Carbonara’s Ristorante in Castle Shannon has been issued a consumer alert by the Allegheny County Health Department. An inspection of the Italian restaurant on April 30 found 16 health code violations, according to the inspection report.
Four violations were listed as high-risk, meaning hazards that can directly cause food-borne illness, with many repeat violations noted.
Issues cited in the inspection report include improper cooling temperatures for prepared foods (listing sliced meats, deli sandwiches, cooked steak and tuna salad), improper date marking, employee personal hygiene practices (smoking during food preparation, failing to wash hands), inadequate cleaning and sanitization and soiled equipment and an “inoperable” dishwasher found during inspection. The restaurant also lacked a Certified Food Protection Manager, a person required to pass an accredited food safety exam every five years, according to the report.
Carbonara’s must correct all violations for the consumer alert to be removed. Two employees must also register for a food protection manager (or ServSafe) certification course.
On Tuesday, owner Steven Lemma told TribLive the restaurant is “fixing major issues” as it awaits reinspection.
Lemma acquired the Italian restaurant, a staple in the area for more than 30 years, in 2025.
“We called everybody in for the cleaning and, hopefully, this week, we’re going to get reinspected and pass and everything’s going to be all right, ” he said, noting he’d previously overseen restaurant improvements to pass fire safety inspection.
“When we pass through, I hope I go back to business (as usual),” Lemma said.