AL.com has gone through every restaurant health inspection in Jefferson County to bring you the establishments with the worst ratings.

Our starting point is an 85 score — the threshold that prompts a reinspection within 60 days. Seven restaurants qualified under that criteria in March 2023.

Alongside a restaurant’s score is how many critical violations they received. These are marked in red on the county health department’s website and are either worth five or four point deductions.

These most serious infractions can range from food safety training failures to roach and rodent droppings.

Here are the 10 Jefferson County restaurants with the worst health inspection scores for September. Scores are arranged from highest to lowest:

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, 5029 Pinnacle Sq., Trussville

Score: 85

Critical Violations: 2

Red Robin was dinged 10 points for two critical violations and another five points from other infractions after a March 22 inspection.

The two critical violations were for foods being kept at improper temperatures. Beer cheese (79 degrees) and queso (115 degrees) were below the 135 degrees deemed safe by the county. Meanwhile, sliced turkey (47 degrees) and diced chicken (57 degrees) were above the 41 degrees maximum allowed under the health code.

The Red Robin was also cited for dirty floors, especially beneath, beside and behind cooking equipment, knocking two points off its score.

Also, refrigeration units had a condensation leak – another two-point deduction.

Wendy’s #1257, 105 Bessemer Super Highway, Midfield

Score: 85

Critical violations: 2

This Wendy’s in Bessemer lost nine points from two critical violations after a March 6 inspection.

Blue cheese, torn lettuce, shredded cheese and sliced tomatoes had temperatures ranging from 67 degrees to 71 degrees, well above the 41-degree maximum acceptable temperature, the inspector noted.

The ambient temperature of the make line cooler was 70 degrees, the report went on to say. A circuit breaker tripped the night before the inspection and no temperatures were documented in the restaurant’s log book.

The temperature issued led to a five-point critical violation.

Wendy’s also received a four-point deduction because the inspector observed a “large amount of mildew” inside the ice machine.

The Pita Stop, 1106 12th St. South, Birmingham

Score: 83

Critical violations: 3

The Pita Stop in Birmingham had 14 points knocked off its score from three critical violations after a March 29 visit from a health inspector.

Its most serious violation, five points, was from dishes not being sanitized after washing and rinsing.

Another five points was lost because The Pita Stop did not have a backflow prevention device in a faucet where a hose is used.

The inspector dinged the eatery four points because the dishwasher was unable to locate chlorine test trips used for sanitizing solution.

It also lost a point for an “accumulation of dust and debris” on both restroom vents and on the fan covers outside of coolers.

Save More & Grill, 700 Brooklane Dr., Hueytown

Score: 83

Critical Violations: 3

The Save More & Grill lost 14 points from three critical violations after a March 15 inspection.

The established lost five points for violating Jefferson County Health Department code for not providing “safe, unadulterated and honestly presented food.”

Condensation leaked on a partially covered brownie tray and five pounds of pulled pork, the inspector wrote.

One of the establishment’s dishwashers was seen using soap in a small pan and washing the food container above a sink of soiled dishes. The sanitize sink had soiled dishes in it and there was no wash water made available in the wash sink. The dishwasher then placed the soapy equipment in the middle sink and was seen rinsing individual equipment under running water.

Those infractions cost Save More & Grill five points total.

Another four points was knocked off the establishment’s score for having inaccurate thermometers.

And one point was deducted because two insect control devices “were full of target pests in the deli storage area,” the inspector wrote in their report.

The Purple Onion, 1545 Montclair Rd., Irondale

Score: 81

Critical Violations: 3

The Irondale Purple Onion lost 13 points from critical violations after a March 23 inspection.

Its most serious violation was for employees handling raw meat without changing gloves or washing their hands, which cost the establishment five points.

Four points was deducted from The Purple Onion’s score because there was “no designated employee in charge” during the inspector’s visit.

Another four points was knocked off the restaurant’s score because there were no test kits in the chlorine sanitizer.

Two points were dinged because of “an excessive amount of dust” in the ceiling around the AC vents near the grill.

The Purple Onion also had several one-point deductions, including for not having its food permit posted in public view.

Waffle House, 2208 Center Point Rd., Center Point

Score: 80

Critical violations: 3

This Waffle House in Center Point lost 13 points off its score from three critical violations following a March 7 inspection.

The Center Point Waffle House’s largest deduction – five points – came from having country ham, chopped ham and sliced deli meat well above the acceptable temperature of 41 degrees or lower.

The country ham had a temperature of 63 degrees, the chopped ham at 63 degrees and the sliced deli meat 57 degrees.

Four points was knocked off the Waffle House’s score by using chlorine as sanitizer while not using an appropriate chemical test kit to accurately measure the concentration of sanitizing solution.

Another four points was deducted because the hand sinks were used for a purpose other than hand washing.

The inspector saw an employee use the hand washing sink to fill up a bucket.

The inspector also noted dirty air ducts (one-point deduction), debris and spillage in a refrigerator (one point) and a leak in a cooler next to refrigeration equipment (one point), among other infractions.

Costa’s Mediterranean Café, 5891 Trussville Crossings Pkwy., Trussville

Score: 76

Critical violations: 3

Costa’s was cited for 10 violations, including three critical infractions – the worst offender on the list.

A county health inspector who examined the Mediterranean-style eatery on March 7 dinged the restaurant five points for not having food-grade storage containers. Tomato sauce was found not to be stored in such a container, according to the inspector’s report.

Costa’s also kept raw chicken at 52 degrees, 11 degrees higher than the maximum acceptable temperature, costing the restaurant another five points.

The café also did not reheat cooked chicken to at least 165 degrees, the report showed, which added another five-point deduction. Instead, the chicken had a temperature between 119 degrees and 128 degrees.

Costa’s also had damaged ceiling tiles “throughout the facility,” costing Costa’s another two points.

The inspector also knocked two points off Costa’s score because they saw an employee eating in the food prep area.