Restaurant Inspections: Restaurant Cited for Not Properly Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces

From March 26 to April 5, the state health department inspected a few restaurants along the Route 1 corridor. 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.

Starbucks

7696-J Richmond Highway

Date of inspection: April 5

• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): There was no temperature measuring device located in some of the cold or hot holding equipment.
• Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.

Chevy’s Fresh Mex of Mount Vernon

7732-E Richmond Highway

Date of inspection: April 2

• Critical: Due to improper operation of the hot water, mechanical warewashing machine, the thermolabel did not turn black, indicating that food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are not being adequately sanitized.
• Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
• Critical: A review of the menu with the foodservice operator indicates that there is no consumer advisory for food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked.