11 Violations At Greater Alexandria Restaurant: Inspections

Ever wonder how clear your local restaurants are? Fairfax County 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 find 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 the Route 1 corridor. Among the violations were 11 at Maggio's. Five of the violations were corrected during the inspection.

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

Balkan Grill: 5902A N Kings Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 7

violations: The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: cooking oil bottles along cookline, food thawing using an improper method: gyro thawing on counter (both corrected)

Bob & Edith's Diner: 5918 N. Kings Hwy, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 1

violations: Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw hamburger stored over sliced cheeses and bologna in the true two door undercounter at front (corrected)

El Rancho Latin Grill: 5834 N. Kings Hwy, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 5

violations: Observed raw shell eggs stored at room temperature 81f, no consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: Steak, eggs, ceviche and any other raw or undercooked animal product (both corrected)

Las Catrachitas Restaurant: 2303 Huntington Ave, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 6

violations: The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cooked pork 55f, in unit #2 which was previously out during lunch hour, handsink at the kitchen being used dump food and hold vegetables (both corrected)

Maggio's Italian and Latin Cuisine: 2258 Huntington Ave, Alexandria, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 1

violations: Unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: uncovered cooked chicken in refrigerator #4, food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: rice in rice maker 60f, food that is made using a combination of ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous ingredients is not properly dated for discard using the date of the first-prepared ingredient: Deli turkey, cooked chicken wings, cooked ribs, feta cheese, and tomato sauce in the walk in refrigerator, handsink at the side cookline is observed with lettuce inside the basin, handsink is backing up and is slow to drain (all corrected), food in stock pots and boxes and buckets stored on floor of walk in refrigerator, methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate proper cooling: placing a large stock pot of cooked tomato sauce/tomatoes in walk in refrigerator to cool, cutting board(s) along the prep coolers are heavily scratched and scored, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: interiors of refrigerators and freezers, sides of blender, countertops, gaskets, walls have unplugged holes and thus are not maintained in good repair, floors, walls are in need of cleaning

New China Taste: 5910 North Kings Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 12

violations: Observed food employees using improper handwashing procedures by using the wrong sink (three vat sink) and rinsing hands only and then wiping hands on clothing, unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: Salt, sugar, vinegar, wine, food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: bean sprouts 68f, cut cabbage 68f, garlic in oil 56f; All stored along cookline and were not marked with Time as a Public Health Control (all corrected), boxes of frozen food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor, yellow dye containers were observed reused for the storage of vinegar, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: wire shelving above the cookline has crumbs and debris on the surface

Old Chicago Pizzeria: 2245 Huntington Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22303, last inspection: Feb. 5

violations: Food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: gyro on spit 90f, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: hobart mixer (both corrected), food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor in walk in freezer, door gaskets of the following of the walk in refrigerator are torn, light bulb(s) in the kitchen are not covered by a protective shielding, outside back door keep open, walls and floors are not maintained in good repair, cove base throughout the facility is in need of cleaning

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