On May 7, 2025, the Tennessee Department of Health conducted a routine food service establishment inspection at Mexi-Wing II, located at 2547 Decatur Pike in Athens, resulting in a failing score of 63. A failing health inspection score is anything below a 70.

The inspection revealed several critical violations, including a lack of knowledge by the person in charge regarding proper cooking and reheating temperatures and the absence of an employee illness policy.

Food safety issues included an employee handling sliced lemons with bare hands for customer drinks, improper cooling of queso (67°F) and raw beef (51°F), and a salsa cooler maintaining 50°F. Hot holding violations were noted with beef and chicken on the stove at 127°F, and flan and cooked noodles lacked date marking.

Storage and labeling concerns involved unlabeled chemical bottles stored with food, cinnamon in an unlabeled container, and sauces stored under raw meat in the walk-in refrigerator.

Additional violations included using cardboard as a shelf liner, missing thermometers in refrigerators, wet towels not stored in sanitizer, a pan in the hand sink, dirty floors, and no air gap at the ice machine. Employees were also observed wearing bracelets and watches, and large amounts of queso were improperly cooled in deep containers.

Compliant areas included proper food sourcing, handwashing sink maintenance, food condition, cleaning of food-contact surfaces, and adherence to the TN Non-Smoker Protection Act. 

Photo by Joseph McAfee.

Those wanting to read the full report can do so here: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/tennessee/inspection/?inspectionID=1BE29447-3B9A-4B0D-85D0-ABE281D71DBB