On May 29, 2025, the Tennessee Department of Health conducted a routine food service establishment inspection at Pepo’s Burrito Bar in Etowah, resulting in a score of 61. To remind, a failing score is anything under a 70.

The inspection revealed multiple priority violations indicating a lack of managerial control, including the person in charge (PIC) being unaware of cooking and cold-holding temperatures, employee illness policies, and proper food safety practices. Key issues included inaccessible paper towels at handwashing sinks, cross-contamination from raw chicken and steak, improper storage of utensils, insufficient chlorine sanitizer in the three-compartment sink, inadequate reheating of rice, and shredded cheese held at an unsafe temperature due to a non-functioning prep cooler.

Additional violations involved missing thermometers, wet-stacked containers, damaged cutting boards, lack of chlorine test strips, plumbing issues, poor floor repair, and unshielded kitchen light fixtures. Corrective actions were taken during the inspection for several violations, and recommendations were provided, including food safety training offered by the Bradley County Health Department.

Those wanting to read the full inspection can do so here: https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/tennessee/inspection/?inspectionID=F9F610DE-811C-4D47-8074-29B84149F58B