St. Petersburg Restaurant Inspections: Who's Clean and Who's Not in 2026

St. Petersburg has transformed from a sleepy retirement town into one of Florida’s hottest food destinations. Beach Drive, Central Avenue, the Grand Central District — the restaurant scene is booming. But behind the trendy facades and Instagram-worthy plates, how clean are these kitchens really?

We pulled the public inspection records for 805 restaurants across St. Petersburg, covering inspections from DBPR (Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation). Here’s what the data says — and some of it isn’t pretty. If you’re new to our scoring, check how to read inspection grades.

By the Numbers

43.7% of St. Petersburg restaurants earned an A grade — slightly below the statewide average. The average InspectFL Health Score across the city is 88.0 out of 100. That means more than half of the city’s restaurants have documented violations, and 79 are currently failing. Check our city rankings to see how St. Pete compares to other Florida cities.

🔥 What Just Happened: Recent Inspections That Made Headlines

These aren’t ancient history — these are violations documented in the last few weeks.

Five Bucks Drinkery — Downtown, Inspected March 2026

This Central Avenue bar racked up 18 violations on March 16, followed by another 14 violations on March 18 during the follow-up. Inspectors found improper cold holding temperatures, raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food, no certified food manager present, no employee handwashing, and unsanitized food contact surfaces. A score of 15 out of 100 — one of the lowest in the city.

Cedars Grill — Inspected March 2026

Inspected on March 11 and March 20, 2026, Cedars Grill scored a devastating 2.5 out of 100. The March 11 inspection found 29 violations including improper cold holding, improper reheating, raw food over ready-to-eat food, no certified food manager, no employee training, and no plan review. The follow-up on March 20 still found 20 violations. This is one of the worst-performing restaurants in all of St. Petersburg right now.

The Lemon Grass — Downtown, Inspected February 2026

A sushi restaurant with a score of 19.5 should raise alarms. Inspected on February 24-25, inspectors found 23 violations on the first visit including improper cooking temperatures (at a sushi restaurant!), raw food over ready-to-eat food, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw/undercooked food. The follow-ups found 15 and 20 additional violations. When a sushi restaurant can’t maintain proper cooking temperatures and has no consumer advisory about raw food, that’s a serious public health concern.

The Worst Restaurants in St. Petersburg

These restaurants have the lowest InspectFL Health Scores in the city. This isn’t a single bad day — these scores reflect a pattern of repeated violations across multiple inspections.

Lanna Thai and Sushi and Spring Garden Chinese Restaurante both hold a score of 0 — the absolute bottom. Lanna Thai was found operating without a valid license, with improper cold holding, improper cooking temperatures, and unsanitized food contact surfaces across three inspections in late December and early January. Spring Garden had 28 violations in a single inspection on January 6, including toxic substances improperly stored and no plan review submitted.

A Beach Drive Surprise: Cassis American Brasserie

This one hurts. Cassis is one of Beach Drive’s most well-known restaurants — upscale French-American brasserie, waterfront views, $30+ entrees. And yet it carries an F grade with a score of 61.5. A February 2026 inspection found 15 violations including 10 critical ones: improper cold holding, toxic substances improperly stored, raw food over ready-to-eat food, unsanitized food contact surfaces, no employee handwashing, no hair restraints, no date marking, no certified food manager, and no employee training. Premium prices do not guarantee a clean kitchen.

The Cleanest Restaurants in St. Petersburg

These spots earned a perfect 100/100 on our InspectFL Health Score with at least 2 inspections — meaning they’ve consistently shown zero or near-zero violations.

Big Steins Deli leads the pack with a perfect score across 3 inspections — no violations at all. That’s impressive consistency. Cava Mezze Grill, the fast-casual Mediterranean chain, also earned a spotless record with its most recent inspection in March 2026.

How Do the Famous St. Pete Spots Stack Up?

St. Petersburg’s food scene has some beloved institutions. Here’s how they actually scored:

The takeaway? Rococo Steak, Red Mesa Cantina, and Parkshore Grill are your safest bets among the well-known spots — all earned A grades in the high 90s. But several beloved restaurants are in B and C territory. Ceviche Tapas Bar, Tryst, Stillwaters Tavern, and Noble Crust all carry B grades. Bodega on Central, Brick & Mortar, and Brooklyn South sit at C level. And Cassis — one of the most expensive restaurants on Beach Drive — is failing.

Neighborhood Breakdown

St. Petersburg’s food safety varies significantly by area.

Downtown (33701) — 187 Restaurants

Downtown has the most restaurants but one of the lower A-grade rates at 39.6%. With 15 failing restaurants, you need to be choosy — especially along the Central Ave bar corridor. Beach Drive restaurants are a mixed bag: Parkshore Grill and Rococo shine, but Cassis, Ceviche, Tryst, and Stillwaters all have room for improvement.

Tyrone Area (33710) — 107 Restaurants

The Tyrone area has 16 F-graded restaurants — the highest concentration of failures per capita in the city. Nearly 15% of Tyrone restaurants are failing. The area is also home to some of the absolute worst scores, including Spring Garden Chinese Restaurante (0), Carrabba’s Italian Grill (23.8), New China St Pete (27), and Egg Haven Cafe (31.3). If you’re dining in the Tyrone area, check inspection records first.

Grand Central / Central Ave Corridor (33705, 33713) — 133 Restaurants

The creative heart of St. Pete scores better than you’d expect: 51.9% A-grade rate. But it still has 10 F-graded restaurants including Matteo Trattoria (13) and Nitally’s ThaiMex (37). The corridor has some of the city’s best food — just make sure you’re picking the right spots.

Gateway / Carillon (33716) — 36 Restaurants

The corporate park area is the city’s cleanest neighborhood with a 52.8% A-grade rate and only 1 F-graded restaurant. Corporate dining facilities tend to be held to higher standards, and it shows.

What the Data Tells Us

After analyzing 805 restaurants across St. Petersburg, a few patterns emerge:

1. Price doesn’t equal cleanliness. Cassis charges $30+ for entrees and has an F grade. Five Bucks Drinkery on trendy Central Ave scored a 15. Meanwhile, a Chipotle and a Wendy’s have perfect 100s. Don’t assume that upscale means clean.

2. The Tyrone area needs attention. With 15% of its restaurants failing, the 33710 zip code has the worst food safety record in the city. Multiple restaurants there scored in the single digits.

3. Sushi restaurants are disproportionately represented in failures. Lanna Thai and Sushi (0), The Lemon Grass Sushi Thai Tapas (19.5), and Aroy Thai (33.5) — all serve raw fish, and all are failing. That’s a particularly dangerous combination.

4. Repeat offenders rarely improve quickly. The worst-scoring restaurants all showed the same violations across multiple inspections: improper cold holding, raw food stored over ready-to-eat food, and unsanitized food contact surfaces. If a restaurant failed last month, check to see if they’ve been re-inspected before you go.

5. 43.7% earning an A is below average. St. Petersburg falls slightly below the statewide average for A grades, which is notable for a city with this much dining tourism. Visitors should check scores before walking into any restaurant — tourist traffic doesn’t guarantee standards.

Nitally’s ThaiMex: A Local Favorite Struggling

Nitally’s is a beloved local spot — often recommended on “best of St. Pete” lists. But with a score of 37 out of 100, the kitchen tells a different story. A November 2025 inspection found 27 violations including improper cooking temperatures, improper cold holding, improper reheating, food from unapproved sources, employees not washing hands, and unsanitized food contact surfaces. Follow-up inspections in December and January found 18 and 16 violations respectively. The kitchen has had problems with every fundamental: temperature control, sanitation, employee hygiene, and food sourcing. We hope they turn it around — the food has a loyal following — but right now, the inspection record is deeply concerning.

How to Check Your Favorite Spot

Every restaurant mentioned in this article links directly to its InspectFL page, where you can see the full inspection history, violation details, and score breakdown.

Want to check a restaurant that’s not listed here? Search our database → — we cover every inspected restaurant in Florida, updated regularly with the latest DBPR data.

You can also browse all St. Petersburg restaurants or compare cities on our city rankings page.

---

Data sourced from Florida DBPR public inspection records. InspectFL Health Scores are calculated using a time-weighted algorithm that prioritizes recent inspections. Scores reflect inspection performance and do not account for food quality, taste, or service. For details on our methodology, see how we grade restaurants.