Mellow Mushroom
Last inspected: Dec 8, 2025
47
Score
Across the available record, Mellow Mushroom has eight inspections on file, the first dated 2022. Mellow Mushroom was last inspected on Dec 8, 2025. A high risk rating points to multiple serious findings at the most recent inspection.
Recent visits have produced comparable findings, with counts hovering near five violations per visit.
“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use” accounts for the largest share of issues, appearing three times across the record.
The city-wide average sits at 69, which Mellow Mushroom's 47 doesn't quite reach. There are enough flags in the record to merit a second thought.
8
Inspections
2
Critical latest
3
Major latest
3
Minor latest
Inspection History
Dec 8, 2025
Routine - Food
2 critical violations. 3 major violations. 3 minor violations.
View 8 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. sliced tomatoes (49F - Cold Holding)in over filled container in top section of reach in cooler on make line, per manager top section just went through a thawing cycle that took no more then 2 hours, tomatoes moved to walk in cooler. Ricotta (53F - Cold Holding) sitting above ice bath on make line, per manager ricotta has been there for no more than a few hours, ricotta moved to walk in cooler. **Corrective Action Taken**
03A-02-5
High Priority - Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Employee came into prep area from outside, put on gloves then began to handle clean equipment without washing hands first.
12A-16-4
Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Hand wash station in back prep area blocked by large vegetable washer/spiner, machine moved. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
31A-09-4
Intermediate - No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment sink/warewashing machine or wiping cloths. No chlorine test strips.
16-37-1
Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. St hand wash station in back prep area, operator corrected during inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
31B-02-4
Basic - Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. 2 salad make station reach in cooler at end of make line and reach in cooler across from make line near hand wash station in middle of kitchen.
29-49-6
Basic - Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Top interior of ice bin of soda machine by office has a build up of mold like substance, manager began to clean during inspection. **Corrective Action Taken**
22-20-5
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Both soda gun holsters at bar have a build up of slimy debris, manager began to clean during inspection. **Corrective Action Taken**
23-03-4
47
Apr 1, 2025
Routine - Food
3 major violations. 4 minor violations.
View 7 violations
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Soiled soda nozzle at bar. Cleaned by manager.
22-02-4
Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. **Corrected On-Site**
31A-09-4
Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Missing paper towels at rear Hand Wash Sink. Replaced by manger. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
31B-02-4
Basic - Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Soiled interior base of drawer coolers. **Repeat Violation**
23-24-4
Basic - Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. Old labels on exterior of cleaned containers. Dry rack.
16-46-4
Basic - Stored food not covered. Uncovered dough in walk in cooler. Covered By manger.
08B-12-5
Basic - Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. 1 wet wipes on counter in : kitchen. Moved by manager. **Corrected On-Site**
21-12-4
61
Nov 5, 2024
Complaint Partial
No violations found.
100
Jul 10, 2024
Routine - Food
2 critical violations. 2 major violations. 3 minor violations.
View 7 violations
Hands Clean and Properly Washed
FL-08
Employee Health Policies Present
FL-03
Food Contact Surfaces Clean and Sanitized
FL-22
Non-Food Contact Surfaces Clean
FL-23
Approved Thawing Methods Used
FL-31
Equipment, Food and Non-Food Contact Surfaces Approved
FL-35
Lighting Adequate; Required Shields in Place
FL-36
50
Jan 23, 2024
Routine - Food
3 major violations. 1 minor violation.
View 4 violations
Intermediate - Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. diced tomatoes (47F - Cooling, 47F after 30 minutes ) in top section of reach in cooler next to flat top grill on cook line, per manager items where placed in cooler approximately 1 hour prior, spoke with other manager about adjusting temperature of cooler because of its placement on cook line.
03D-15-4
Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. At hand wash station in prep area.
31B-02-4
Intermediate - Soap dispenser at handwash sink not working/unable to dispense soap. In women's bathroom.
31B-06-4
Basic - Raw fruits/vegetables not washed prior to preparation. Employee cutting heads of romain in prep area before cutting them, employee stopped and began to wash the remaining heads of romaine. **Corrective Action Taken**
08B-39-4
70
Aug 1, 2023
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 5 minor violations.
View 6 violations
High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Chemical spray bottle stored on shelf with clean containers over the three compartment sink. Operator removed the chemical spray bottle. **Corrected On-Site**
41-10-4
Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. On the storage shelf opposite the rear exterior door, clean plastic containers stacked while wet. Operator instructed employee to unstack and rewash the containers. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation**
24-08-4
Basic - Hood filter missing from automatic fire suppression/exhaust system. Hood filters on the main cook line over the flat top grill removed at time of inspection. Establishment currently cleaning the hood filters. **Corrective Action Taken**
14-42-4
Basic - Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. On the storage shelf opposite the rear exterior door, clean containers with old labels attached. Operator instructed employee to remove the labels and rewash the containers. **Corrective Action Taken**
16-46-4
Basic - Utensils in poor condition. Wooden pizza paddle in use on the main cook line has a chip in the wood at the end of the paddle. Operator instructed employee to use a new paddle. **Corrective Action Taken**
14-12-4
Basic - Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation. At time of inspection two food handling employees with no beard guards working on the main cook line.
13-04-4
67
Dec 21, 2022
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 5 minor violations.
View 7 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At the server pass through window steam table, red sauce (124F - Hot Holding) operator adjusted the setting on the steam table and reheated the red sauce to 167F. **Corrected On-Site**
03B-01-6
Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Hand wash sink on the main prep line inaccessible/blocked by large lettuce spinner. Operator relocated the salad spinner to allow access to the hand wash sink. **Corrected On-Site**
31A-09-4
Basic - Food stored on floor. On the back prep line, soda syrup bag fallen out of box and onto the floor. Operator placed syrup back into box and placed container back on to storage shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
08B-38-4
Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. On the storage shelf opposite the walk in cooler and rear exterior door, clean plastic containers stacked while wet. Operator removed the containers to be rewashed. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation**
24-08-4
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. On the back prep line, employee phone and speaker stored on shelf over in use prep station. Operator relocated the employee belongings to the correct storage location. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
40-06-5
Basic - Cardboard used to line nonfood-contact shelves. At the server pass through window on the bottom shelf, cardboard catering boxes used to line shelf for sanitizer solution bucket. Operator removed the cardboard from the shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
14-45-4
Basic - In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. On the main cook line flat top grill, utensils stored in standing water on the grill in 124F water. Operator adjusted the heat level on the flat top grill to bring water back to temperature. **Corrective Action Taken**
10-07-4
61
Aug 22, 2022
Complaint Full
1 critical violation. 3 major violations. 10 minor violations.
View 14 violations
High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. At time of inspection, two flies observed over the cup rack in the dishwashing area of the kitchen.
35A-02-6
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. On the main prep line opposite the walk in freezer, can opener with encrusted food debris on the blade. Operator removed the can opener to the dish area to be cleaned and sanitized. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation**
22-02-4
Intermediate - Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed employee fill plastic container of celery with water from the hand wash sink on the main cook line next to the flat top grill.
31A-11-4
Intermediate - No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment sink/warewashing machine or wiping cloths. At time of inspection no chemical test kits available to test three compartment sink,dishwasher or sanitizer buckets. Operator states the test kits were knocked into water this morning and has a service call in for replace the test strips and the sanitizer dispenser. **Corrective Action Taken**
16-37-1
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. On the wall in between the table used for soiled utensils and the dishwasher, mold like substance build up along the wall tiles.
23-03-4
Basic - Open dumpster lid. At time of inspection the dumpster lid was left open. Operator closed the dumpster lid. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
33-16-4
Basic - Wet mop not stored in a manner to allow the mop to dry. At the mop sink area by the back prep line, wet mops stored with the mop heads in the mop sink. Operator hung the wet mops to dry. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
42-01-4
Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. At the entrance to the main cook line by the office area, bulk container of cornmeal with no product labeling. Operator labeled the bulk container. **Corrected On-Site**
02D-01-5
Basic - Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. In the bulk ice bin opposite the walk in freezer, mold like substance spots on the interior of the ice bin behind the deflector plate.
22-20-5
Basic - Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed. At time of inspection, current license displayed expired 06/01/2022. Operator printed and hung the correct license. **Corrected On-Site**
50-09-4
Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. On the top shelf of the main cook line front counter, employee beverage stored over the reach in cooler next to the ticket machine, operator relocated the employee beverage to the proper storage location. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
12B-07-4
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. On the main cook line front counter, employee personal phone stored on shelf over flip top reach in cooler. Operator relocated the employee phone to the proper storage location. **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5
Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. In the waitstation area, clean plastic cups stored next to the soda dispenser stacked while wet. **Repeat Violation**
24-08-4
Basic - In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. On the main cook line in flip top reach in cooler next to the flat top grill, knives stored in the cracks between containers in the cooler. Operator relocated the knives to the proper storage location. **Corrected On-Site**
10-17-4
39
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Mellow Mushroom last inspected?
The most recent health inspection at Mellow Mushroom on file is from Dec 8, 2025. The public record contains eight inspections in total.
What is the most common violation at Mellow Mushroom?
Across the inspection record, “handwash sink not accessible for employee use” has been cited three times, more than any other issue at Mellow Mushroom.
How does Mellow Mushroom compare to other restaurants in St. Johns?
Mellow Mushroom most recently scored 47 out of 100, which is lower than the St. Johns average of 69.
Has Mellow Mushroom's inspection record improved over time?
Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Mellow Mushroom have averaged around five violations per visit across the recent record.
What does a high risk rating mean?
A high risk rating at Mellow Mushroom means the most recent inspection flagged either critical violations or a substantial number of smaller ones. Diners may want to read the violation details before deciding to visit.
How often is Mellow Mushroom inspected?
Based on the inspection history on file, Mellow Mushroom is inspected around two times per year on average.
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