The Great Southern Cafe

83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Café / Breakfast

Last inspected: Mar 4, 2026

Score

Low Risk

The Great Southern Cafe appears in inspection records nine times, starting in 2022. The latest inspection on file is from Mar 4, 2026. Low risk indicates the latest report didn't flag anything that would worry the average customer.

There hasn't been much movement either way: counts have stayed near two violations per visit across recent inspections.

Looking across the full record, “dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not” is the recurring theme, flagged two times.

That falls roughly in the middle of the pack for Santa Rosa Beach restaurants. Taken together, the history is a positive one.

Inspections

Critical latest

Major latest

Minor latest

Inspection History

Mar 4, 2026

Routine - Food

1 minor violation.

View 1 violation

Basic - Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler.

29-49-6

Oct 28, 2025

Routine - Food

No violations found.

100

Oct 27, 2025

Routine - Food

3 critical violations. 4 minor violations.

View 7 violations

High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Observed dish machine with chlorine sanitizer reading 0ppm. Operator set up triple sink with 200ppm quaternary sanitizer reading during inspection. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation** **Warning**

22-41-4

High Priority - Live, small flying insects found. Observed 3 flying insects in kitchen beside make table.

35A-02-7

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Make table egg/buttermilk wash 60F for 2 hours, cut melons 60F for 1 hour, pancake batter 57F for 1 hour **Warning**

03A-02-5

Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed fan guard in walk-in cooler with accumulation of dust. Observed accumulation of dust on shelf above triple sink. **Repeat Violation**

23-03-4

Basic - Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. Observed container of mahi in walk-in cooler labeled salmon on one side, mahi on opposite side. Operator removed old label during inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

16-46-4

Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. On drying rack.

24-08-4

Basic - No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. Observed no hand washing sign at hand washing sink located at walk-in cooler entrance in prep kitchen.

31B-04-4

Apr 21, 2025

Routine - Food

1 critical violation. 1 minor violation.

View 2 violations

High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Observed dish machine with 0ppm reading. Operator primed machine to 100ppm reading during inspection l **Corrected On-Site**

22-41-4

Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils.

12B-07-4

Nov 22, 2024

Routine - Food

2 critical violations. 1 minor violation.

View 3 violations

Supervisor/Person in Charge Present

FL-01

Employee Health Policies Present

FL-03

Non-Food Contact Surfaces Clean

FL-23

Feb 22, 2024

Routine - Food

No violations found.

100

Oct 30, 2023

Routine - Food

2 major violations. 3 minor violations.

View 5 violations

Intermediate - Clam/mussel/oyster tags not marked with last date served.

01C-03-4

Intermediate - Clam/mussel/oyster tags not maintained in chronological order according to the last date they were served in the establishment.

01C-05-4

Basic - Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust, beside mixer.

36-27-5

Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name, corn muffin mix and rice.

02D-01-5

Basic - Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed walk in cooler racks with accumulation of black mold like substance.

23-03-4

Jan 11, 2023

Complaint Full

1 critical violation. 1 minor violation.

View 2 violations

Hands Clean and Properly Washed

FL-08

Lighting Adequate; Required Shields in Place

FL-36

Aug 25, 2022

Routine - Food

2 critical violations. 4 minor violations.

View 6 violations

High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed 3 1/2 large cambro containers of collard greens at 54F held overnight and 1 large cambro container of black eyed peas at 48F held overnight.

01B-02-5

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed 3 1/2 large cambro containers of collard greens at 54F held overnight and 1 large cambro container of black eyed peas at 48F held overnight in walk-in cooler.

03A-02-5

Basic - Building components, attachments or fixtures in poor repair. Observed exposed air duct, with missing insulation, causing duct to sweat in the dish holding area.

36-51-4

Basic - Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Observed pans wet nesting in dish storage area.

24-08-4

Basic - Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair in dish wash area.

36-17-5

Basic - Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. Observed mahi-mahi thawing in still water. **Corrected On-Site**

06-01-5

Show all 9 inspections Show less

Frequently Asked Questions

When was The Great Southern Cafe last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at The Great Southern Cafe on file is from Mar 4, 2026. The public record contains nine inspections in total.

What is the most common violation at The Great Southern Cafe?

Across the inspection record, “dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not” has been cited two times, more than any other issue at The Great Southern Cafe.

How does The Great Southern Cafe compare to other restaurants in Santa Rosa Beach?

The Great Southern Cafe most recently scored 95 out of 100, which is about the same as the Santa Rosa Beach average of 94.

Has The Great Southern Cafe's inspection record improved over time?

Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at The Great Southern Cafe have averaged around two violations per visit across the recent record.

What does a low risk rating mean?

A low risk rating at The Great Southern Cafe means inspectors found minimal or no significant issues at the most recent visit. Most facilities at this tier have a clean recent inspection report.

How often is The Great Southern Cafe inspected?

Based on the inspection history on file, The Great Southern Cafe is inspected around three times per year on average.

Nearby Restaurants

Roux 30a

114 Logan Ln Ste 1

Score: 95 — Low Risk

Picolo Restaurant and Bar

Score: 100 — Low Risk

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