21 Jefferson County restaurants fail July health inspections

Key Points:

• In July, 21 food establishments in Jefferson County, Alabama, scored below 85 on health inspections by the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH), failing to meet satisfactory compliance standards and requiring re-inspection within 60 days.
• Homewood's Hotspot received the lowest score of 48 due to serious violations such as improper food temperatures, black mold, unlabeled chemicals, and pest infestations; after two follow-ups, its score improved to 89 and it is now in satisfactory compliance.
• Other notable low scores included Cracker Barrel in Gardendale (64) for temperature control failures and sanitation issues, Fish Market Restaurant in Birmingham (71) for live roaches, and China Kitchen in Warrior (76) for temperature control problems; all have since improved to scores above 85 after re-inspections.
• Common violations across establishments involved improper temperature control of time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods, inadequate sanitation, pest presence, lack of certified food safety managers, and failure to maintain employee health policies or food safety training.
• Several establishments, including Jim N’ Nicks BBQ, Big Bad Breakfast, Caffe di Roma, and others, scored between 80 and 84, with issues ranging from expired food safety training documentation to equipment cleanliness and facility maintenance; these locations are subject to follow-up inspections.