Have you been to Justin Timberlake’s New York restaurant, Southern Hospitality—a “hotspot” “fine dining” establishment in that it 1) has wifi, 2) serves food and 3) is fine, I guess, if we’re being charitable? Did you happen to notice if the place was overrun with mice? Because New York City’s Department of Health did.

Perhaps Timberlake, an alumnus of the venerated Mickey Mouse Club, is holding on as hard as he can to some vestige of his youth. Perhaps the restaurant, a dirty midtown spot that time forgot sometime around 2009, decided it was easier/cheaper/more exciting to wing it, sanitarily speaking. Perhaps the chef, a person far from godliness, thought Ratatouille was a documentary.

All valid hypotheses, and yet the reason matters naught, because to hear it from the Health Department, the kitchen is literally staffed with mice and there’s nothing the casual diner intent on helping Justin Timberlake recoup his investment can do about it.

Sanitary Violations

1) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.

2) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

4) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.

The restaurant is still open though, so if you love JT, or mice, or diseases that you thought died out in the Middle Ages, why not try the Smokey Mountain BBQ Nachos, or the Philly Cheese Steak Eggrolls. Is that cracked pepper? Who knows! Only one way to find out—isn’t life exciting?


Image via NBC. Contact the author at gabrielle@gawker.com.