KAU KAU BARBEQUE MARKET
656 S KING ST, SEATTLE, WA 98104 · Restaurant (Seating 51-150)
Inspection summary
KAU KAU BARBEQUE MARKET has been inspected 9 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since August 7, 2024. The most recent inspection, on September 23, 2026, found no infractions.
4 of 9 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 5 inspections with 6 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Protecting food from contamination 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 8 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on September 11, 2026. For example:
1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 24, 2026. For example:
1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
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 once on August 24, 2026. For example:
0400 - Hands washed as required
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 once on April 7, 2025. For example:
2500 - Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
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.
9 inspections
- Return Inspection
0 infractions
- Return Inspection
2 infractions
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- Educational Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
4 infractions
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 0400 - Hands washed as required
- RED
- 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
- RED
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- Educational Inspection
0 infractions
- Return Inspection
1 infraction
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
3 infractions
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- RED
- 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
- RED
- 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
- RED
- 1900 - No room temperature storage; proper use of time as a control, procedures available
- Return Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
2 infractions
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures; greater than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (7 degrees Celsius (C))
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
Nearby inspected facilities
- FORTUNE GARDEN RESTAURANT
424 MAYNARD AVE S, SEATTLE, WA 98104
8 inspections
- FANG LLC DBA MIKE'S NOODLE HOUSE
418 MAYNARD AVE S, SEATTLE, WA 98104
13 inspections
- SUSHI%AYCE
660 S KING ST, Seattle, WA 98104
6 inspections
- TAI TUNG RESTAURANT
655 S KING ST, SEATTLE, WA 98104
49 inspections
- SHARETEA CHINATOWN
651 S KING ST, Seattle, WA 98104
2 inspections
- WORLD PIZZA LLC
672 S KING ST, SEATTLE, WA 98104
28 inspections
- Miero LLC
665 S KING ST, SEATTLE, WA 98104
2 inspections
- A PLUS HONG KONG KITCHEN
667 S KING ST, SEATTLE, WA 98104
12 inspections