Alexandria Restaurant Violations: Mouse Droppings In Sugar

Every wonder how clean your local restaurants are? City of Alexandria restaurants regularly undergo health inspections, with the frequency depending on the type of food served and how it is prepared. While violations like malfunctioning refrigerators and food that's not warm or cold enough often pop up, health inspectors sometimes note more critical violations.

“In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," notes the Virginia Department of Health.

Here are full results for the latest inspections around Old Town Alexandria and Del Ray, including restaurants that passed with no violations. Among these violations were "large amounts of mouse droppings" in the sugar and elsewhere at Sangjun Thai Restaurant. The same violation had been noted a month ago, and a follow-up inspection is required.

Click on the violations to see each restaurant's results. Full reports are usually available five to seven days after the inspection on the health department’s website.

Violations

Asian Bistro: 809 King St, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, last inspection: June 22

violations: Observed employee drink containers stored next to clean utensils/equipment on the air drying rack located in the dish washing area, observed bags of raw pork stored in the same container with bags of raw beef inside the walk-in cooler, observed tightly wrapped noodles stored in the bottom of the "right prep cooler" so as not to allow for maximum heat transfer during cooling, chemical sanitizing solution used for the mechanical dish machine is not being regularly tested to ensure proper concentration of the solution (all corrected)

Ben & Jerry's: 103 S. Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 26

violations: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor. (walk-in freezer), light bulb(s) in the rear storage area are not covered by a protective shielding, toilet room door is not tight fitting and/or provided with a self-closing door, wall molding is not maintained in good repair

Caphe Banh Mi: 407 Cameron St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 22

violations: Raw beef observed stored in the cookline prep cooler above the cooked beef (corrected), ceiling in the dish area is not maintained in good repair

Chadwicks: 203 Strand St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 25

violations: Foods measured at improper temperatures: liquid eggs, hamburger, ham, quesadilla (prep unit across from grill) and ham, romaine lettuce, spring mix, egg rolls (salad prep cooler next to the fryer), paper towels were not provided at the kitchen handwashing sink (both corrected)

Lori's Table: 1028 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 20

violations: Foods measured at improper temperatures:the tomato basil soup was held at 74°F, mac & cheese 53°F (display case) and the ham 45°F, chicken breast 44°F (prep cooler on ice), due to improper operation of the low temperature chemical sanitizing mechanical warewashing machine, equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils are not sanitized after cleaning (both corrected)

Mai Thai Restaurant: 6 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 26

violations: No Northern Virginia Certified Food Protection Manager on duty all during hours of operation, employees failed to wash their hands before putting on clean gloves, food item(s) from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service: several cans of oyster sauce were badly dented, food employee(s) was observed handling the following ready-to-eat foods using their bare hands: washed lettuce, foods measured at improper temperatures:the spring rolls and whole shell eggs were not held at the required temperature in the walk-in refrigerator, no paper towels were provided at the wait station hand sink (all corrected), dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: ice scoops, wet wiping cloths are improperly stored on cutting board and not in sanitizer after each use, food not used within 24 hours of preparation and is not properly dated for disposition within 7 days at 41°F: egg rolls in the walk-in refrigerator, refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less: walk-in refrigerator, interior of the ice machine is damaged, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: the racks in the walk-in refrigerator, the cutting boards, rolling cart and storage shelves, single service containers were observed stored unprotected at the prep area

McDonald's: 1000 N. Henry St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 26

violations: Observed soiled beverage dispensing nozzles and area around beverage dispensing nozzles were soiled as well with black, mold-like substance (corrected)

Meggrolls: 107 N Fayette St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 20

violations: Foods measured at improper temperatures: gyro rolls, big megg rolls, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food in the refrigeration unit is not used within 24 hours of preparation and is not properly dated for disposition within 7 days at 41°F: macaroni and cheese, cooked broccoli, cooked corn, prepared rolls, food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is being used as a control was 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: par-cooked fries (all corrected), floors throughout the back of house are in need of cleaning, mop is not hung up to air dry

The People's Drug: 103 N Alfred St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 26

violations: No consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: the people's burger and skirt steak, floor behind and between cooking equipment is in need of cleaning - observed accumulated food debris

Pizzeria Paradiso: 124 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 20

violations: Open drinking containers stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils, exterior door is kept open for ventilation, but the opening is not protected against the entry of insects or rodents, paper towels were not provided at the bar handwashing sink, sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at the bar handwashing sinks used by food employees (all corrected)

RT's Restaurant: 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 27

violations: Observed two containers of raw shrimp stored over RTE veggies, sausage in the WIC, sanitizer concentration too low, sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing lavatories used by food employees (all corrected), ice cream scoop was observed sitting in room temperature water in a container, door gaskets of the following unit(s) are (missing, damaged): gasket on the right hand door of the main 2 door prep unit in the kitchen, following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: the potato cutter was heavily soiled, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: the shelving unit above the stove top, in particular, the bracket is heavily soiled, inside of the ice machine to be soiled with mold-like residue near the inside top area of the unit

Sangjun Thai Restaurant: 300 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 25

violations: food item is observed to be unsound or adulterated: observed a container of sugar in the upstairs storage area (corrected), observed mouse droppings in the sugar and on top of the box that was being used as a cover, person in charge has a food manager certification from an accredited program, but does not have the Northern VA Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, observed large amount of mouse droppings in the upstairs kitchen/dry storage area (same observation was made on the last routine inspection about a month ago), wall adjacent to the handwash station near the WIC is in need of cleaning, caulking is deteriorating and mold-like substance is growing, upstairs dry storage area is in need of cleaning- removing used boxes, broken tiles, and cleaning under racks

Streets Market & Cafe: 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave B, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 22

violations: Observed staff drinking beverage from opened container in the kitchen and observed staff drinking from opened container in the sushi prep area, Observed raw eggs stored over veggies in the 3 door UC, observed improper methods used to thaw food: fish in ROP environment was thawing in the walk-in cooler, no soap provided at sink next to stove top, sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing lavatories used by food employees (all corrected), no raw/undercooked consumer advisory listed for multiple items on the full menu such as poke bowl, spicy sashimi salad, sashimi, maki roll combos, and lunch menu for the sushi bar, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: outside of all refrigeration units, sides and around the stove top unit, and various other equipments in the kitchen, can opener, kitchen floors (under storage racks and equipment) is in need of cleaning

Sugar Shack: 804 N Henry St. 129, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 27

violations: Date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or label, observed several fruit flies around front and kitchen of establishment (both corrected)

Virtue Feed & Grain: 106 S. Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 25

violations: Food employee was observed eating, in upstairs kitchen area where they may contaminate food, clean equipment, utensils or other items needing protection, foods measured at improper temperatures: sliced tomatoes, lettuce (ice bath) and steaks, chicken breast (refrigerated drawer), Hand sink in kitchen was blocked by high chairs, paper towels were not provided at the upstairs handwashing sink (all corrected), due to improper operation of the low temperature chemical sanitizing mechanical warewashing machine at main bar, equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils are not sanitized after cleaning

No violations

Chipotle Mexican Grill: 3425 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 26

violations: none

FujiSan Sushi: 3801 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 26

violations: none

Nando's Peri Peri: 702 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 22

violations: none

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