OYSTER CELLAR

Inspection summary

OYSTER CELLAR has been inspected 9 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since October 21, 2019. The most recent inspection, on July 24, 2025, recorded 1 infraction.

5 of 9 inspections on record found no infractions at all. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Food temperature control and Protecting food from contamination.

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.

• 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 January 2, 2025. For example: 0600 - Adequate handwashing facilities

• 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 once on January 4, 2023. For example: 2120 - Proper cold holding temperatures; between 42 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (6 to 7 degrees Celsius (C))

• 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 January 4, 2023. For example: 2300 - Proper consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods

• 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 These findings are administrative: the documentation was missing or out of date at the time of inspection.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 once on July 24, 2025. For example: 5000 - Posting of permit; mobile establishment name easily visible

• Food safety training and certificationLower risk

  Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.

  Recorded once on August 6, 2024. For example: 0100 - PIC present, demonstrates knowledge and performs duties to maintain AMC; certified manager on staff unless exempt

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.

• View the official Public Health – Seattle & King County disclosure site
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