On May 15, 2025, the Tennessee Department of Health conducted a routine inspection at El Cazador, a food service establishment located at 2299 Keith St., Cleveland, TN, resulting in a score of 61. For reference, any score below a 70 is considered failing.

The inspection revealed multiple violations, including a lack of food safety knowledge by the person in charge, who was unaware of proper cooling and reheating requirements and failed to train staff adequately.

Employees were observed drinking from open containers in improper areas, such as food prep tables and near clean utensils, which was corrected on-site by discarding the drinks and discussing proper drink storage. Other issues included a heavily dented can of corn (embargoed 7lbs), cross-contamination from raw meat juices contacting ready-to-eat vegetables (embargoed 1lb), and improper cold holding of foods like salsa and whipped cream at 48-50°F, above the required 41°F.

Additional violations involved improper storage of pesticides with cleaning chemicals, inadequate cooling methods for heat-treated queso, a large gap at the rear exterior door allowing pest entry, excessive live flies, improper jewelry worn by food prep staff, overly concentrated sanitizer, a bowl used as a scoop in pico, wet-stacked utensils, disrepaired gaskets, and unclean dry storage shelving.

The inspector discussed proper food safety practices, pest control, and jewelry policies with the person in charge, and corrective actions were taken on-site for many violations.