Trattoria ZaZa, Wasabi Juan’s, MELT, Buc-ee’s earn 95+ food service scores in June

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ZaZa
Trattoria zaza in Downtown Birmingham. (Pat Byington/Bham Now)

Several Birmingham-area restaurants—including Trattoria ZaZa in downtown Birmingham, Wasabi Juan’s near the Rotary Trail and MELT in Avondale—received 95 and above on their food service scores this past June.

Since 2018, Bham Now has reported the Jefferson County Department of Health restaurant food service scores each month. Over 100 local establishments that handle and serve food are inspected by the health department, including: 

  • Restaurants
  • Schools
  • Nursing homes,
  • Daycare centers
  • Hospitals
  • Grocery stores
  • Concession stands

Food service inspection scores are updated regularly on the Jefferson County Department of Health website

Birmingham, Jefferson County Department of Health
Jefferson County Department of Health. (Pat Byington/Bham Now)

The database is easy to access and it goes back several years. We estimate approximately 20% of the restaurant inspections score 95 or above, while most local school cafeterias, for example, tend to score 95 or above.

Featured Restaurants

Who made the local restaurant honor roll in June? Here are some notable local establishments:

95+ scores

Trattoria ZaZa — 97

Soup, pasta and salad at Trattoria Zaza
Check out this spread from Trattoria Zaza. (Trattoria ZaZa/Instagram.

Did you know ZaZa is slang in the Cleveland area for pizza? ZaZa has countless fans in downtown Birmingham, offering not only pizza but a wide variety of pastas, salads and Italian specialties like Ricotta Gnocchi.  

Wasabi Juan’s — 96

Birmingham, Alabama, where is Wasabi Juan's
Looking for a laidback Valentine’s date idea? Go splitsville on your fave sushi burrito and Frushi for dessert–it’s so pretty in pink and filled with coconut rice, fruit and Nutella. Photo by Lauren Bedford for Bham Now

I remember eating my first Wasabi Juan’s sushi burrito at their food truck during a Birmingham Legion game. It was the “Cowboy” of course — steak, avocado and cream cheese. It was tasty and not messy either.  

MELT — 96

MELT
( MELT/ Facebook)

A Birmingham original, MELT truly lives by the motto: Eat Local. Drink Local. Live Local. Be Local. And of course, if you love cheese on your sandwiches, they live by their name – MELT. An additional recommendation—try the Strawberry Fields salad.

Rest of the Honor Roll

Hero Doughnuts
Hero Doughnuts has more than delicious doughnuts. Photo via Hero Doughnuts and Buns

Learn More

Visit Jefferson County Department of Health’s Food Service website for the latest scores. Food service inspections help keep us all safe. Bookmark the page and stay tuned for our monthly 95+ stories.


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Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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