The Dugout
N2472 COUNTY ROAD K, Merrill, WI 54452 · Lincoln County
Establishment
- Type
- Restaurant (retail food serving meals) (Retail Food - Serving Meals)
- Inspected by
- Lincoln County Health Department
- License / ID
- MWIS-AXAKQ4
- Status
- Permitted
- Official record
- Lincoln County Health Department inspection reports
Year by year
| Year | Inspections | Violations | Serious |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Inspections
-
Sep 2, 2026 Follow Up · No items found
No violations cited.
-
Aug 18, 2026 Routine · 1 priority, 4 priority foundation, 3 core
-
Serious
Priority
Corrected on site
FOOD CONTACT SURFACES - CLEANING FREQUENCY
Metal pans and utensils used with time/temperature controlled for safety food is not cleaned every 4 hours. Operator indicated that they are washed daily.
Correction: Clean food contact surfaces used with time/temperature controlled for safety food a minimum of every 4 hours.
Code 4-602.11 (C)
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
Corrected on site
PERSON IN CHARGE - SANITIZATION
The Person in Charge (PIC) is not monitoring proper sanitization techniques in the food establishment.
Correction: The person in charge shall ensure that utensils and equipment are properly sanitized and that proper solution temperatures, chemical concentrations, pH and exposure times are being followed..
Code 2-103.11 (K)
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
WAREWASHING - CHEMICAL SANITIZER CONCENTRATION - TEST KIT
No test kit is available for monitoring sanitizer concentration.
Correction: Provide a test kit to allow accurate determination of the sanitization concentration.
Code 4-501.116
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
FOOD CONTACT SURFACES - SOILED
The ice deflector on the ice machine is visibly soiled.
Correction: Maintain food contact surfaces in a clean condition.
Code 4-601.11 (A)
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
USING A HANDWASHING SINK - ACCESSIBLE AND MAINTAINED
Handwashing sink in kitchen is blocked by jugs of fryer oil. Hot water comes out as a trickle. Drain is slow. Hand soap is not provided. .
Correction: Keep handwashing sink in working condition at all times to allow for frequent handwashing.
Code 5-205.11 (A) and (C)
-
Not serious
Core
NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES - CLEAN
Non-food contact surfaces of cooler / freezer handles, shelves and counters are soiled with oil and food debris.
Correction: Clean and remove dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris from all non-food contact surfaces of equipment.
Code 4-601.11 (C)
-
Not serious
Core
INSECTS AND RODENTS - OUTER OPENINGS PROTECTED
There is a hole or gap around the air conditioner in the kitchen which could be the source for the entrance of insects. Flies observed throughout the kitchen.
Correction: Repair this gap so that entrance by insects or rodents into the food establishment is prevented.
Code 6-202.15 (A) (1)
-
Not serious
Core
CLEANING, FREQUENCY AND RESTRICTIONS
The floors in the kitchen are soiled.
Correction: Clean the physical facilities at a frequency necessary to keep them clean.
Code 6-501.12
-
Serious
Priority
Corrected on site
-
Aug 26, 2025 Routine · 1 priority foundation
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
RTE/TCS FOOD - PROPER DATE MARKING
Sauces in squeeze bottles in the Turbo Air fridge are improperly date marked. Make sure to label what is in the bottle and when it was made/opened.
Correction: Adjust method or procedures so that all ready-to-eat time/temperature control for safety food, if required, are provided with date marking or an effective method of identifying when a food item has exceeded 7 days. Discard improperly date marked food or food that has past the 7 day shelf life.
Code 3-501.17 (A)
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
-
Aug 27, 2024 Routine · 1 priority foundation, 1 core
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
Corrected on site
WAREWASHING - SANITIZING SOLUTION - TESTING DEVICES
A chlorine test kit is not available for checking sanitizer concentrations.
Correction: Proper test strips for measuring the concentration of sanitizing solutions were ordered before the inspection concluded.
Code 4-302.14
-
Not serious
Core
FOOD CONTACT SURFACES - ENCRUSTED ACCUMULATIONS
Food−contact surfaces of appliance handles and handwashing sink handles has encrusted soil accumulations.
Correction: Clean and remove all encrusted grease deposits and encrusted soil accumulations from food contact surfaces of equipment.
Code 4-601.11 (B)
-
Not serious
Priority Foundation
Corrected on site
-
Aug 29, 2023 Routine · No items found
No violations cited.
Source: Lincoln County Health Department. History last read Oct 15, 2026. Violation text is the inspector's wording. “Serious” is the source's own top tier. About this data.