Fredericksburg Restaurant Inspections: El Ranchero, Merit School

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A pair of locations in the Fredericksburg area were cited with violations during the most recent inspections from the Rappahannock Area Health District.

The number of in-person inspections has decreased to start the year. In one report, an inspector noted the current surge in COVID-19 cases as the reason for a virtual visit. The Fredericksburg area has also been struck by inclement weather to start the year. Snowstorms have wreaked havoc on road conditions, and one storm earlier this month knocked out power to thousands of residents and businesses across the region.

Violations at restaurants typically focus on factors that can contribute to food contamination. The local health department can also perform a re-inspection to ensure that possible violations have been corrected.

For every observed violation, the inspector provides a specific corrective action that can be completed to rectify the violation. Sometimes these are simple, and violations can be corrected during the course of the inspection.

Depending on the results of the inspection, the health department can pursue several actions. They can issue a permit for the restaurant to continue serving food, they can schedule a follow-up inspection to determine if violations have been rectified, or they can temporarily shut down an establishment until certain issues are solved.

Here are the most recent violations as listed by the Rappahannock Area Health Department:

• Merit School of Park Ridge #14, 81 Parkway Blvd Stafford, VA 22554
  • Date inspected: Jan. 12
  • Total violations: 4
    • Observed accumulation of debris on the following non food contact surfaces: Interior door and base of the two ovens, cabinet in between the ovens, base of 1 door upright freezer #1 and #2.
    • Observed the food establishment is reusing manufacturer containers of yogurt to store marinara sauce, ketchup and cut fruit. Instructed the person in charge to discontinue reuse of manufacturer containers for food storage.
    • Observed numerous unwrapped rolls of paper towels in the employee toilet room stored on a shelf across from the toilet. Single use articles are stored in a manner which could be exposed to contamination. Discussed storing disposable paper towels in their original wrapping to prevent contamination during storage.
    • Observed food debris on the base of the interior of the microwave oven.
• El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant, 11437 Ridge Road King George, VA 22485
  
  • Date inspected: Jan. 10
  • Total violations: 2
    • Plumbing connections under the 3 compartment sink are leaking.
    • The ceiling tile located in the kitchen is absorbent and not easily cleaned.

The following locations received virtual training visits from the health department, and did not have any specific violations recorded:

• CoCi Coffee Bar
• Bella Cafe
• Chick-Fil-A