Food held, cooled, cooked, or reheated outside safe temperatures, letting dangerous bacteria multiply.
TARPON TAVERN
21 N SAFFORD AVE, TARPON SPRINGS, FL 34689
TARPON TAVERN keeps a clean kitchen by state inspection standards. Only minor issues noted in the past year. The trailing-year record shows 3 violations, including 2 high-priority and 0 Emergency Orders of Closure.
Scores higher than 62% of the 105 inspected restaurants in TARPON SPRINGS on the trailing-year record.
2 high-priority violations on the trailing-year record — below the Pinellas County average of 2.4.
The Inspection Record
6 inspectionsFull available history. The score uses only the most recent 365 days — older visits are shown for context, not counted.
Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.
Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.
Food held, cooled, cooked, or reheated outside safe temperatures, letting dangerous bacteria multiply.
Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.
Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.
Missing hair or beard restraint, dirty work clothes, jewelry, or painted/artificial fingernails during food prep.
Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.
Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.
Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.
Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.
Missing hair or beard restraint, dirty work clothes, jewelry, or painted/artificial fingernails during food prep.
Employee jackets, phones, drinks, or other personal items stored where they can contaminate food.
The establishment's license expired, not obtained, or not properly displayed.
Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.
Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.
Employee jackets, phones, drinks, or other personal items stored where they can contaminate food.
Violation categories, explained
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 2 trailing-year inspections. The written details for each entry are in the state inspection documents linked above.
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. 6216817 — you can read the original documents yourself and compare.