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LouVUE's Weekly Dish: June 23rd - 29th, 2025

June 29, 2025 7 min read

Turning Up the Heat: Louisville’s Inspection Edition (June 23 - 29, 2025)

Hey, Derby City diners! Summer may be sizzling, but some kitchens around the Ville got a little too hot under the collar this week. Whether you’re noshing at a brewery, grabbing a taco, or picking up your artisanal coffee, LouVUE’s got eyes everywhere. This week’s food safety scoop serves up comebacks, close calls, and a buffet of cold-holding blunders. Let’s dig in—and as always, I promise: No sugar-coating (unless it’s safely stored and date-marked!).

LouVUE by the Numbers

  • Total Inspections: 120
  • Regular Inspections: 108
  • Complaint Inspections: 2
  • Other Inspection Types: 2
  • Follow-up (Re-check) Inspections: 8
  • ‘C’ Grades Handed Out: 8 (😬)

If you like your food with a side of transparency, you’re in the right place! Remember, Grade A (Green) means a score of 85+ with zero critical violations—your gold standard. Grade B (Blue) flags repeated or lingering issues (pay attention, folks!). Grade C (Red)? That’s below 85% or just one critical violation. Nothing to mess with, and follow-ups are mandatory.

Second Servings: Follow-Up Fiesta

Follow-ups are like restaurant report cards: Will our favorite spots bounce back, or are they headed for summer school? Here’s the play-by-play:

  • AGAINST THE GRAIN (401 E MAIN ST)

    • 🟢 Scored an A (99) on 6/23!
    • LouVUE’s Take: A solid comeback—we love to see breweries clean up their act. Whatever the issue, these folks hit a home run this round.

  • DINO’S FOOD MART (5014 POPLAR LEVEL RD)

    • 😐 No grade or score reported.
    • LouVUE’s Take: Not enough info to judge—sharing for full transparency, but keep your antenna up for next week.

  • SICHUAN GARDENS (9850 LINN STATION RD)

    • 🟢 A (99) on 6/26.
    • LouVUE’s Take: Almost perfect! Spicy food, spotless score—keep it up.

  • SPEEDWAY #9662 (4300 CRITTENDEN DR)

    • 🟢 A (99) on 6/23.
    • LouVUE’s Take: Gas, snacks, and a green light from the health inspector. That’s how we roll.

  • SPEEDWAY #9701 (8510 NATIONAL TURNPIKE, FAIRDALE)

    • 😐 Two follow-ups on 6/24: One yielded no grade or score, while the other pulled a perfect 100 (but, oddly, still no grade listed).
    • LouVUE’s Take: Mixed signals! We love a 100, but would also love clarity on the grade. Double-check your snacks until we get the all-clear.

  • TACO LOCO (5622 PRESTON HWY)

    • 🔴 C (93) on 6/23.
    • LouVUE’s Take: They landed on the C-list again (see detailed breakdown below)—a sign issues are not cooling off yet. If you’re a Taco Loco regular, give that section a close read. Critical violations remain a concern!

  • THE SERVICE STATION (208 E BURNETT AVE)

    • 🔵 B (98) on 6/23.
    • LouVUE’s Take: Heads up, y’all—an establishment with a B means there were still issues after at least one prior inspection, or they had violations that passed allowing re-open. A B is NOT a clean bill of health, so stay alert when grabbing your late-night bite here.

Why Follow-Ups Matter: Follow-ups aren’t just red tape—they’re our safety net. A good grade shows a quick fix, but a B or C means persistent problems. Keep your eyes peeled, and let’s reward the folks who keep our food safe the first (and second) time around!

Cautionary Cuisine: Eight on the Red

What does a C mean? Either a score below 85% or a single critical violation—often for unsafe food temperatures, cross-contamination, or equally ick-worthy health hazards. This isn’t a slap on the wrist; it’s a giant red flag waving over the kitchen. Here’s this week’s ‘C’ squad, with all the spicy details:

BUCK’S

  • Score: 92 | Date: 6/26 | 425 W ORMSBY AVE, LOUISVILLE, KY 40203
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Proper hot holding temperatures—TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) foods weren’t hot enough. Less than 10lbs of cooked chicken at 73°F, rice at 115°F. (Corrected on site.)
  • LouVUE’s Take: A high score, but a single critical slip (lukewarm chicken or rice!) lands you a C. Heat is not optional, folks—let’s keep hot food hot.

COUNTRY BOY BREWING

  • Score: 96 | Date: 6/23 | 400 S 2ND ST STE H, LOUISVILLE, KY 40202
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Improper reheating for hot holding—reheated pork only reached 81-88°F after 2+ hours. (Yikes!)
  • LouVUE’s Take: When it comes to pulled pork, slow-cooked is good, but slow-reheated is not. This one’s a textbook example of why C grades aren’t just about low scores—temperature safety is life-or-death in food service.

FAMOUS DAVE’S

  • Score: 90 | Date: 6/24 | 8605 CITADEL WAY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40299
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Cold holding fail—walk-in cooler too warm, all TCS foods quarantined.
  • LouVUE’s Take: What’s colder than a summer cold snap? Your walk-in cooler, hopefully. C grade = cooler confusion. Let’s fix it before the brisket bites back.

LOUISVILLE BOAT CLUB / MAIN KITCHEN

  • Score: 96 | Date: 6/25 | 4200 RIVER RD, LOUISVILLE, KY 40207
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Cold holding above 41°F—walk-in cooler at 44-48°F. (Corrected on site, food discarded.)
  • LouVUE’s Take: River views should be cool, not the food. At least they discarded the suspects right away. Stay vigilant, Boat Club!

OMNI HEINE BROTHERS COFFEE

  • Score: 96 | Date: 6/23 | 400 S 2ND ST, LOUISVILLE, KY 40202
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Milks in display case holding between 46F-54F—not exactly the kind of “iced coffee” we want.
  • LouVUE’s Take: Coffee’s supposed to wake you up, not the milk. Milk should be cold or it’s a C!

OMNI I LOVE TACOS

  • Score: 92 | Date: 6/23 | 400 S 2ND ST, LOUISVILLE, KY 40202
  • Violations:
    • Critical: Uncooked meats held at 50F-52F—danger zone!
  • LouVUE’s Take: If you love tacos, you gotta love cold storage too. Uncooked meats need to chill out (literally).

TACO LOCO

  • Score: 93 | Date: 6/23 | 5622 PRESTON HWY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40219
  • Violations:
    • Critical:
      • Cold holding fail: Flan & whipped cream at 58°F (discarded)
      • Cooling fail: Menudo at 62°F after 15 hours, refried beans at 73°F after 17 hours (both discarded)
  • LouVUE’s Take: Déjà vu? Taco Loco’s back on the C-list, with the same old cooling nightmares. If you’re hoping for flan, maybe wait for a follow-up (and pray the beans get a chill).

THE STREATERY

  • Score: 88 | Date: 6/24 | 304 W WOODLAWN AVE, LOUISVILLE, KY 40214
  • Violations:
    • Critical:
      • Cold holding: Reach-in cooler not at temp (discarded)
      • Date marking: No clear dates on foods
  • LouVUE’s Take: The Streatery’s on thin ice—except, sadly, so was their cooling. Add in missing date marks (a food safety cardinal sin), and we’ve got a recipe for a C. Diners, beware: if you can’t date it, don’t plate it.

The Check, Please: Don’t Let the Cold Holding Fool Ya!

As grill season hits fever pitch, let’s remember: the most memorable meal is the one that doesn’t come with a side of foodborne illness. Want to keep Louisville’s food scene thriving? Check those grades, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to walk out if something smells fishy (literally or figuratively). Until next week, keep your forks ready—LouVUE’s got the real dish, and I’ll be here to spill the (safely cooled) beans!

Stay hungry, stay smart, and always eat like someone’s watching—because I am. 🍽️