Restaurant Inspections: 6 Restaurants Rack Up 11 Critical Violations

From March 20-25, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Chantilly area. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Bob Evans

14050 Thunderbolt Pl

Date of inspection: March 25

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

BBQ Chicken & Beer

14109 Saint Germain Dr

Date of inspection: March 22

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed employee putting clean gloves on after handling chicken, before washing hands.

Pizza Hut

14215-K Centreville Square

Date of inspection: March 22

• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): There were no paper towels at the front handsink.
• Non-critical: Observed that a general cleaning of outside surfaces of equipment was required.
• Non-critical: Observed that floors and walls needed cleaning.

Tropical Smoothie

14220B Centreville Sq

Date of inspection: March 25

No violations were found during the inspection.

Hibachi Buffet and Grill

13948 Metrotech Drive

Date of inspection: March 21

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service.
• Critical: The date when the last shellstock from the container is sold or served is not recorded on the tag or label.
• Critical: Some food items for which time rather than temperature is used as a control is not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control.
• Non-critical: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use.
• Non-critical: Mollusk and/or crustacean shells were observed used more than once as serving containers. Clams are shucked form shells and used to make chowder or other cooked products, the shells are saved, washed and used to serve a baked imitation crab meat dish.

Tippy’s Taco House

14119 Saint Germain Dr

Date of inspection: March 21

• Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed employee putting on gloves without washing hands first.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed raw chicken stored above containers of tomato sauce in the walkin refrigerator.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): In discussion with the knowledgeable person in the kitchen, it was determined that items were being re-heated on the steam table rather than on the stove or in the microwave oven.
• Critical (corrected during inspection); Observed 10 containers of rice cooling in the walkin refrigerator well above 135F.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed taco chicken held at 42-43F on the prep top.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Many items were datemarked - the concept is in place. However, the dating was incorrect. It was using a total of eight days, including the day the food was prepared.