Check every station before service: temperatures, par levels, quality and labels.
A line check catches the problems guests would otherwise find: cold food served warm, missing garnish, an empty sauce bottle in the middle of the rush.
Temperature limits come from your local food code. Write them on the sheet so cooks know the target.
11 items. Complete it digitally or on paper, whichever your team prefers.
At the 4:30 pm line check, the sauté station’s cold well is above the code limit. The chef moves the product to the walk-in, calls maintenance, and sets up an ice bath until the well is repaired.
The line check confirms food is held at safe temperatures and tastes right before the first ticket prints. Food codes based on the FDA Food Code set hot and cold holding limits, and a signed sheet shows they were checked at the start of service.
| Restaurant and time | Casa Verde, San Antonio, 4:45 pm |
|---|---|
| Sauté cold well | 38°F |
| Grill hot holding | Beans 146°F |
| Taste and look | Salsa verde too salty: remade |
| Par levels | Fish short by 6 portions |
| Sanitizer buckets | 200 ppm quat, test strip OK |
| 86 items | Snapper after 6 portions; chef sign-off 4:52 pm |
The short fish par is turned into a clear 86 note so servers know there are only six portions left before the dinner rush.
The chef, sous chef or kitchen manager.
10 to 20 minutes for a typical line.
Yes, it creates a record.
Fix it or remove the item before service.
Under the FDA Food Code, cold-held foods must stay at 41°F or below, and many state and local codes use that limit. Record the actual product temperature with a probe, not just the unit’s display. If product is above the limit, follow your code’s rules on time and corrective action.
It is the list of menu items that are sold out or not available for service. Listing them during the line check lets the chef brief servers before doors open. Update it during service as more items run out.
More for the same job
Assign the work in EZTime to an employee, a team or a whole location, ask for photo proof, and get a late alert instead of chasing people. A 14-day trial needs no credit card.