A midweek health check at Edessa Restaurant on Nolensville Pike turned ugly fast, with state inspectors flagging a string of food-safety problems and slapping the Kurdish and Turkish-style spot with a score of 74. The Wednesday visit by the Tennessee Department of Health documented raw beef stored over ready-to-eat yogurt, missing hand-washing supplies, and visible damage to kitchen ceilings and floors. The restaurant was ordered to fix the violations before a follow-up inspection.
Inspection Found Raw Meat Stored Above Ready-To-Eat Food
According to a Tennessee Department of Health report, inspectors found plastic-wrapped raw beef skewers stored in a reach-in cooler above a container of ready-to-eat yogurt, with blood dripping onto the yogurt below. The contaminated yogurt was discarded during the visit. That observation was listed among several critical issues noted in the walkthrough.
Other Sanitation And Equipment Problems Noted
Inspectors also cited the kitchen hand-washing sink for having no paper towels, spotted an aluminum container sitting inside the ice machine and found two unlabeled spray bottles at the server station. In the back, food was cooling in large pots without temperature monitoring, and there was excessive food debris on cooking equipment.
The report also described damaged and stained ceilings, damaged walk-in cooler floors with grease buildup under cookline equipment and cardboard being used to line the cooler floor. Those findings are summarized in reporting by WhatNow, which included screenshots of the inspection record.
What The Score Means
On the state’s 0-100 inspection scale, scores help determine which restaurants get priority for follow-up visits and corrective action. Establishments in the 70-79 range are typically flagged for re-inspection until violations are resolved. That scoring framework, along with the requirement that the most recent inspection be available to the public, appears in Metro Nashville’s Food Protection Services materials and audits, according to a Metro Public Health Department audit.
Restaurant Response And Neighborhood Context
WhatNow reports it contacted Edessa for comment but had not heard back by the time its story was published. Edessa, which markets itself as offering Kurdish and Turkish cuisine on Nolensville Pike, has been described as part of the stretch often referred to as Little Kurdistan. Nashville Scene has previously written about the restaurant’s role on the corridor.
Where To See The Report
The full inspection record is publicly available through the state’s online portal and in local coverage. The Tennessee Department of Health and local reporting summarize the violations and note that the restaurant must correct them before the follow-up inspection is completed.
