Sonnys Real Pit BBQ
Last inspected: Dec 23, 2025
74
Score
Going back to 2022, Sonnys Real Pit BBQ has nine inspections in the public record. The newest entry in the record is dated Dec 23, 2025. Diners should read medium risk as a signal that some issues exist but aren't extreme.
There hasn't been much movement either way: counts have stayed near four violations per visit across recent inspections.
“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease” comes up most often, recorded three times in the inspection record.
That falls roughly in the middle of the pack for Jacksonville restaurants. Taken together, the history looks like that of a busy facility working through the usual inspection cycle.
9
Inspections
1
Critical latest
0
Major latest
3
Minor latest
Inspection History
Dec 23, 2025
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 3 minor violations.
View 4 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooked chicken in warmer 117-129f Moved to place in over to reheat. **Corrective Action Taken**
03B-01-6
Basic - Employee wearing jewelry other than a plain ring on their hands/arms while preparing food. Manager on line wearing watch, removed **Corrected On-Site**
13-07-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Fan covers in walk in cooler soiled with dust
23-03-4
Basic - Stored food not covered. Coleslaw in walk in cooler stored uncovered. From previous day
08B-12-5
74
Aug 14, 2025
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 4 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Live, small flying insects found 3 flies flying in dish area, killed **Corrective Action Taken**
35A-02-7
Basic - Duct tape used to repair nonfood-contact surface. Duct tape used to tape scale in kitchen Duct tape used to cover hole in wall above handsink in kitchen
14-71-4
Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Personal drink over line warmer, discarded **Corrected On-Site**
12B-07-4
Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Handle on drawer cooler broken
14-11-5
Basic - No conspicuously located ambient air temperature thermometer in holding unit. Drive true reach in cooler with coleslaw and potato salad stored, no ambient thermometer available. Provided thermometer **Corrected On-Site**
05-09-4
70
Jan 13, 2025
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 4 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet. Breaker needed on non-chemical side of splitter.
29-42-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Fan covers in walk in cooler soiled with residue on covers
23-03-4
Basic - Fly sticky tape hanging over food/food preparation area/food-contact equipment. Fly trap hanging from ceiling near clean utensil storage, manager removed **Corrected On-Site**
35B-08-4
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Cell phone stored in pickup window, moved to store correctly **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5
Basic - Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Pan of rice and shrimp on prep table, manager states it's employee food.
08B-49-4
70
Jul 15, 2024
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 4 minor violations.
View 5 violations
Food Received at Proper Temperature
FL-12
Food in Good Condition, Safe, and Unadulterated
FL-13
Food Contact Surfaces Clean and Sanitized
FL-22
Warewashing Facilities Maintained and Used
FL-24
Personal Cleanliness
FL-40
70
May 24, 2024
Routine - Food
No violations found.
100
May 17, 2024
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 3 minor violations.
View 5 violations
High Priority - Wastewater on ground of establishment. When in use, observed sink pipe by dish machine drains wastewater directly onto ground. Will not utilize until fixed. Also, pipe at dishwasher is not long enough to reach drain. Drains onto floor and pools under dishmachine, person in charge added pipe during inspection. No longer draining onto ground. Employee cleaned and sanitized floor during inspection. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**
28-13-5
Intermediate - Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment. Observed rust on interior ceiling of ice machine.
22-31-4
Basic - Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. Tiles in disrepair at dishpit. Observed standing water in cracked/ missing tiles. Also, tile missing at cookline, tile missing with standing water observed in tile. Also, ceiling in dry storage with paint peeling.
36-17-5
Basic - Frozen time/temperature control for safety food being slacked at room temperature is no longer frozen solid. Fries on cookline slacking at room temperature, no longer frozen solid.
06-06-5
Basic - No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. Missing hand wash sign from women's restroom. Person in charge posted during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
31B-04-4
67
Nov 14, 2023
Routine - Food
2 critical violations. 9 minor violations.
View 11 violations
High Priority - Container of medicine improperly stored. Container of pepto on shelf above food area of drive thru window. Manager removed **Corrected On-Site**
41-07-4
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food reheated for hot holding not reaching 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds within 2 hours. Small bags of dirty rice temped at 106F at 10:18am, reheating process started at 9:30am, Re-temped at 120-140F at 11am. Manager moved product to different warmer. Re-temped at 12:30 at 160F. Discussed with manager reheating process.
03E-02-5
Basic - Interior of oven/microwave/holding equipment has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. Interior bottom of food warmer on cookline soiled.
22-08-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Gaskets of drawer cooler, drive thru window reach in cooler and walk in cooler soiled.
23-03-4
Basic - Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Bottom of drawer cooler on cookline, heavily soiled with food debris.
22-16-4
Basic - Stored food not covered. Top container of coleslaw on rack, in walk in cooler. Manager added lid. **Corrected On-Site**
08B-12-5
Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Obtained of white powder on shelf. Per manager it was flour. Labeled per manager. **Corrected On-Site**
02D-01-5
Basic - In-use wet wiping cloth/towel used under food equipment. Wet cloth under slicer machine on cookline, to catch food debris. Suggested using a dry cloth.
21-04-4
Basic - In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Tongs on handle of grill, at cookline. Managed relocated **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
10-20-4
Basic - In-use ice scoop stored on soiled surface between uses. Ice scoop on top of ice machine on visibly soiled surface. Manager removed scoop for cleaning. **Corrected On-Site**
10-12-5
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employees cellphone on prep table at the cookline. Manager had em0loye relocate item **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5
47
Mar 10, 2023
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 2 minor violations.
View 3 violations
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Make line drawer cooler has beef (50F - Cold Holding); chicken wing (51F - Cold Holding). The drawer was not fully closed when inspector walked into kitchen. All items at back of cooler and in other drawers were 41F or below. Manager made sure drawer was fully closed and advised employee to double check to make sure drawers fully close. **Corrective Action Taken**
03A-02-5
Basic - In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Tongs stored over front of grill in a manner that does not properly protect the food contact surface. Manager properly stored **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
10-20-4
Basic - Wood food-contact surface not properly sealed. Wood securing a shelf near drive thru window and over hot holding beans not properly sealed. Suggested painting.
14-06-4
78
Sep 20, 2022
Routine - Food
2 minor violations.
View 2 violations
Adequate Handwashing Facilities Supplied and Accessible
FL-10
Warewashing Facilities Maintained and Used
FL-24
90
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Sonnys Real Pit BBQ last inspected?
The most recent health inspection at Sonnys Real Pit BBQ on file is from Dec 23, 2025. The public record contains nine inspections in total.
What is the most common violation at Sonnys Real Pit BBQ?
Across the inspection record, “nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease” has been cited three times, more than any other issue at Sonnys Real Pit BBQ.
How does Sonnys Real Pit BBQ compare to other restaurants in Jacksonville?
Sonnys Real Pit BBQ most recently scored 74 out of 100, which is about the same as the Jacksonville average of 74.
Has Sonnys Real Pit BBQ's inspection record improved over time?
Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Sonnys Real Pit BBQ have averaged around four violations per visit across the recent record.
What does a medium risk rating mean?
A medium risk rating at Sonnys Real Pit BBQ 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 Sonnys Real Pit BBQ inspected?
Based on the inspection history on file, Sonnys Real Pit BBQ is inspected around three times per year on average.
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