Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

2030 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85288
American
License: Food Establishment - Eating & Drinking
Last inspected: Jan 5, 2026
86
Score
Low Risk

Public records show seven inspections at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que stretching back to 2024. Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que was last inspected on Jan 5, 2026. Low risk means the most recent visit produced few or no significant findings.

Recent visits have produced comparable findings, with counts hovering near one violation per visit.

Looking across the full record, “packaged and unpackaged food-separation, packaging, and segregation” is the recurring theme, flagged two times.

Restaurants in Tempe average 95, so Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que trails the local norm. The record reflects steady performance over time.

7
Inspections
1
Critical latest
0
Major latest
0
Minor latest
Inspection History
Jan 5, 2026
Routine
1 critical violation. 1 corrected on site.
View 1 violation
Hot or cold food held at improper temperature (corrected on site)
Inspector notes: Observed ribs and pork roasts stored in a hot holding unit with temperatures between 121 to 125*F at time of inspection. Per cook, all items were reheated and placed into the unit less than 4 hours prior to inspection. Cook reheated all items back up to 165*F at time of inspection. Observed hot holding unit with ambient temperature of 137.8*F at time of inspection. Discussed with PIC about monitoring unit at time of inspection. Except during preparation, cooking, cooling or when time is used as a control all TCS foods must be maintained at 135°F or above. All TCS foods improperly hot held were reheated to 165°F at time of inspection
3-501.16(A)(1)
86
Sep 2, 2025
Routine
No violations found.
100
Jun 10, 2025
Routine
No violations found.
100
Apr 17, 2025
Reinspection
No violations found.
100
Apr 1, 2025
Routine
1 major violation. 2 minor violations. 1 corrected on site.
View 3 violations
Consumer advisory not provided for raw or undercooked food
Inspector notes: Per the person in charge salmon maybe served uncooked (
3-603.11
No certified food protection manager
Inspector notes: Person in charge indicated there was no Certified Food Protection Manager onsite at time of inspection. Establishment was open and operating. A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) is required to be on the premises during all hours of operation
2-102.12(A)
Raw and ready-to-eat foods not properly separated (corrected on site)
Inspector notes: Observed unopened boxes of raw bacon stored directly above boxes of fully cooked tasso. All raw animal proteins must be stored below ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and stored according to cooking temperature at all times to prevent cross contamination. PIC properly stored all raw animal proteins according to the final cooking temperature based on the cooking parameters in § 3-401.11 of the Food Code
3-302.11(A3-8)
82
Oct 11, 2024
Reinspection
No violations found.
100
Oct 1, 2024
Routine
1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 3 minor violations. 2 corrected on site.
View 5 violations
Expired or improperly marked ready-to-eat food not discarded (corrected on site)
Inspector notes: Observed the following ready to eat (RTE) time/temperature controlled for safety (TCS) foods labelled with the following preparation dates and discard dates: cheese sauce (9/24 - 10/01), cooked beans (9/24 - 10/01), and smoked tomato sauce (9/20 - 9/25). RTE/TCS foods requiring date marking must be date marked within 24 hours and sold or discarded after 7 days (including the day it was made as day 1). PIC was informed that the cheese sauce and cooked beans had date marking ranges that exceeded 7 days and that their automatic label must be reprogrammed so that these RTE TCS foods are sold/discarded within 7 days (day 1 being the day they were prepared). All RTE/TCS foods past 7 days of preparation were discarded by PIC at the time of inspection
3-501.18
Equipment lacks capacity to maintain safe food temperatures
Inspector notes: Observed the following time/temperature controlled for safety (TCS) foods with internal temperatures between 45*F - 52*F in the main walk-in refrigerator in the small room to the right: smoked pork, cooked beef ribs, cooked st. louis ribs, cooked baby back ribs, and cooked rib tips. The person in charge (PIC) indicated these foods had been in the unit since yesterday and they did not verify their internal temperature today. Using a min/max thermometer the measured ambient temperature of this unit was 56.3*F in the small room and next to the small room of the walk-in refrigerator (the rest of the unit had a measured ambient temperature of 40.8*F). All of these foods were willingly discarded. The following TCS foods in the beer walk-in refrigerator had internal temperature between 44*F - 47*F: milk, apple butter, and sliced cheese (pepper jack and cheddar). The person in charge indicated they did not verify internal temperatures in this unit. Using a min/max thermometer the measured ambient temperature of the unit was 47.8*F; PIC willingly discarded all of the foods listed above. Cold holding equipment must have the capacity to maintain TCS foods at 41°F or below. Must repair cold holding equipment such that it maintains TCS foods at 41°F or below
4-301.11
Equipment not in good repair or proper adjustment
Inspector notes: Observed a large chunk of ice on the condenser of one of the pull-out refrigerated drawers on the line; the ice is preventing the drawer from closing completely. Establishment must repair the drawers so ice does not form on the condenser so the unit can close properly. Observed drawers on the same unit that are also in disrepair. Also observed a refrigerated unit behind the bar storing TCS foods with a measured ambient temperature of 50.1*F using a min/max thermometer; all TCS food in the unit had internal temperatures of 41*F and below; person in charge was informed they must monitor internal temperatures in this unit to ensure that the unit is not failing. All equipment must be maintained in good repair at all times. Repair all equipment to a state of good repair prior to next routine inspection
4-501.11
Plumbing system not maintained in good repair
Inspector notes: Observed leak from warewashing machine causing puddling in the dish area. Also observed floor drain for ice machines clogged (water was flowing into an alternative floor drain next to it. Person in charge indicated they have service requests already made for both items. Must repair all plumbing to a state of good repair prior to next routine inspection
5-205.15(B)
Raw and ready-to-eat foods not properly separated (corrected on site)
Inspector notes: Observed unopened boxes of raw ground beef stored directly above boxes of fully cooked pork. All raw animal proteins must be stored below ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and stored according to cooking temperature at all times to prevent cross contamination. PIC properly stored all raw animal proteins according to the final cooking temperature based on the cooking parameters in § 3-401.11 of the Food Code
3-302.11(A3-8)
67

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que on file is from Jan 5, 2026. The public record contains seven inspections in total.

What is the most common violation at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que?

Across the inspection record, “packaged and unpackaged food-separation, packaging, and segregation” has been cited two times, more than any other issue at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que.

How does Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que compare to other restaurants in Tempe?

Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que most recently scored 86 out of 100, which is lower than the Tempe average of 95.

Has Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que's inspection record improved over time?

Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que have averaged around one violation per visit across the recent record.

What does a low risk rating mean?

A low risk rating at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que means inspectors found minimal or no significant issues at the most recent visit. Most facilities at this tier have a clean recent inspection report.