Restaurant · Minneapolis, MN

Bar La Grassa

Name: Bar La Grassa
Address: 800 Washington Ave N #102, Minneapolis, MN

800 Washington Ave N #102

Last inspected Jun 16, 2026 · View Map ↗ · Compare ↗

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Repeat problemsSerious findings or closures appear in two or more of the last three inspections. Review the dated records below.

The full inspection history

5 inspections

Routine

Jun 16, 2026

Complete

Official score: 92 · Understand this area’s scale

5 recorded violations

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390AFood temperature

Official wording

Use effective cooling methods to cool TCS foods.

Inspector’s notes

Veal Sugo in the Produce Walk In Cooler and Gnocci Pasta in the Beer Walk In Cooler were observed improperly cooling with the cling film/lid tightly covering the products at the time of inspection. Discussed with Chef that foods that are still cooling need to remain uncovered so that they can cool rapidly and safely. Chef removed lids from containers so that foods could finish cooling rapidly. Retrain staff to cool foods uncovered, unstacked and spread out.

In plain English

Food was not kept cold enough, hot enough, cooled fast enough, or cooked or reheated to the right temperature. Bacteria grow quickly in the "danger zone" between 41°F and 135°F, which makes this one of the most important food-safety checks.

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0275CCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Store in-use food preparation and serving utensils only on clean, sanitized surfaces.

Inspector’s notes

Tongs that were in use at the time of inspection were observed being stored in the sanitizer buckets on the floor. Discussed with Chef that this is not an acceptable practice as tongs need to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized, then fully air dried before being used again. Staff removed tongs from sanitizer bucket and placed them in the bus tubs to be taken back to the dish area. Store tongs on a clean surface or in a clean container and wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry every 4 hours or more often as needed. Do not store tongs in sanitizer bucket between uses. Retrain staff to discontinue this practice.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

criticalCode MN Rule 4626.0395A2Food temperature

Official wording

Keep all cold TCS foods at 41 degrees F or colder under mechanical refrigeration.

Inspector’s notes

Chocolate Cheesecake (47F), Arancini (47F) and tiramisu (46F) were observed improperly cold holding in the Dessert Cooler at the time of inspection. Small thermometer inside the cooler was measuring 52F at the time of inspection, so it may be that the cooler is not properly holding foods cold at 41F or lower. Items were prepped a day earlier and were brought to the cooler before opening, so items were moved back to the original cooler and were cooled to 41F or lower within 2 hours during the inspection. Service cooler to ensure that it is working properly and holds at 41F or lower before placing TCS foods back into the unit. Maintain all cold TCS foods at 41F or colder at all times.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0735ABEquipment and utensils

Official wording

All equipment and components must be in good repair. Keep them maintained to manufacturer's specifications.

Inspector’s notes

Foods were not being properly cold held in the Dessert Cooler on the cook line at the time of inspection. Small thermometer inside the cooler was measuring 52F at the time of inspection, so it may be that the cooler is not properly holding foods cold at 41F or lower. Service cooler to ensure that it is working properly and holds at 41F or lower before placing TCS foods back into the unit. Replace unit if it cannot be repaired.

In plain English

Equipment, utensils, thermometers, cutting boards, or single-use items were not in good condition, not the right type, or not stored properly.

More about equipment or utensil issues

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0408AOther

Official wording

Before using Time as a Public Health Control for TCS food develop, follow and keep written procedures onsite.

Inspector’s notes

Butter, red onion bruschetta and pickled tomatoes were observed being used under Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) without a written procedure. Discussed with Chef that before using TPHC a written plan must be completed and kept on site for review during inspections. Provided TPHC template with emailed report. Complete TPHC plan and keep on site for inspectors to review during inspections.

In plain English

An issue that does not fit the common categories. Check the official wording for details.

More about other finding

Official record from Minneapolis Health Department, Jun 16, 2026 · Original Source

Follow-Up

Jul 1, 2025

Complete

Official score: 98 · Understand this area’s scale

1 recorded violation

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390AFood temperature

Official wording

Use effective cooling methods to cool TCS foods.

Inspector’s notes

Grill Cooler was not properly cold holding at routine inspection and was observed shut off during follow-up inspection. The facility was in the process of replacing the cooler and was waiting for the delivery of the unit. A risk control plan was set up with Chef to provide temporary correction to cold holding issues that were not able to be addressed after attempts to repair the unit. Continue using Risk Control Plan until cooler is replaced.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

Official record from Minneapolis Health Department, Jul 1, 2025 · Original Source

Routine

Jun 17, 2025

Complete

Official score: 90 · Understand this area’s scale

7 recorded violations

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390AFood temperature

Official wording

Use effective cooling methods to cool TCS foods.

Inspector’s notes

Bolognese sauce was observed cooling in the Produce Walk In Cooler at the time of inspection in a deep 4" pan. Bolognese was cooling for 1.5 hrs and measured 76F. Discussed with Chef that foods need to be put into pans that are no more than 2" in depth to cool rapidly. Chef had staff member halve the amount of product into another pan. Retrain staff to use rapid cooling methods.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

criticalCode MN Rule 4626.0395A2Food temperature

Official wording

Keep all cold TCS foods at 41 degrees F or colder under mechanical refrigeration.

Inspector’s notes

Cooked ground beef (68F), Ricotta Cheese (54F0, Bruschetta (57F) and cooked squash (70F) were observed improperly cold held on the counter top surface by the Grill Cooler. This is not an acceptable practice. Discussed with Chef that these foods either need to be kept hot at 135F or higher, or cold at 41F or below under mechanical refrigeration. Discussed with Chef that storing containers in ice in lieu of mechanical refrigeration is not a reliable way to keep foods cold. Store these foods in a cooler and keep these foods under mechanical refrigeration at all times. Cooked Ribs (46F) and Cooked Lamb Shank (46F) in the lower part of the Grill Cooler, and Scrambled Eggs (47F), Cream Cheese (47F) and Cooked Lobster (70F) in the upper part of the Grill Cooler were observed improperly cold held at the time of inspection. Lobster container was not sized properly to fit in the Grill Cooler and was observed sitting on the top of the unit, which was not allowing cold air to reach the food. Keep cold TCS foods under mechanical refrigeration at all times. If the Grill Cooler is not maintaining temperature, it should be repaired. If it cannot be repaired, it should be replaced with a functional unit. A discard time was set for these foods 4 hours from the time the food was removed from temperature control. Maintain all cold TCS foods at 41F or below.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0735ABEquipment and utensils

Official wording

All equipment and components must be in good repair. Keep them maintained to manufacturer's specifications.

Inspector’s notes

Grill Cooler was observed holding foods improperly at the time of inspection. Cold holding issues with the unit were observed at the last routine inspection. Discussed with Chef that if the unit is continuing to have issues keeping foods cold at 41F or below, it may be time to replace the unit. Repair unit and monitor temperatures, if the unit continues having cold holding issues, replace unit.

In plain English

Equipment, utensils, thermometers, cutting boards, or single-use items were not in good condition, not the right type, or not stored properly.

More about equipment or utensil issues

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0275CCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Store in-use food preparation and serving utensils only on clean, sanitized surfaces.

Inspector’s notes

Tongs that were in use at the time of inspection were observed being stored in the sanitizer buckets on the floor. Discussed with Chef that this is not an acceptable practice as tongs need to be washed, rinsed and sanitized, then air dried fully before being used again. Store tongs on a clean surface or in a clean container and wash, rinse, sanitize and air dry every 4 hours or more often as needed. Do not store tongs in sanitizer bucket water between uses. Retrain staff to discontinue this practice.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0285BCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Wiping cloths used for wiping surfaces must: • Be held in an approved sanitizing solution • Laundered daily

Inspector’s notes

Sanitizer bucket solution at multiple buckets on the cook line were measured at 100PPM at the time of inspection. Sanitizer must be kept at 200PPM-400PPM to be safe and effective. Refresh sanitizer buckets more often and test to ensure that they are within safe and effective range before using.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0220BFood source and labeling

Official wording

Record the date on the tag or label from the original container when the last shellstock from it is sold or served.

Inspector’s notes

Shellstock tags for mussels were observed without the tags having the date of the last sold product recorded on the tag. Discussed with Chef that there needs to be a date recorded before the tag is filed for traceback purposes. Provided shellstock tag guidance with emailed report. Record the date the last product was sold before filing shellstock tags.

In plain English

Food came from an unapproved source, was missing required date marks or labels, or was past its use-by date. Knowing where food came from and how old it is helps prevent illness.

More about food source, dating, or labeling problems

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0220AFood source and labeling

Official wording

Discontinue removing shellstock tag or labels from original container until the container is empty.

Inspector’s notes

Shellstock tags for mussels are not stored with the product in the Dairy Walk In Cooler. They are removed from the container and filed before the product container is emptied. Discussed with Chef that shellstock tags must be kept with the product at all times until the last product is sold. Retrain staff to keep tags with the product until it is sold out. Then the tag can be filed.

In plain English

Food came from an unapproved source, was missing required date marks or labels, or was past its use-by date. Knowing where food came from and how old it is helps prevent illness.

More about food source, dating, or labeling problems

Official record from Minneapolis Health Department, Jun 17, 2025 · Original Source

Follow-Up

Jun 25, 2024

Complete

Official score: 94 · Understand this area’s scale

3 recorded violations

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390AFood temperature

Official wording

Use effective cooling methods to cool TCS foods.

Inspector’s notes

Cooked bean salad and cooked mushrooms were observed cooling using improper methods at the time of inspection. Cooked bean salad was observed cooling in a container deeper than 4 inches at the time of inspection. Discussed with Chef that foods should be cooled in pans with a fill depth of no more than 2 inches. Cooked mushrooms were observed cooling on a sheet pan on a speed rack. The sheet pans were observed stacked closely together on the speed rack, not allowing air to circulate between each pan effectively. Discussed with Chef that pans that are cooling should be separated enough on a speed rack to allow for adequate air circulation to speed cooling. Retrain staff to employ effective cooling methods, such as filling pans to no greater than 2 inches and separating pans on cooling racks to allow rapid cooling of foods.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

criticalCode MN Rule 4626.0395A2Food temperature

Official wording

Keep all cold TCS foods at 41 degrees F or colder under mechanical refrigeration.

Inspector’s notes

At the time of inspection, cooked octopus (47F), house made aioli (48F), marinara sauce (45F), cream cheese (43F), cooked lobster (46F) being improperly cold held in the upper part of the Grill Lowboy. Cooked pork (46F), cooked greens (47F) and carrot puree (47F) were also observed improperly cold holding in the lower part of the Grill Lowboy. Most of the foods had been moved there at 3PM and food temperatures had been taken at 5PM. The carrot puree was in the unit overnight and had not been moved according to Chef. Chef stated that they had been having issues with the cooler keeping food cold and had it serviced last week with little improvement. Since most of the TCS foods are moved there before opening, an alternative using Time as a Public Health Control was suggested until the cooler can be repaired or replaced and food stored in that cooler must be discarded. Food that was measured above 41F was set to be discarded if not used up, 4 hours from the time that the food was placed into the cooler. Maintain all cold TCS food at or below 41F at all times.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0735ABEquipment and utensils

Official wording

All equipment and components must be in good repair. Keep them maintained to manufacturer's specifications.

Inspector’s notes

At the time of inspection, the Grill Lowboy was not maintaining food temperatures at 41F or below. According to Chef, foods that had been moved to the cooler were cold at 41F or below, and 2 hours later foods were measured on average 46F. Chef stated that cooler had been serviced earlier that week and was not functioning well. Repair or replace cooler so that it maintains foods at 41F or below at all times.

In plain English

Equipment, utensils, thermometers, cutting boards, or single-use items were not in good condition, not the right type, or not stored properly.

More about equipment or utensil issues

Official record from Minneapolis Health Department, Jun 25, 2024 · Original Source

Routine

Jun 13, 2024

Complete

Official score: 88 · Understand this area’s scale

5 recorded violations

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390AFood temperature

Official wording

Use effective cooling methods to cool TCS foods.

Inspector’s notes

A large bin of bean salad about 4" deep was observed cooling in the Walk In Beer Cooler. Discussed with Chef that foods being cooled should be portioned into smaller, thinner containers to adequately cool within the 6 hour time limit for hot foods. Retrain staff to cool foods in more shallow containers no more than 2" deep.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

minorCode MN Rule 4626.0275CCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Store in-use food preparation and serving utensils only on clean, sanitized surfaces.

Inspector’s notes

Tongs that were in use were observed being stored in buckets of sanitizer. This is not an approved practice as the tongs are not allowed to fully air dry before handling food. Tongs can be stored in approved containers, with the container and all contents being washed rinsed and sanitized every 4 hours. Discontinue storing tongs that are ready to use in sanitizer buckets and store in approved ways.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

majorCode MN Rule 4626.0390BFood temperature

Official wording

While TCS foods are cooling, keep containers uncovered, unstacked, and spread out.

Inspector’s notes

Containers of foods that were actively cooling were observed tightly wrapped with cling film. Remove cling film or a section of the film to allow for air to escape the container and the food to cool more quickly. Other containers of cooled food were observed with condensate on the underside of the film, indicating that these foods may have been cooled tightly wrapped as well. Retrain staff to cool food uncovered or with lids ajar to ensure that foods are able to cool most rapidly.

In plain English

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

criticalCode MN Rule 4626.0225AHandwashing

Official wording

Make sure all ready-to-eat foods and garnishes are not touched with bare hands.

Inspector’s notes

Food employee was observed touching herb garnishes with bare hands to apply to a finished food dish. Chef intervened to require employee to wash hands and put on gloves. Retrain staff so that they are aware to use a barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with ready to eat foods. Discard foods contaminated by bare hands.

In plain English

Staff were not washing their hands when required, or a handwashing sink was blocked, missing soap or paper towels, or used for something else. Hands are one of the most common ways germs reach food.

Official wording

Keep all cold TCS foods at 41 degrees F or colder under mechanical refrigeration.

Inspector’s notes

The following foods were observed being improperly cold held on the counter tops and prep cooler tops of the cook line: yoghurt sauce (66F), cream (50F), butter (89F), house made marmalade (51F), roasted strawberries (56F), roasted brussels sprouts (56F), cooked beets (52F). Discussed with Chef that all foods that are TCS need to be kept at 41F or below at all times to prevent bacterial growth that can make people sick. A discard time was ordered for the foods listed above to be discarded 4 hours from the time that they were removed from hot or cold. Retrain staff to ensure that foods are kept cold at 41F or below at all times, or use Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) to safely control foods that are intentionally kept out of temperature control. A TPHC plan was provided to operator with emailed report. Maintain all TCS foods at 41F or below at all times.