Location audit
Restaurant Kitchen Inspection Checklist
- Who checks
- Head chef, general manager or corporate executive chef
- When
- Weekly, during service — at peak time and right after it
- Time
- ~60 min · 35 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
This inspection looks at the kitchen as a production line: how stations are set up, how food and dishes move, how a plate goes from ticket to the pass, and what condition the equipment is in. This is where long ticket times, inconsistent portions and sent-back dishes come from — the things the dining room then has to make up for.
Inspect during service: in an empty kitchen you cannot see where cooks get in each other's way or where plates wait at the pass. Spend the first half hour observing without stepping in, then check stations and equipment. Run detailed checks of temperatures, shelf life and allergens with dedicated food safety checklists.
Station setup
-
1
Each station has its own tools, so cooks are not running around the kitchen for them Observe for 10 minutes during service: tongs, ladles, tasting spoons, hotel pans and towels are at hand for every cook.☐ Yes☐ No
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2
Mise en place on the line follows the station layout Hotel pan placement matches the station diagram or photo standard; ingredients for the best-selling dish are within the cook's reach.☐ Yes☐ No
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3
All pans in refrigerated prep tables are covered with lids or film Open 2–3 prep tables: no uncovered pans except those the cook is working from right now.☐ Yes☐ No
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4
Work surfaces are free of unnecessary items No phones, empty packaging, product boxes or personal water bottles on the tables.☐ Yes☐ No
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5
Cooks' knives are sharp Ask 2–3 cooks to slice a tomato: the skin cuts without pressure and the flesh does not get crushed.☐ Yes☐ No
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6
Recipe cards and dish photos for the station are available to the cook Cards or a screen with recipe specs are at the station, and the version matches the current menu.☐ Yes☐ No
Workflow and separation
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7
Raw and ready-to-eat foods are prepared on separate tables Raw meat and fish are broken down in their own area or on a dedicated table, not next to salad prep.☐ Yes☐ No
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8
Cutting boards and knives are used according to the color code Pick up a board and knife from 2–3 stations: the color matches its purpose per the chart, and the chart is posted on the wall.☐ Yes☐ No
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9
Dirty dishes from the dining room do not pass through the ready-food area Follow a bus tub of dirty dishes: it goes to the dish room without crossing the pass or tables with ready food.☐ Yes☐ No
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10
Unwashed vegetables and herbs do not reach clean prep tables Produce is washed and peeled in the prep area or at a separate sink, and reaches the line already processed.☐ Yes☐ No
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11
Kitchen walkways are clear of boxes, containers and carts You can walk between the line, dish room and storage with a tray without going around obstacles.☐ Yes☐ No
The pass and service flow
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12
Tickets at the pass are in order and no order is lost Compare tickets or the kitchen display with open orders in the POS: no orders the kitchen does not know about.☐ Yes☐ No
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13
Finished plates do not wait at the pass longer than the standard Time from the pickup call to the plate leaving for 5 dishes. The target is your standard, usually no more than 1–2 minutes.☐ Yes☐ No
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14
The expediter checks every plate before it goes out The chef or expo checks presentation, wipes the plate rim and matches the dish to the ticket.☐ Yes☐ No
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15
Plates for hot dishes are warmed Take a plate from the warmer or the shelf above the line: it feels warm.☐ Yes☐ No
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16
Plate rims at the pass are clean, with no sauce drips or fingerprints Look at 5 dishes ready to go out.☐ Yes☐ No
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17
Cooks taste food with a separate clean spoon Tasting spoons are kept in a separate container; a used spoon goes to the dish pit, not back into the pot.☐ Yes☐ No
Dish quality
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18
The weight of a test portion matches the recipe spec Weigh one main dish and one side from the pass. The variance is within the tolerance set by the restaurant.☐ Yes☐ No
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19
Test portion weight, g (dish and recipe spec) Record the dish name, actual weight and spec weight.
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20
Presentation of the test dish matches the photo standard Put the plate next to the photo: side, sauce, garnish and their placement are the same.☐ Yes☐ No
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21
Taste and texture of two tested dishes match the standard The chef or manager tastes: seasoning, doneness, crispness of fried items, sauce consistency. Any deviation is discussed with the station cook on the spot.☐ Yes☐ No
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22
Hot dishes go out hot Probe a dish at the pass: the temperature is not below your dish spec (usually at least 63 °C / 145 °F; follow your local food code).☐ Yes☐ No
Equipment
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23
Probe thermometers work and read accurately Put the probe in a glass of ice water: it reads 0 °C / 32 °F within 1 °C (2 °F). Spare batteries and a backup probe are available.☐ Yes☐ No
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24
Kitchen scales work and read accurately Weigh an item of known weight or a package with an exact weight. The scale sits level and tares correctly.☐ Yes☐ No
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25
The combi oven runs without errors and the cavity has no burnt-on residue No scale or service warnings on the display; cavity walls and racks have no black carbon buildup.☐ Yes☐ No
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26
Hood filters over the line have no grease buildup Look at the filters from below: no grease dripping, no runs on the hood. The last cleaning is recorded on the schedule.☐ Yes☐ No
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27
All equipment faults have maintenance requests logged Ask the cooks what is broken or not working well and compare with the maintenance request log.☐ Yes☐ No
Clean as you go
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28
Cooks clean their station after each task After butchering or portioning, the table is wiped right away, not at the end of the shift. Trimmings do not pile up on the table.☐ Yes☐ No
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29
The kitchen floor is free of spilled oil and food debris Walk along the line and past the fryers: the floor is not slippery, and spills are cleaned up right away instead of being covered with a box.☐ Yes☐ No
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30
Handwashing sinks are used only for handwashing No dishes or food in the sink, access is clear, soap and towels are in place.☐ Yes☐ No
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31
Kitchen trash bins have lids and are not overflowing Lids open with a pedal, the bag is not filled above the rim, and the bin is not right up against a food prep table.☐ Yes☐ No
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32
Detergents and sanitizers are stored separately from food Chemicals are in a separate cabinet or on the bottom shelf in the dish room, in original containers or labeled spray bottles.☐ Yes☐ No
Kitchen team
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33
Cooks wear clean uniforms and hair restraints Chef jackets have no old stains, and hair is fully covered by a cap or bandana for everyone in the production area.☐ Yes☐ No
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34
Station cooks can name the allergens in their dishes Ask two cooks about the ingredients of a dish containing nuts, dairy or gluten: the answer matches the dish card.☐ Yes☐ No
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35
There are no unauthorized people in the kitchen Only the shift's cooks are in the production area. Servers do not go past the pass, suppliers do not go past the receiving area.☐ Yes☐ No
This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.
jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/restaurant-kitchen-inspection
Common violations
- One board "for everything" at the station while the color-coded boards sit in a cabinet. It is a direct route to cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat salads.
- A plate sits at the pass while the server is busy: the hot food cools, the sauce skins over, and the guest gets a different dish from the one the cook made.
- Nobody checks the probe thermometers. The cook confidently logs 75 °C, the probe is off by 5–8 degrees, and the whole temperature control program becomes meaningless.
- Portioning by eye instead of by scale: over a month, oversized sides and proteins noticeably raise food cost, while undersized portions trigger guest complaints.
- Greasy hood filters cleaned "when there's time". This is one of the leading causes of restaurant kitchen fires.
Frequently asked questions
A HACCP checklist records critical control points: temperatures, shelf life, labeling, hygiene. A kitchen inspection looks wider — how work is organized, whether recipe specs are followed, what condition equipment is in and why plates go out slowly. Most kitchens use both.
The chef does the inspection as a self-check, but once a month it is worth having someone from outside do it: the general manager, the corporate chef or the chef from another location. Your own eye quickly gets used to problems.
Do a simple ice-water check at least once a week and every time a probe is dropped. A faulty probe is taken out of use and replaced immediately.
Employee test on this topic
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Run this inspection on your phone
Move the checklist into jeCheck: photos on every item, tasks for each issue with an owner and a deadline, and location comparison by results.