Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue
Last inspected: Jan 6, 2026
64
Score
Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue appears in inspection records seven times, starting in 2023. The newest entry in the record is dated Jan 6, 2026. Diners should read medium risk as a signal that some issues exist but aren't extreme.
Recent inspections have turned up roughly the same number of issues each time, hovering near four violations per visit.
“Time/temperature control for safety food” accounts for the largest share of issues, appearing three times across the record.
That's lower than the typical Ocala restaurant, which scores around 78. The full record sits in fairly typical territory for a working restaurant.
7
Inspections
1
Critical latest
2
Major latest
2
Minor latest
Inspection History
Jan 6, 2026
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 2 major violations. 2 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Item stored in warmer across from make area: macaroni (127F - Hot Holding). Manager stated macaroni placed in warmer one hour prior to temperature being taken. Manager turned temperature up on warmer to reheat macaroni. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
03B-01-6
Intermediate - Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Bottles stored in hand washing sink across from office. Employee removed bottles during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
31A-11-4
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Blade of can opener on prep table next to office soiled with old food debris. Manager had employee clean can opener during inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
22-02-4
Basic - Food stored on floor. Case of biscuits stored on walk-in freezer floor. Manager placed biscuits on shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
08B-38-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood vents above cook line grill. **Repeat Violation**
23-03-4
64
Aug 20, 2025
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 3 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Item stored in warmer next to kitchen entrance: macaroni (118F - Hot Holding). Manager stated macaroni cooked and placed in warmer one hour prior to temperature being taken. Manager moved macaroni to warmer on cook line to reheat. **Corrective Action Taken**
03B-01-6
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Blade of can opener on kitchen prep table.
22-02-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood vents above cook line.
23-03-4
Basic - Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. Wiping cloth stored on prep table across from three compartment sink. Manager placed wiping cloth in sanitizer bucket. **Corrected On-Site**
21-12-4
Basic - Wiping cloth quaternary ammonium compound sanitizing solution not at proper minimum strength. Sanitizer bucket underneath dining room soda machine, 0 ppm. Manager changed sanitizer water, 200 ppm. **Corrected On-Site**
21-08-4
67
May 9, 2025
Routine - Food
No violations found.
100
Aug 16, 2024
Routine - Food
4 minor violations.
View 4 violations
Basic - Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. Ice build up behind cooling unit in walk-in-freezer
14-69-4
Basic - Bathroom facility in disrepair. One of the two bathrooms has an out of order sign
32-05-4
Basic - Carbon dioxide/helium tanks not adequately secured. Carbon dioxide tanks not adequately secured in back corner
51-11-4
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Cell phone charging on prep table
40-06-5
82
Apr 16, 2024
Routine - Food
4 critical violations. 1 major violation. 1 minor violation.
View 6 violations
High Priority - Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours. In walk-in cooler, pasta cooked and bagged at 11:00, at 3:00pm temperature was 77F. Stop sale.
03D-01-5
High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. In walk-in cooler, pasta cooked and bagged at 11:00, at 3:00pm temperature was 77F. Stop sale.
01B-02-5
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At the steam cabinet, brisket 130F, Manager adjusted temperature of cabinet to reheated to 165F. **Corrective Action Taken**
03B-01-6
High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Cleaner bottle stored next to seasoning bag on prep table, manager moved. **Corrected On-Site**
41-10-4
Intermediate - Operator is not properly tracking/marking the number of days ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite was held at refrigeration temperatures prior to freezing in order to properly date mark the food when it is thawed and held at refrigeration temperatures again. In walk-in cooler, taco meat made with frozen meat, date marked 04/16/2024, Manager fixed date marked. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
02C-04-5
Basic - Sanitizing solution for wiping cloths not free of food debris and visible soil. Sanitizer solution cloudy and with debris, manager made a fresh solution. **Corrected On-Site**
21-11-4
47
Nov 16, 2023
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 2 major violations. 2 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food marked with a date that exceeds 7 days after opening/preparation. In walk-in cooler, observed taco meat, and green beans date marked for 8 days, Inspector explained date marking.
02C-01-5
Intermediate - Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. In walk-in cooler, pasta no date marked, manager dated. **Corrected On-Site**
02C-02-5
Intermediate - Operator is not properly tracking/marking the number of days ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite was held at refrigeration temperatures prior to freezing in order to properly date mark the food when it is thawed and held at refrigeration temperatures again. In walk-in cooler, observed bags of meat no date marked, Manager dated. **Corrected On-Site**
02C-04-5
Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Seasoning containers not labeled, Manager labeled. **Corrected On-Site**
02D-01-5
Basic - Employee eating in a food preparation or other restricted area. At the back area, observed employee food on same prep table with corn salsa, Manager discarded the employee food. **Corrected On-Site**
12B-02-4
64
Jun 16, 2023
Food-Licensing Inspection
No violations found.
100
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue last inspected?
The most recent health inspection at Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue on file is from Jan 6, 2026. The public record contains seven inspections in total.
What is the most common violation at Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue?
Across the inspection record, “time/temperature control for safety food” has been cited three times, more than any other issue at Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue.
How does Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue compare to other restaurants in Ocala?
Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue most recently scored 64 out of 100, which is lower than the Ocala average of 78.
Has Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue's inspection record improved over time?
Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue have averaged around four violations per visit across the recent record.
What does a medium risk rating mean?
A medium risk rating at Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue means the most recent inspection turned up a handful of issues that the health department wrote up but did not classify as critical.
How often is Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue inspected?
Based on the inspection history on file, Big Lee's Serious About Barbecue is inspected around three times per year on average.
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