6 lbs. of queso tossed at Crossville restaurant during inspection

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The failing restaurant serves ice cream and a wide variety of fast food like hamburgers and sandwiches. The health inspector jotted down quite a few violations in the initial inspection.

The grade is a 67 at Dairy Queen, the one on North Main Street in Crossville. That is a failing score as any grade of 69 and below is considered failing.

Dairy Queen, 760 N. Main St, Crossville — Grade: 67, Follow-up Grade: 92

First off, the inspector wrote that as soon as he entered the kitchen he observed a worker handle a biscuit barehanded. Gloves are required whenever handling food. When he checked a bowl of shelled eggs they were at 70 degrees. At that temperature, bacteria can grow rapidly. The eggs had been placed on a cooktop with no ice in the bowl to keep it cool.

In the storage room, the inspector found a dent in a six-pound can of queso sauce. Dents along the seams of canned food can potentially break the seal potentially spoiling the contents. The can was thrown away.

There’s more. The inspector found a number of clean utensils with food debris stuck to them. Cutting boards on which food is prepared were heavily pitted and dirty. Finally, the inspector writes there was no managerial control due to so many critical violations. When questioned, the person in charge said she had not received any food training. The inspector signed up the manager for the training.

When the inspector returned to the Dairy Queen on North Main in Crossville, he found that the original critical violations were checked and all had been corrected. The new grade is 92.

Top Scores of the Week

• Chick-fil-A, 7565 Mountain Grove Dr, Knoxville — 100
• Panchos’s Mexican Grill, 7509 Chapman Hwy, Knoxville — 100
• Donatos Pizza, 6738 Malone Creek Dr, Knoxville — 100
• Hardee’s, 1219 Congress Pky, Athens — 99
• Firehouse Subs, 1812 Decatur Pk, Athens — 99
• Long John Silver’s, 2562 E. Morris Blvd, Morristown — 99
• Krystal, 6725 Maynardville Pk, Knoxville — 99
• Buddy’s, 705 Winfield Dunn Pky, Sevierville — 98

If you notice a health issue while dining, let the manager know, or call the health department in the county where you live. An inspector will be sent out for a special visit.

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