UNION MARKET
996 21ST AVE, Seattle, WA 98122 · Restaurant (Seating 0-12)
Inspection summary
UNION MARKET has been inspected 6 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since May 1, 2023. The most recent inspection, on April 30, 2026, found no infractions.
1 of 6 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 1 infraction recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Chemicals and toxic substances and Handwashing and staff hygiene.
Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.
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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 21, 2025. For example:
1600 - Proper cooling procedure
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 October 30, 2025. For example:
2500 - Toxic substances properly identified, stored, 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 once on April 21, 2025. For example:
3600 - Proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded once on January 24, 2024. For example:
3200 - Insects, rodents, animals not present; entrance controlled
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 24, 2024. For example:
1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
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.
6 inspections
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
- RED
- 2500 - Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
2 infractions
- 3600 - Proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use
- BLUE
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 3600 - Proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated areas used
- BLUE
- 4900 - Adequate ventilation; lighting; designated areas used
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
3 infractions
- 4400 - Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
- BLUE
- 3200 - Insects, rodents, animals not present; entrance controlled
- BLUE
- 1400 - Raw meats below and away from ready-to-eat food; species separated
- RED
- 4400 - Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
2 infractions
- 3700 - In-use utensils properly stored
- BLUE
- 1600 - Proper cooling procedure
- RED
- 3700 - In-use utensils properly stored
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