Homewood restaurant briefly closed over 48 health score: Jefferson County’s worst July 2026 inspections

July was a challenging month for local food safety. A total of 28 Jefferson County establishments failed their health inspections—the highest monthly count recorded so far in 2026. Health inspectors documented a variety of violations, including the presence of roaches, flies, gnats, mold, and grime, along with serious issues regarding food temperature regulation, according to official Jefferson County Department of Health records.

Understanding the Inspection Process

Establishments that fall below a score of 85 must undergo a follow-up inspection within 60 days to ensure compliance. More critically, any business scoring 60 or lower is mandated to cease operations immediately until safety risks are resolved and a passing score is achieved.

One Homewood establishment faced a temporary shutdown last month, undergoing two re-inspections before finally clearing the requirements to reopen its doors. Across the board, several other restaurants were penalized for lacking proper food safety documentation or training credentials.

July 2026 Inspection Highlights

205focus.com has compiled the list of unsatisfactory health inspection scores from July. Businesses are ranked below from highest score to lowest:

• Yoki Buffet (Bessemer, July 21): Score 84. Violations included dead roaches on floors, grime on equipment, and food items stored at improper temperatures.

• Monday Night Brewing - Kitchen (Birmingham, July 8): Score 84. Inspectors found flies in the prep area and temperature control issues with cooked rice.

• Jack’s Family Restaurant (Adamsville, July 6): Score 84. Issues included black residue in soda fountain nozzles and flies throughout the kitchen.

• Springhill Suites by Marriott (Gardendale, July 21): Score 84. Violations included improper storage of personal items, a lack of certified food safety management, and incorrect food temperatures.

• Urban Cookhouse - Homewood (Birmingham, July 20): Score 84. Inspectors noted a food handler portioning brownies with bare hands and a lack of safety training records.

• Cajun Steamer Bar & Grill (Hoover, July 16): Score 84. Cited for expired best-by dates on food, debris accumulation, and multiple expired food handler cards.

• Guthrie’s To Go (Birmingham, July 13): Score 84. Reported unlabeled toxic agents and missing training documentation. The site improved to a 97 during a July 27 re-inspection.

• Brookside Town and Country (Mount Olive, July 6): Score 84. Violations involved improper storage of cups and non-food grade bags. A follow-up on July 17 resulted in a 90.

• Royal Ranch House (Irondale, July 27): Score 83. Inspectors noted improperly cleaned deli slicers and a lack of adequate sanitizing solutions.

• El Gran Cafe Castillo (Hoover, July 24): Score 83. Cited for improper food temperatures and an absence of a certified manager on-site.

• El Comal Mexican Restaurant 3 (Bessemer, July 9): Score 83. Violations included a heavy fly presence, general facility grime, and widespread temperature regulation failures.

• Food Giant #6 Deli (Pinson, July 27): Score 82. Inspectors noted flies and several meat products held at unsafe temperatures.

• The Local (Vestavia Hills, July 14): Score 82. Cited for improper food temperatures and the use of non-commercial equipment for reheating queso.

• T-Mobile Call Center/Food Express (Birmingham, July 16): Score 82. Inspectors found black mold in the ice bin, soiled equipment, and low water temperatures in restrooms.

• Char Bar 7 (Mountain Brook, July 6): Score 81. Reported black residue in the ice machine and multiple items stored at unsafe temperatures.

• Jim N Nicks BBQ (Birmingham, July 7): Score 80. Cited for flies, gnats, general facility grime, and a lack of required manager certifications.

• Caffe Di Roma (Vestavia Hills, July 24): Score 80. Violations included a soiled can opener, improper food temperatures, and a lack of date marking.

• McDonald’s #3468 (Hoover, July 8): Score 79. Inspectors noted flies, gnats, and expired food safety training cards.

• El Taco Loco (Birmingham, July 8): Score 79. Violations included improper food storage and unsafe thawing practices. Re-inspected on July 30 with a score of 96.

• Young’s Grocery (Trafford, July 27): Score 78. Cited for a soiled ice machine, improper meat temperatures, and incorrect hot-holding temperatures.

• Boston Fish Supreme (Birmingham, July 7): Score 78. Inspectors identified mold growth in cooler items and a broken thermometer.

• Star Food Mart #8 (Bessemer, July 8): Score 77. Noted for a heavy presence of flies and expired food products.

• China Kitchen (Warrior, July 14): Score 76. Issues included improper storage and temperature violations. The restaurant later scored a 93 on July 16.

• Jack’s #165 (Birmingham, July 6): Score 75. Cited for grime in the ice machine, flies, and improper chicken thawing.

• The Purple Onion (Hoover, July 7): Score 73. Violations included improper storage of utensils and failure to meet temperature requirements for chili and eggs.

• Fish Market Restaurant (Birmingham, July 1): Score 71. Inspectors observed live roaches and poor hand-washing practices. Re-inspected on July 30 with a score of 90.

• Cracker Barrel (Gardendale, July 7): Score 64. Cited for low dish machine temperatures and lack of proper sanitization. Improved to 90 on July 10.

• Homewood Hotspot (Birmingham, July 28): Score 48. Violations included dead roaches, mold in beverage nozzles, and multiple food temperature failures. Following re-inspections on July 30 and 31, the score rose to 89.

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