LIL RED'S TAKEOUT & CATERING
4225 RAINIER AVE S, SEATTLE, WA 98118 · Restaurant (Seating 0-12)
Inspection summary
LIL RED'S TAKEOUT & CATERING has been inspected 18 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since November 17, 2017. The most recent inspection, on July 2, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.
10 of 18 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 1 infraction recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Protecting food from contamination.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
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 5 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on March 20, 2025. For example:
1600 - Proper cooling procedure
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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on July 2, 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 once on March 20, 2025. For example:
1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
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 once on April 15, 2022. For example:
3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
Permits, records and postingLower risk
Operating permits, required signage, written procedures and logs. These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on March 20, 2025. For example:
2600 - Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
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.
18 inspections
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
- RED
- 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
- RED
- 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities
- Return Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
4 infractions
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 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
- 2600 - Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 2600 - Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- RED
- 2600 - Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
2 infractions
- 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
- BLUE
- 2120 - Proper cold holding temperatures; between 42 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (6 to 7 degrees Celsius (C))
- RED
- 3400 - Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Consultation/Education - Field
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Consultation/Education - Field
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
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