees, respectively.

Inspectors also found small flying insects in the kitchen, significant black buildup on freezer gaskets and excessive food buildup inside coolers.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 24
Follow-up score: 91
Address: 105 Haywood Lane, Nashville
View the full inspection report.

Saigon Restaurant

Score: 59
Date of inspection: Sept. 30

Examples of violations: Inspectors found "biofilm" and black particles inside an ice machine, with staff instructed to discard the ice and clean and sanitize the machine.

Raw chicken was stored above raw beef, and cooked chicken measured 44 degrees in a prep cooler. Several prepared foods lacked date labels, including cooked chicken and egg rolls containing cut leafy greens.

Inspectors also found flies in the kitchen, visibly dirty vegetable choppers, shrimp thawing in standing water and excessive grease on the hood and beneath cooking equipment.

Date of follow-up inspection: No follow-up inspection performed as of Oct. 6.
Address: 5849 Charlotte Pike, Nashville
View the full inspection report.

El Perez Mexican Restaurant

Score: 59
Date of inspection: Sept. 16

Examples of violations: Inspectors suspended the restaurant's permit after finding ceiling leaks, a cockroach infestation and an unpaid permit. Numerous cockroaches were observed emerging from a crevice where the ceiling and wall met near the water heater. One ceiling leak was above clean dish storage.

A visibly stained cloth towel was submerged in sauce, and raw tilapia had thawed inside airtight vacuum-sealed packages. Inspectors embargoed both foods.

Raw shrimp was stored above cooked chicken, and cooked meats, beans and rice lacked date labels. Inspectors also found brown buildup inside the ice machine, pesticide spray beside a meat slicer and excessive food buildup inside coolers and a microwave.

Date of follow-up inspection: No follow-up inspection performed as of Oct. 6.
Address: 2427 Antioch Pike, Antioch
View the full inspection report.

Cilantro Mexican Grill Five Points

Score: 59
Date of inspection: Sept. 15

Examples of violations: Inspectors found fresh mouse droppings on top of the dishwashing machine and black buildup inside the ice machine. The restaurant was instructed to obtain pest-control treatment and drain and clean the ice machine.

An employee touched ice intended for customers' beverages with bare hands. Inspectors discarded fish that had thawed inside sealed vacuum packages.

A prep-area hand sink was covered with plastic, lacked cold water, leaked and was coming away from the wall. Inspectors also found unlabeled chemical bottles, debris on stored knives and standing water in the cooking and dishwashing areas.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 24
Follow-up score: 93
Address: 972 Main St., Nashville
View the full inspection report.

Popeyes #12981

Score: 60
Date of inspection: Sept. 24

Examples of violations: Two chicken breasts immediately out of the fryer measured 125 degrees. Inspectors instructed cooks to finish cooking them to 165 degrees. A container of rice dated Sept. 17 was thrown out.

Dishes stored as clean had an excessive number of dead fruit flies on them, and dirty dishes were mixed with clean ones. Inspectors directed staff to wash and sanitize them again. Clouds of fruit flies were observed around the mop sink, dry storage and dishwashing area.

Inspectors also found wastewater spilling from a urinal onto the restroom floor, pooling water in dry storage, excessively dirty kitchen equipment and grease buildup beneath the fryers.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 28
Follow-up score: 87
Address: 6403 Charlotte Pike, Nashville
View the full inspection report.

Only Chicken

Score: 61
Date of inspection: Sept. 15

Examples of violations: Inspectors suspended permits and issued a kitchen closure notice after a prep cooler registered an ambient temperature of 50 degrees, with food inside measuring 55-62 degrees after being stored there for four hours.

Inspectors threw out 30 pounds of food, including hummus, lettuce, salsa, raw chicken and yogurt sauces. A pint of heavy cream left at room temperature measured 75 degrees and was also embargoed. The kitchen was required to remain closed until the cooler held food at 41 degrees or below and an inspector verified the correction.

An employee handled raw chicken, then prepared carrots and zucchini without changing gloves or washing hands. The contaminated vegetables were embargoed. Inspectors also observed dishes not being sanitized, rice cooling on the floor and employees dumping wastewater into the parking lot.

Date of follow-up inspection: No follow-up inspection performed as of Oct. 7.
Address: 2127 Belcourt Ave., Nashville
View the full inspection report.

Williamson County's 3 lowest scores

In Williamson County, inspectors conducted 186 food-service inspections, including 143 routine inspections and 43 follow-ups. These are the three lowest scores.

Cafe India

Score: 65
Date of inspection: Sept. 25

Examples of violations: An employee prepared food with bare hands. Another employee washed dishes without sanitizing them. Inspectors also found dirty kitchen walls and floors.

Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 5
Follow-up score: 91
Address: 101 International Drive, Franklin
View the full inspection report.

Yuno Sushi and Asian Kitchen

Score: 74
Date of inspection: Sept. 2

Examples of violations: An employee's phone was on a cutting board. The kitchen hand sink had neither hot nor cold water, and the range hood vents were greasy.

Date of follow-up inspection: Sept. 11
Follow-up score: 94
Address: 7175 Nolensville Road, Suite 100, Nolensville
View the full inspection report.

Mill Creek Brewing Co. Kitchen

Score: 75
Date of inspection: Sept. 11

Examples of violations: An unlabeled bottle of blue liquid hung on a kitchen hand sink's splash guard. Inspectors found a dirty toaster oven, and the person in charge was unaware that a cooler had stopped working.

Date of follow-up inspection: Oct. 2
Follow-up score: 95
Address: 2008 B Johnson Industrial Blvd., Nolensville
View the full inspection report.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Roaches, mouse droppings, unwashed hands in latest Nashville, Nolensville restaurant inspections