Macaroni Grill to Pay $20K in Fines After Failing Health Inspection

The Macaroni Grill failed a routine health inspection last December with 31 violations, according to Health Department Director Ruth Clay. The restaurant will pay $20,000 in fines. 

During a routine health inspection on Dec. 18, Macaroni Grill had 31 violations including six critical violations and 25 non-critical violations.

According to the inspection report from December, the critical violations were listed as "violations related to foodborne illness" and the six marked included:

• separation/segregation/protection
• food contact surfaces cleaning and sanitizing
• good hygienic practices
• prevention of contamination from hands
• hand-wash facilities
• hot and cold holding

Debris and grime in other areas including the ice maker, food debris in floor drains, several missing thermometers and vents not working in the restroom were listed as some of the non-critical violations.

Clay reported that the restaurant already "fixed" the violations.

We will continue to inspect twice a year, Clay said, and the restaurant will pay the $20,000 in fines.

The restaurant was almost suspended last month at a hearing, but according to Clay, the eatery was never shut down. 

This is not the first time the restaurant has failed an inspection. According to a timeline from the Health Department, the grill failed a routine inspection with three critical and 10 non-critical violations in December of 2010. They failed an inspection again in June of 2011 with seven critical and 26 non-critical violations and in December of 2011 with seven critical and 35 non-critical violations. The board required that they hire a private food consultant in May of 2012, but that did not prevent them from failing their last inspection in December.

The restaurant management declined to comment on this issue.