Route 1 Restaurant Inspections: Bread & Water, Balkan Grill

HUNTINGTON, VA — With Fairfax County Health Department's restaurant inspection reports back online, we continue to look at reports in the Route 1 corridor.

The health department's environmental health staff inspect over 5,200 restaurants and other retail food service establishments in Fairfax County and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax to ensure safe food handling practices are followed. This includes proper sanitation, food storage and preparation, and adequate kitchen facilities. Aside from restaurants, staff inspect child care centers, hospitals, school cafeterias, and temporary food service vendors at festivals.

Until this summer, food establishment inspection reports had been unavailable online since 2019 as the health department worked to launch a new online system. Residents can search for a specific restaurant or browse a map of inspected locations through the online database.

The health department cautions residents that a single inspection should not be used to evaluate a restaurant. Pieter Sheehan, the Fairfax County environmental health director, says "it is important to look at multiple inspection reports for a facility to truly understand their approach and commitment to food safety and sanitation."

This week's report focuses on restaurants in Huntington, Groveton and Belle Haven through September. Click on each link to see the full report for the restaurant.

Las Catrachitas: 2303 Huntington Ave., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 15

Violations: Pans of raw chicken and raw beef stored above containers of curtido (shredded cabbage) and pickled onions in the Superior 2 Drupright cooler; food service employee was shredding ready to eat cheese with bare hands; paper towels were not provided at the hand-washing sink located at the bar; no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: Duke 2 Dr under counter cooler and the Avantco 2 Dr prep top cooler; coops used for the food items at the prep top cooler, were disposable cups with the lid below the level of the food item

2 Jefes Tex-Mex: 2249 Huntington Ave., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 13

Violations: Low temperature, chemical sanitizing warewashing machine was observed with a sanitizing rinse concentration of less than 50 ppm chlorine solution; person in charge is not able to provide a verbal or written policy for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by an employee who has a disease or a medical condition; food establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events; raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu, menu board, table tent or brochure without proper disclosure: steak, eggs, tilapia; unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: par cooked broccoli, pickled red onions, cooked shrimp in unit#3; shellstock offered for sale or service bears no label or has a label that does not contain all the information as specified in law.

Subway: 5836 North Kings Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 30

Violations: No violations found.

Balkan Grill: 5902 North Kings Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 2

Violations: Observed raw beef over cut tomatoes and uncut peppers in the walk in refrigerator; ready-to-eat food that is made using a combination of ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety ingredients is not properly dated for discard using the date of the first-prepared ingredient: babaganoush, hummus, gyro on spit, spinach dip, dolman and other bulk foods in the walk in refrigerator; certified food manager was not present during the beginning of the inspection; paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink; food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is used as a control is not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hourspast the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: Burek; person in charge is not able to provide a verbal or written policy for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by an employee who has a disease or a medical condition; food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: bottles of cooking oil; filters at the hood have a build up of grease and are in need of cleaning; door gaskets of the following unit(s) are torn: the walk in refrigerator; open drinking containers used or stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils; toilet room doors are being kept open.

Tango Pastry: 6100 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 28

Violations: Paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink; food item(s) 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: cream pastries; person in charge was unable to explain the significance of the relationship between maintaining the time and temperature of time control for safety food items and the prevention of foodborne disease.

Chin's Kitchen: 6136 North Kings Hwy, Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. 21

Violations: Food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: hot and sour soup 98f on non-heated grill top; broth 122f on non-heated grill top; observed raw chicken holding over raw pork (several bus tubs) in the walk in refrigerator; person in charge was unable to explain the significance of the relationship between maintaining the time and temperature of time/temperature control for safety food items and the prevention of foodborne disease; food item(s) 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: Gen Tso chicken; food thawing using an improper method: observed two bus tubs of frozen pork ribs thawing under the prep table at room air temperature of 78f; nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: The shelf above the three vat sink and the magnetic strip for knives.

Milk and Honey: 6305 C Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Sept. Sept. 26

Violations: No violations found.

Uncle C's Chicken and Waffles: 6308 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Sept. 26

Violations: No test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions.

Panera Bread: 6670 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Sept. 16

Violations: Chemical sanitizing warewashing machine was observed with a sanitizing rinse concentration of 0 ppm chlorine solution; food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized due to the malfunction of the chemical sanitizing dish machine:plastic containers and bowls.

Boston Market: 6650 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Sept. 26

Violations: No violations found.

Roy Rogers: 1506 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria, Va 22307

Last inspection: Sept. 22

Violations: Establishment has not posted the permit to operate in a conspicuous location.

Bread & Water: 1512 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria, Va 22307

Last inspection: Sept. 28

Violations: Food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: fat free milk (44F) and half and half (43F) in Maxx Cold under counter cooler; food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: sausage links in the hot bath (103F, 105F, 115F); handwashing facility located in the back by the ice machine is blocked with a hot plate and wires, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing; no certified food manager in the facility with active credentials.