License No. 6502588|Public Food Service Establishment|St. Johns County, FloridaInspected May 4, 2026
State of Florida Inspection Record

SOUTHERN GROUNDS & CO

124 KING STREET, ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32084

State inspectors have documented 4 high-priority violations at SOUTHERN GROUNDS & CO over the past year. That's the kind that can make you sick. Consider the alternatives below. The trailing-year record shows 13 violations, including 4 high-priority and 0 Emergency Orders of Closure.

Serious
49.5
Trailing year of inspections
How this kitchen compares
Against ST AUGUSTINE

Scores higher than 23% of the 120 inspected restaurants in ST AUGUSTINE on the trailing-year record.

49.5
Lowest scoreCity median · 70.6Highest score
Against St. Johns County

4 high-priority violations on the trailing-year record — above the St. Johns County average of 2.9.

This kitchen4
County average2.9
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

4 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
May 4, 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×2
Handwashing & employee habits
Repeat — 2nd time

Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.

High-priority×2
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
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 2nd time

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

Basic
Plumbing & backflow

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

Basic
Personal belongings
Repeat — 2nd time

Employee jackets, phones, drinks, or other personal items stored where they can contaminate food.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 02 — Routine - Food
Oct 15, 2025
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Handwashing & employee habits

Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.

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
Dishwashing facilities & test kits
Repeat — 2nd time

Dish machine or sinks not set up or working properly, or missing sanitizer test kit and gauges.

Intermediate
Dirty food-contact surfaces

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

Basic
Personal belongings

Employee jackets, phones, drinks, or other personal items stored where they can contaminate food.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 03 — Routine - Food
May 12, 2025
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Employee health

A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.

Intermediate
Dishwashing facilities & test kits

Dish machine or sinks not set up or working properly, or missing sanitizer test kit and gauges.

Intermediate
Clean equipment storage

Clean equipment and utensils stored improperly or not air-dried.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 04 — Food-Licensing Inspection
Dec 26, 2024
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
No violations on record for this visit

This visit closed with no further action required.

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
What the violations mean

Violation categories, explained

8 violations · 6 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 1 trailing-year inspection. 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. 6502588 — you can read the original documents yourself and compare.

License on file
6502588
Inspected
May 4, 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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