Red Onion Tavern
4210 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112
How the BiteKarma score works
Each routine inspection starts at 100 and loses 7 points for every critical violation and 2 for every other one, half again as much when the same problem was cited at one of the two inspections before. A failed inspection counts as 69 at most. The score averages the five newest routine inspections, with the most recent counting most, and stays below 70 for 90 days after a fail unless the restaurant passes again. 90 and up is excellent, 80s good, 70s fair, and below 70 poor.
The official rating comes from Public Health – Seattle & King County, which looks at the trend of the last few routine inspections, so it can differ from the BiteKarma score. The BiteKarma score works the same way in every city we cover.
At a glance
- Keeps coming up: Food worker cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained, cited 10 times, plus 13 other repeat issues.
- #6 in Seattle's Hall of Shame, among the lowest BiteKarma scores in the city.
- Passed 1 of 13 graded inspections since 2020.
- Last inspected May 19, 2026: failed with 5 violations, 3 critical.
- 23 critical violations in the last two years.
Inspection history 15 visits
- 2026
- Failed May 19
Return Inspection
5 violations, 3 critical
- Critical Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- Critical Adequate handwashing facilities
- Critical Proper disposition of returned, unsafe, or contaminated food; proper date marking procedures for food at high risk for Listeria
- Minor Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
- Minor Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
- Failed May 6
Return Inspection
10 violations, 5 critical
- Critical Food worker cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
- Critical Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- Critical Proper disposition of returned, unsafe, or contaminated food; proper date marking procedures for food at high risk for Listeria
- Critical Adequate handwashing facilities
- Critical PIC present, demonstrates knowledge and performs duties to maintain AMC; certified manager on staff unless exempt
- Minor Garbage, refuse properly disposed; facilities maintained
- Minor Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
- Minor Food-contact surfaces maintained, cleaned, sanitized
- Minor Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
- Minor Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
- Failed Apr 22
Routine Inspection
12 violations, 6 critical
- Critical PIC present, demonstrates knowledge and performs duties to maintain AMC; certified manager on staff unless exempt
- Critical Food worker cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
- Critical Proper disposition of returned, unsafe, or contaminated food; proper date marking procedures for food at high risk for Listeria
- Critical Adequate handwashing facilities
- Critical Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans, and required written procedures
- Critical Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
- Minor Wiping cloths properly used, stored; sanitizer concentration
- Minor Physical facilities properly installed, maintained, cleaned; unnecessary persons excluded from establishment
- Minor Food-contact surfaces maintained, cleaned, sanitized
- Minor Garbage, refuse properly disposed; facilities maintained
- Minor Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
- Minor Plumbing properly sized, installed, and maintained; proper backflow devices, indirect drains, no cross-connections
- 2025
- Failed Jun 5
Routine Inspection
5 violations, 4 critical
- Critical Compliance with valid permit; operating and risk control plans and required written procedure
- Critical Accurate thermometer provided and used to evaluate temperature of TCS foods
- Critical PIC present, demonstrates knowledge and performs duties to maintain AMC; certified manager on
- Critical Food worker cards current for all food workers; new food workers trained
- Minor Posting of permit; mobile establishment name easily visible
Nearby
BiteKarma scores around Red Onion Tavern, which is the dark pin. Zoom in to see the dots' scores, and tap a pin marked + to see everything at that address.