The Tennessee Department of Health inspected 15 food service establishments in Tipton County over the two weeks spanning Aug. 2 through Aug. 15, 2026 — seven in the first week and nine in the second, with Dairy Queen of Atoka inspected in both. Six locations required follow-up visits.
Milano’s Pizza in Covington drew the period’s most notable on-site action, with inspectors embargoing seven pounds of severely dented canned goods during an Aug. 3 routine visit.
A second dented-can violation surfaced Aug. 10 at Breakfast Cove LLC in Munford, where a 5.73-pound can of jalapeño peppers was found dented and removed, corrected on site; that location also recorded the two-week span’s lowest routine score, an 85, before climbing to a 95 at a same-day follow-up.
Jose’s Mexican Street Food resolved three separate pest and rodent violations at its Aug. 3 follow-up, following an 86 at a July 24 routine.
Two locations closed out the period with perfect scores of 100 — The Manor LLC on Aug. 6 and Austin Peay Elementary School’s cafeteria on Aug. 12.
No establishments were closed or remained under embargo at the end of either week.
Follow-up inspections
Milano’s Pizza — 128 Liberty Avenue West, Covington — Routine 91 → Follow-Up 96
Milano’s Pizza scored a 91 at a routine inspection on Aug. 3. Inspectors found two severely dented cans stored on a wire shelf near the back door — a 3.5-lb can of mushrooms and a 3.5-lb can of green olives — and embargoed all seven pounds of product on the spot.
Additional violations included no visible thermometers in either chest freezer, wet nesting of plastic drink cups at the beverage station, a floor with several weak spots near the dessert cooler and in the hallway leading to the restrooms, and an employee drink stored on the prep table near tomato sauce containers.
At a same-day follow-up, the embargoed product issue was resolved, and the score rose to 96. Four items remain open: missing thermometers, wet nesting, floor condition, and employee drink placement.
Jose’s Mexican Street Food — 112 E. Court Square, Covington — Routine 86 (July 24) → Follow-Up 94
Jose’s Mexican Street Food received its follow-up this period stemming from a routine inspection on July 24 that scored 86.
That routine inspection cited three separate violations under the pest and rodent prevention code: a rodent trap stored on wire shelves alongside clean pans, a fly strip covered in flies attached to a light fixture above the prep table, and an outer opening above the back door where an extension cord runs through the wall.
Additional violations at the routine included no paper towels in the men’s restroom (corrected on-site), an unlabeled spray bottle, no thermometer in the reach-in cooler, a black mold-like substance on the ice machine’s backdrop guard, no test strips for the three-compartment sink, a missing ceiling tile, and an employee coffee cup on the prep table.
At the Aug. 3 follow-up, all three pest violations were resolved: the back door opening above the extension cord was sealed, fly strips were removed, and the rodent trap was relocated from the wire shelves.
The inspector noted this follow-up supersedes the 90-day follow-up previously required for those items. The score rose to 94.
Five items remain open: thermometer, ice machine, missing ceiling tile, employee drink placement, and one pest item.
Los Amigos (mobile) — 1463 US-51, Covington — Routine 93 → Follow-Up 97
Los Amigos (mobile) was inspected in the parking lot in front of 880 Highway 51 North on Aug. 4, scoring a 93 at a routine visit.
Inspectors found a dozen containers of raw shell eggs stored on the top shelf of the reach-in cooler above ready-to-eat foods — radishes and cilantro — a cross-contamination risk corrected on-site.
Additional violations included a broken thermometer in the Coca-Cola reach-in cooler and no screens on the windows.
The inspector also collected permit and late fees during the visit.
An immediate follow-up was scheduled for the raw-eggs violation corrected on-site. At a same-day follow-up, the cross-contamination issue was confirmed resolved. The score rose to 97.
Two items remain open: the broken thermometer and missing window screens.
Breakfast Cove LLC (Munford) — 14319 Highway 51 S — Routine 85 → Follow-Up 95
Inspectors found eight violations at Breakfast Cove LLC in Munford during a routine inspection on Aug. 10. A 5.73-pound can of whole jalapeño pickled peppers bearing severe dents was found stored alongside other canned goods and removed; corrected on site.
Two food-contact surface violations were cited: a three-compartment sink operating without sanitizer in the sanitizing basin and a manual can opener in need of washing and sanitizing, both corrected during the inspection. An employee drink stored in a reach-in cooler was also corrected on site.
Four issues were not corrected during the routine: no visible thermometer in the waffle station reach-in freezer, wet nesting of drink cups at the beverage station, spoons stored handle-down in a utensil holder, and an ice scoop handle in contact with ice in the bin.
At a same-day follow-up, the score rose from an 85 to a 95, with five items still listed as outstanding.
Dot’s Learning Center #2 — 1368 Highway 51 North, Covington — Routine 95 → Follow-Up 99
Dot’s Learning Center #2, a licensed food service facility at a Covington childcare center, received both a routine inspection and a same-day follow-up on Aug. 11.
During the routine, inspectors found two cartons of raw in-the-shell eggs stored on a refrigerator shelf directly above gallons of milk — a cross-contamination risk that was corrected on site — and no thermometer present in the refrigerator.
The routine scored a 95. At the follow-up, the score rose to a 99, with the missing refrigerator thermometer still listed as outstanding.
Dairy Queen of Atoka — 11542 Highway 51 South, Atoka — Routine 94 (Aug. 6) → Follow-Up 99 (Aug. 14)
Dairy Queen of Atoka scored 94 at a routine inspection on Aug. 6.
Two items were cited: the soft-serve machine was being cleaned and sanitized every 72 hours — an extended cycle that may require a waiver under the food code, with the inspector working with management to clarify requirements and obtain the necessary approval — and a wet wiping cloth stored on the counter near the toppings station.
At an Aug. 14 follow-up, the inspector verified that the establishment had adopted a cleaning and sanitizing protocol of every 24 hours with a written log; management may still apply for a variance or waiver. The follow-up scored a 99.
Other food service establishments
Taco Bell #32315 — 971 Highway 51, Covington — 99
Taco Bell #32315 scored 99 at a routine inspection on Aug. 4. One item was cited: no visible thermometer in the walk-in freezer.
The Manor LLC — 3904 Mt Carmel Rd, Covington — 100
The Manor LLC scored 100 at a routine inspection on Aug. 6. No violations were observed.
Olympic Steak House and Pizza — 10862 Hwy. 51 S, Atoka — 97
Olympic Steak House and Pizza scored 97 at a routine inspection on Aug. 6. Three items were cited: cases of shrimp and key lime pies stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer, wet nesting of metal pans in the dishroom, and paper towels stored on the counter in the employee restroom.
The person in charge confirmed to inspectors that the soft-serve machine is cleaned and sanitized daily.
Waffle House – Covington — 106 Holly Grove Rd — 93
A routine inspection on Aug. 10 found six violations: flies were observed throughout the front seating area, plates were stored food-side up on a shelf above the grill, a wet wiping cloth sat on a table near the swinging service doors, the floor behind the service counter was littered with food particles and gloves, the bottom of a Delfield reach-in cooler contained raw egg and raw meat juices, and food debris wasvin need of cleaning and sanitizing.
An ice scoop handle touching ice in the bin was corrected on site.
Breakfast Cove LLC – Atoka — 1942 Rosemark Road, Atoka — 99
A routine inspection on Aug. 11 found wet nesting of drink cups at the drink station.
TriStar Nutrition (mobile) — Tracy Road and Rosemark Road, Munford — 99
TriStar Nutrition, a mobile food unit operating at the corner of Tracy Road and Rosemark Road in Tipton County, received a routine inspection on Aug. 11. Inspectors noted no drainboards on the three-compartment sink and confirmed the unit is fully self-contained.
Bad Boy Bakery — 804 U.S. 51 S, Covington — 98
A routine inspection on Aug. 12 cited two violations: no drainboards on the three-compartment sink, and employee drinks with lids stored on a table alongside the mixer and adjacent to a prep surface.
Austin Peay Elementary Cafeteria — 474 Academic Dr., Covington — 100
Austin Peay Elementary School’s cafeteria earned a perfect score in a routine inspection on Aug. 12. Inspectors noted that the establishment’s posted permit was expired; the director of the Tipton County Schools nutrition program provided proof of payment the same day, and the inspector forwarded documentation to supervisors in Nashville for processing. The permit item is administrative and did not affect the score.
Verneces’ Flava (mobile) — 1005 Hill Ave, Covington — 99
A routine inspection on Aug. 14 found no drainboards on the three-compartment sink.
Scores and violation details are drawn from Tennessee Department of Health inspection reports, available at inspections.myhealthdepartment.com/tennessee.