Hot Plates and Hotter Weather — July 20-26 Roundup
Louisville, if the humidity didn't wilt you this week, our inspectors were still out there hustling through 139 inspections across the city — from Portland to the Highlands, everybody's kitchen got a look. Let's dish on what shook out.
LouVUE by the Numbers
- Regular inspections: 127
- Follow-ups: 8
- Other: 3
- Survey: 1
- Total: 139
A Quick Refresher on How the Grades Work in the Ville
- Grade A (green): A passing grade indicating a generally safe facility. Score of 85–100 with no priority violations — serious issues most likely to cause foodborne illness, such as improper food holding temperatures.
- Grade B (blue): Facility is "under review" while health officials work with them to pass future routine inspections. Issued after failing two routine inspections in a row, or automatically during a follow-up inspection if the facility had to close because of an imminent health hazard (regardless of prior grades). Patrons should be mindful.
- Grade C (red): Facility has failed its inspection. Issued for any of these reasons: (1) one or more priority violations, such as poor hygienic practices, lack of hot/cold water, or improper sanitizing — even with a score as high as 98; (2) score below 85 due to a high number of non-priority violations; or (3) an imminent health hazard requiring closure (e.g., infestation, loss of electricity or water). These are serious and require a follow-up within 7–10 days.
- Priority violations: High risk for foodborne illness. Even one is enough to drop a place to a C.
Second Servings: Redemption Arc Edition
Plenty of comeback stories this week — proof that a C isn't the end of the plate:
- East End Health Club bounced from C to a perfect 100/A. Talk about a workout well done.
- Taquero Mucho and Taqueria El Sazon Oaxaqueno both climbed back to A with perfect scores — salsa verde and all is forgiven.
- Derby Dogs and K-Pot Korean BBQ and Hotpot also stuck the landing at 100/A.
- The House of Marigold came back blooming with a 99/A.
- China Chef scored a perfect 100 on paper, but stays at a B — meaning inspectors are still keeping a close chopstick's distance while things stabilize.
- Kroger L-780 held steady at 100, prior grade A — a quiet, no-drama follow-up, just the way we like it.
Cautionary Cuisine: This Week's Detention List
Five spots landed on a Grade C this week. Remember — a C means serious issues were found and a follow-up is required within 7-10 days, but it's a snapshot, not a life sentence.
Supermercado Guanajuato #5 — Score: 94
No specific critical violations listed, but the score alone landed them a C. LouVUE's Take: Even solid-sounding numbers can hide priority issues — worth a follow-up watch.
Summa Dis Summa Dat & More — Score: 83
- Turkey burgers not cooked to safe temperature — undercooked TCS food is a real foodborne illness risk.
- Staff not washing hands between tasks, risking cross-contamination.
- Reach-in cooler holding food above 41°F — the temperature danger zone where bacteria multiply fast.
LouVUE's Take: A rough trifecta. Hopefully by the next visit, that reach-in is back in the safe zone.
Taqueria Los Gorditos — Score: 88
- Insects present in the facility.
- Prep station holding food between a scorching 47-53°F.
- Ready-to-eat foods missing proper date labels.
LouVUE's Take: The good news — food was quarantined and tossed once found. The not-so-good news — that's three separate red flags in one visit.
La Guera Taqueria — Score: 90
- Raw eggs left out of refrigeration above 45°F.
- No hot water available on site.
LouVUE's Take: No hot water isn't just inconvenient — it's essential for proper handwashing and sanitizing. This one's worth watching closely.
Subway #22185 — Score: 88
- Hands not washed properly.
- Gloves not changed with proper handwashing in between.
- Person in charge unable to demonstrate basic food safety knowledge.
LouVUE's Take: A classic case of the basics slipping — handwashing 101 needs a refresher here.
The Check, Please: Tip Your Inspectors
Big respect to the spots bouncing back this week — East End Health Club and friends prove that a C is a comma, not a period. And shoutout to our perfect scorers Crazie Grazerie, Domino's Pizza #1428, Dive Bar on Frankfort, Tin Roof, and BJ's Wholesale Club #240 for keeping it squeaky clean.
As always — check your favorite spot's full history on LouVUE before you order, and we'll see you at the table next week. 🍽️