The Cracked Pepper Cafe
Last inspected: Aug 18, 2025
23
Score
The Cracked Pepper Cafe, located at 2901 Busch Blvd Ste 1020 in Tampa, FL, had a high-risk inspection on August 18, 2025, with a score of 23. This inspection identified 4 critical, 4 major, and 9 minor violations, including issues with ceiling cleanliness and employee beverage containers in food preparation areas. The facility has a historical pattern of mostly high-risk scores across its ten recorded inspections.
8
Inspections
4
Critical latest
4
Major latest
9
Minor latest
Inspection History
Aug 18, 2025
Routine - Food
4 critical violations. 4 major violations. 9 minor violations.
23
Feb 17, 2025
Routine - Food
2 critical violations. 3 major violations. 6 minor violations.
41
Aug 21, 2024
Routine - Food
5 minor violations.
78
Feb 21, 2024
Routine - Food
3 critical violations. 2 major violations. 10 minor violations.
32
Sep 5, 2023
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 3 minor violations.
74
Jul 6, 2023
Routine - Food
1 critical violation. 3 major violations. 5 minor violations.
50
Jan 30, 2023
Routine - Food
1 major violation. 4 minor violations.
74
Jul 15, 2022
Routine - Food
3 critical violations. 3 major violations. 4 minor violations.
39
Violations — Aug 18, 2025 Inspection
Basic - Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Ceiling has accumulation of dust above ware washing and food prep area inside of kitchen.
36-34-5
Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee drink on table with to containers and sandwich wrap near sandwich reach in cooler. Employee drink on prep table that containers spices. Manager removed **Corrected On-Site**
12B-07-4
Basic - Employee drinking from an unenclosed beverage container in a food preparation/clean dishware area and the container does not have a dispensing mechanism to prevent hand contact with lip contact area of drink container. Food employee drinking coffee with open lid in food prep area.
12B-12-5
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employee jacket on shelf with dry goods items in back. Manager removed **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5
Basic - Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. 3 employees with long hair, no hats or hair restraint. Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation.
13-03-4
Basic - Missing drain plug at dumpster. Shared dumpster
33-11-4
Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Exterior of drink machine soiled, exterior of ice chute soiled. Hood filters soiled.
23-03-4
Basic - Open dumpster lid. Shared dumpster
33-16-4
Basic - Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Coffee filters not protected operator placed back in original container. **Corrected On-Site**
25-06-4
High Priority - Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee handled soiled food equipment then talked to another employee while touching wall then went and grabbed container of butter in reach in cooler without changing gloves. Discussed with operator about properly handwashing techniques and gloves changing procedures.
12A-07-5
High Priority - Quaternary ammonium sanitizer not at proper minimum strength for manual warewashing. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. Sanitizer tested at 150ppm, per sanitizer specifications (200ppm needed). manager added more tablets, retested between 200ppm. **Corrected On-Site**
22-43-4
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. sliced American cheese (49F - Cold Holding); sliced tomatoes (46F - Cold Holding) located in sandwich prep reach in cooler. Recommended to place on ice or moved to separate cooler. Sliced cheese soiled during inspection.
03A-02-5
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control can be determined. No time mark on eggs and pancake mix.
03F-02-5
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Panini press soiled with food debris. Can operator soiled with food debris. Ice chute interior soiled.
22-02-4
Intermediate - Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Kitchen knifes in Hand washing sink near 3 compartment in back of kitchen, Kitchen manager moved. **Corrected On-Site**
31A-11-4
Intermediate - No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment sink/warewashing machine or wiping cloths. Establishment uses Quat, provided a few strips to operator for temporary use.
16-37-1
Intermediate - No written procedures available for use of time as a public health control to hold time/temperature control for safety food. Manager printed new copy and filled out form. **Corrected On-Site**
03F-10-5
Priority (Critical)
Priority Foundation (Major)
Core (Minor)
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