License No. 6308436|Public Food Service Establishment|Polk County, FloridaInspected Mar 26, 2026
State of Florida Inspection Record

SMITH'S AMERICAN TAVERN

124 S TENNESSEE AVE, LAKELAND, FL 33801

SMITH'S AMERICAN TAVERN has a mixed inspection record — 10 violations in the past year, including 2 high-priority. Not alarming, but worth knowing before you order. The trailing-year record shows 10 violations, including 2 high-priority and 0 Emergency Orders of Closure.

Spotty
65.3
Trailing year of inspections
How this kitchen compares
Against LAKELAND

Scores higher than 11% of the 493 inspected restaurants in LAKELAND on the trailing-year record.

65.3
Lowest scoreCity median · 87.8Highest score
Against Polk County

2 high-priority violations on the trailing-year record — above the Polk County average of 0.8.

This kitchen2
County average0.8
Above county average
Computed from the trailing-year records of all inspected restaurants in the same city and county. Official State of Florida inspection data — scores calculated by this site.

The Inspection Record

9 inspections

Full available history. The score uses only the most recent 365 days — older visits are shown for context, not counted.

Visit 01 — Routine - Food
Mar 26, 2026
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Food at unsafe temperature

Food held, cooled, cooked, or reheated outside safe temperatures, letting dangerous bacteria multiply.

High-priority
Handwash sinks & supplies
Repeat — 5th time

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 4th time

Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.

Basic
Non-food surfaces dirty
Repeat — 4th time

Shelves, counters, handles, or equipment exteriors soiled with grease, debris, or dust.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 02 — Routine - Food
Jan 7, 2026
Disposition
Follow-up inspection · Compliance recordedCall Back - Complied
Other sanitary & safe operation
Repeat — 2nd time

Other conditions related to sanitary and safe operation.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 03 — Routine - Food
Nov 3, 2025
Disposition
Warning Issued
Raw-food separation & protection
Repeat — 3rd time

Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.

High-priority
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 2nd time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Handwash sinks & supplies
Repeat — 4th time

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate
Single-service articles
Repeat — 2nd time

Single-use items (cups, straws, to-go containers) stored or handled improperly.

Basic
Other sanitary & safe operation

Other conditions related to sanitary and safe operation.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 04 — Routine - Food
Apr 25, 2025
Disposition
Follow-up inspection · Compliance recordedCall Back - Complied
Lighting
Repeat — 2nd time

Inadequate lighting, or bulbs over food areas not shielded or shatter-protected.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 05 — Routine - Food
Apr 15, 2025
Disposition
Warning Issued
Chemicals & toxic substances
Repeat — 3rd time

Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.

High-priority
Advisories, date marking & labeling

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate×2
Handwash sinks & supplies
Repeat — 3rd time

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate×2
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 3rd time

Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.

Basic×2
Plumbing & backflow
Repeat — 2nd time

Plumbing not installed or maintained properly — leaks, mop sink issues, unserviced water filters, or missing backflow prevention.

Basic×2
Equipment & surface condition

Food-contact or nonfood-contact surfaces improperly designed, constructed, maintained, or located.

Basic
Wiping cloths & linens

Dirty wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer, or soiled linens handled improperly.

Basic
Lighting

Inadequate lighting, or bulbs over food areas not shielded or shatter-protected.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 06 — Routine - Food
Nov 19, 2024
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Chemicals & toxic substances
Repeat — 2nd time

Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.

High-priority
Handwash sinks & supplies
Repeat — 2nd time

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate
Improper thawing

High-risk food (like meat) thawed improperly, promoting bacterial growth.

Basic
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 2nd time

Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.

Basic
Non-food surfaces dirty
Repeat — 3rd time

Shelves, counters, handles, or equipment exteriors soiled with grease, debris, or dust.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 07 — Routine - Food
Mar 8, 2024
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Raw-food separation & protection
Repeat — 2nd time

Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.

High-priority
Chemicals & toxic substances

Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.

High-priority
Handwash sinks & supplies

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate×2
Non-food surfaces dirty
Repeat — 2nd time

Shelves, counters, handles, or equipment exteriors soiled with grease, debris, or dust.

Basic
Plumbing & backflow

Plumbing not installed or maintained properly — leaks, mop sink issues, unserviced water filters, or missing backflow prevention.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 08 — Complaint Full
Aug 24, 2023
Disposition
Follow-up inspection · Compliance recordedCall Back - Complied
No violations on record for this visit

This visit closed with no further action required.

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 09 — Complaint Full
Aug 17, 2023
Disposition
Warning Issued
Raw-food separation & protection

Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.

High-priority
Dirty food-contact surfaces

Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.

Basic
Non-food surfaces dirty

Shelves, counters, handles, or equipment exteriors soiled with grease, debris, or dust.

Basic
Single-service articles

Single-use items (cups, straws, to-go containers) stored or handled improperly.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
What the violations mean

Violation categories, explained

10 violations · 8 categories

Every violation on this record falls into one of the state's standardized categories. Here is what each category covers and why inspectors check for it — in plain English, with the trailing-year count for this kitchen.

Cold food must stay at 41°F or below and hot food at 135°F or above, through receiving, holding, cooking, cooling, and reheating. The range in between is where bacteria multiply fastest, which is why temperature control is checked on nearly every visit.

On this record, the category appears in 1 of the 3 trailing-year inspections. The written details for each entry are in the state inspection documents linked above.

† Item numbers refer to the State of Florida’s standardized inspection form; the same item recurring across visits indicates an unresolved problem. Severity groupings and the sanitation score are explained in How it works.
Check our work

The inspection record above comes straight from the state's files.

Dirty Dish List is built from public inspection data published by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The inspection dates, dispositions, and violations on this report card mirror what the state has on file for License No. 6308436 — you can read the original documents yourself and compare.

License on file
6308436
Inspected
Mar 26, 2026
Scoring
Trailing-year aggregate — How it works
Official State of Florida inspection records Opens myfloridalicense.com — the state's public inspection search
Official State of Florida inspection data — scores calculated by this site
Dirty Dish List.

Official inspection data, translated for the people who eat here.

SOURCE: STATE OF FLORIDA
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