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CAFE SELAM

2715 E CHERRY ST #B, Seattle, WA 98122 · Restaurant (Seating 13-50)

Inspection summary

CAFE SELAM has been inspected 54 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since April 27, 2006. The most recent inspection, on September 29, 2026, recorded 6 infractions.

21 of 54 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 8 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Cleaning and sanitizing and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • Food temperature controlHigher risk

    Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.

    Recorded 23 times across 17 separate inspections, most recently on November 20, 2023. For example: 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used to evaluate temperature of TCS foods

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded 19 times across 15 separate inspections, most recently on May 19, 2025. For example: 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used

  • Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk

    Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.

    Recorded 11 times across 10 separate inspections, most recently on September 29, 2026. For example: 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded 8 times across 7 separate inspections, most recently on September 29, 2026. For example: 1100 - Proper disposition of returned, unsafe, or contaminated food; proper date marking procedures for food at high risk for Listeria

  • Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk

    Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.

    Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on May 18, 2011. For example: 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified,...

About this data

These results come from Public Health – Seattle & King County, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

54 inspections

  1. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    6 infractions

    • 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated areas used
      • BLUE
    • 4300 - Nonfood-contact surfaces maintained and clean
      • BLUE
    • 3200 - Insects, rodents, animals not present; entrance controlled
      • BLUE
    • 4800 - Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
      • BLUE
    • 1100 - Proper disposition of returned, unsafe, or contaminated food; proper date marking procedures for food at high risk for Listeria
      • RED
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
  2. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 4800 - Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
      • BLUE
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
  3. Educational Inspection

    0 infractions

  4. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    5 infractions

    • 4800 - Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
      • BLUE
    • 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
      • BLUE
    • 4400 - Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
      • BLUE
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
  5. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated areas used
      • BLUE
    • 4800 - Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
      • BLUE
    • 4000 - Food and nonfood surfaces properly used and constructed; cleanable
      • BLUE
  6. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
    • 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
      • RED
  7. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    4 infractions

    • 3300 - Potential food contamination prevented during delivery, preparation, storage, display
      • BLUE
    • 3200 - Insects, rodents, animals not present; entrance controlled
      • BLUE
    • 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
      • RED
    • 0500 - Proper barriers used to prevent bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods
      • RED
  8. Return Inspection

    0 infractions

  9. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    4 infractions

    • 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used to evaluate temperature of TCS foods
      • RED
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
    • 2120 - Proper cold holding temperatures; between 42 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (6 to 7 degrees Celsius (C))
      • RED
    • 0400 - Hands washed as required
      • RED
  10. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
      • BLUE
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
  11. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 4200 - Food-contact surfaces maintained, cleaned, sanitized
      • BLUE
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
      • RED
  12. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
      • RED
  13. Return Inspection

    0 infractions

  14. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 3900 - Single-use and single-service articles properly stored, used
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
      • RED
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
  15. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    8 infractions

    • 4300 - Non-food contact surfaces maintained and clean
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored, proper sanitizer
      • BLUE
    • 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
    • 2900 - Adequate equipment for temperature control
      • BLUE
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
    • 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45° F)
      • RED
    • 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used ...
      • RED
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
      • RED
  16. Return Inspection

    0 infractions

  17. Return Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  18. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    8 infractions

    • 3300 - Potential food contamination prevented during delivery, preparation, storage, display
      • BLUE
    • 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated area...
      • BLUE
    • 4300 - Non-food contact surfaces maintained and clean
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored, proper sanitizer
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
      • RED
    • 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used ...
      • RED
    • 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
      • RED
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  19. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used ...
      • RED
  20. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45° F)
      • RED
  21. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  22. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    0 infractions

  23. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored, proper sanitizer
      • BLUE
    • 3300 - Potential food contamination prevented during delivery, preparation, storage, display
      • BLUE
    • 3000 - Proper thawing methods used
      • BLUE
  24. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  25. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 3000 - Proper thawing methods used
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored, proper sanitizer
      • BLUE
    • 4300 - Non-food contact surfaces maintained and clean
      • BLUE
  26. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  27. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready to eat food; species separated
      • RED
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  28. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    6 infractions

    • 3000 - Proper thawing methods used
      • BLUE
    • 3300 - Potential food contamination prevented during delivery, preparation, storage, display
      • BLUE
    • 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
    • 4200 - Food-contact surfaces maintained, clean, sanitized
      • BLUE
    • 4400 - Plumbing properly sized, installed,...
      • BLUE
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  29. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  30. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    5 infractions

    • 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored, proper sanitizer
      • BLUE
    • 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated area...
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
      • RED
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  31. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 3000 - Proper thawing methods used
      • BLUE
    • 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
  32. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  33. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
      • RED
  34. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    0 infractions

  35. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  36. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored
      • BLUE
    • 4800 - Physical facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
  37. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    4 infractions

    • 2900 - Adequate equipment for temperature control
      • BLUE
    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
    • 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures (greater than 45° F)
      • RED
  38. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  39. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored
      • BLUE
    • 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified,...
      • RED
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
  40. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 4300 - Non-food contact surfaces maintained and clean
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
    • 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified,...
      • RED
  41. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  42. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
    • 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified,...
      • RED
  43. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    3 infractions

    • 4200 - Food-contact surfaces maintained, clean, sanitized
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
    • 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time...
      • RED
  44. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    2 infractions

    • 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored
      • BLUE
    • 0200 - Food Worker Cards current for all food...
      • RED
  45. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  46. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    0 infractions

  47. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  48. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • Physical facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
  49. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • Adequate equipment for temperature control
      • BLUE
  50. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    1 infraction

    • Physical facilities properly installed,...
      • BLUE
  51. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  52. Consultation/Education - Field

    0 infractions

  53. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    0 infractions

  54. Routine Inspection/Field Review

    0 infractions

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