Gondolier Italian Restaurant (1822 Roane State Hwy, Harriman, TN) received a score of 67 on a routine food service inspection conducted by the Tennessee Department of Health on May 7, 2026. For reference, a failing score is anything below a 70.

The inspection identified a lack of active managerial control by the Person in Charge (PIC), with multiple priority violations noted. Several critical temperature control issues were observed. Large quantities of marinara sauce (≈180 lbs), meat sauce (≈120 lbs), sliced tomatoes, and housemade ranch dressing prepared in the preceding days were found holding at improper temperatures in the walk-in cooler (47–60°F) and were voluntarily discarded. In the salad prep cooler, chopped lettuce, housemade ranch, and blue cheese dressings were also holding between 47–50°F; the dressings were discarded and the lettuce was moved for rapid cooling. Gyro meat on the rotisserie was at only 77°F due to a malfunctioning warmer (only one element working); it was reheated to 165°F and moved to a working unit. The establishment also had inconsistent date marking practices, leading to additional housemade ranch being discarded.

Other violations included the absence of a consumer advisory asterisk on the menu for undercooked hamburgers, medications and unlabeled chemical spray bottles stored improperly (corrected on site), and multiple contamination prevention issues such as pizza dough trays stacked under a paper towel dispenser, uncovered food in the freezer, onions and boxes stored on the floor, wet wiping cloths left on prep surfaces, in-use utensils stored in stagnant water, and wet clean dishes stacked together. Equipment problems included a discolored/flaking cutting board, no test strips available for the three-compartment sink sanitizer, soiled non-food contact surfaces (pizza oven, ice machine), clogged floor drains with wastewater backing up, soiled caulking, and dusty air vents. Employee items like a cell phone were also stored on clean towels.

Several violations were marked as repeats. While some immediate corrections were made on site (COS), the inspector scheduled a follow-up in 10 days to verify repairs to the dish machine and hot holding rotisserie, along with overall managerial improvements. Fact sheets on key topics were provided to the PIC.

Those wishing to view the full report can do so here:

https://inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/tennessee/inspection/?inspectionID=D4F9B8EA-A84C-4027-BC8A-C3A9B5A888DA