Staley's Chicago Italian Dining in Nashville is closed until further notice after health inspectors found moldy food, an active roach infestation, and beef left sitting at room temperature on the kitchen floor. The restaurant at 614 18th Avenue North scored just 67 on its November 2 health inspection, and the Tennessee Department of Health suspended its permit the same day.
The inspector cited 19 violations at the restaurant, none of them repeat offenses, according to Davidson County Source. Among the findings, chicken tenders, hot dogs, cheese curds, mozzarella sticks, Italian beef and pre-cooked pasta had reportedly been left sitting on the floor at room temperature for more than four hours. As WKRN News 2 reported, the unattended food delivery appears to have sat out well past safe handling limits.
Inside the coolers, the inspector also found mold on salsa, hot dogs and noodles, with the bread item described as naan in the same report. One cooler was reading 48 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the safe range, while another had been unplugged entirely, the outlet's report noted. On top of the temperature failures, the inspector observed roach activity suggesting a possible infestation throughout the kitchen.
What Happens Next for Staley's
Staley's now faces an unscheduled follow-up inspection, though it's unclear when that review will take place or whether the restaurant has reopened in the meantime. No comment from the restaurant's owners or from health officials was included in the available reporting.
Nashville's restaurant inspection program has flagged a string of similar problems in recent months. The Davidson County Source's broader inspection sweep covered October 28 through November 4, 2026. Separately, Sweet Milk scored 73 in late August after inspectors found live roaches on walls, above the prep cooler and steam table, and on the floors, despite the restaurant being on a continuous pest-control schedule. Lucky's Bar & Grill scored 77 the same day, with mold-like buildup discovered inside the ice machine and bar ice well, plus tomatoes and hot dogs in a prep cooler running as warm as 56 degrees despite a thermostat reading of 40. K Bap K#128 scored 68 after beef was found cooling at room temperature for two and a half hours at 94 degrees.
A Pattern Across the City
The issues at Staley's aren't isolated. Per the Tennessean, Nashville and Davidson County inspectors conducted 1,342 food-service inspections in September alone, including 883 routine checks and 459 follow-ups — and 19 establishments scored below 70 in that stretch. Inspectors suspended the permit of El Perez Mexican Restaurant after finding ceiling leaks and a cockroach infestation, and discovered its permit hadn't even been paid. At Only Chicken in Hillsboro Village, a malfunctioning prep cooler left food sitting between 55 and 62 degrees, prompting inspectors to throw out 30 pounds of food.
