Restaurant Inspections: McDonald’s and Firehouse Subs

From Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Kingstowne area. 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.

Firehouse Subs
5900 Kingstowne Towne Center
Date of inspection: Feb. 5
No violations were found during the inspection.

Starbucks
5860 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Feb. 5
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed drinking in an area other than designated break area while preparing/handling food or contacting clean food contact surfaces.
Non-critical: Unwrapped single-service items were provided at the consumer self-service counter.
Non-critical: Observed that the following is in need of cleaning: air vent in the kitchen.

Domino’s Pizza
5960 Kingstowne Towne Center
Date of inspection: Feb. 1
Non-critical: Pizza boxes stored in toilet rooms.

McDonald’s (at Kingstowne Walmart)
5800 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Feb. 1
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the wet wiping bucket with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with the following potentially hazardous food item(s): liquid eggs and American cheese on counter.
Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: 4dr upright cooler and 2dr upright cooler in the back storage area.
Non-critical: Food storage under other sources of contamination: crates of bread stored in the dining area and not in full view of employees.
Non-critical: Observed that the following is not maintained in good repair: 4dr cooler in the back storage area does not have any light.

Stone Hot Pizza
7578B Telegraph Rd
Date of inspection: Feb. 1
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge failed to state the minimum cook temperatures and times for potentially hazardous food(s): chicken.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Open drinking containers stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils: open coffee cup at food prep table.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food.
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the 3-vat sink and in wet wiping towel bucket with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine. Facility did not have any sanitizing chemical. Employee purchased chlorine to make sanitizing solution.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The food-contact surfaces of some equipment were not observed sanitized.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were not reheated for hot holding within a sufficient time of two hours or less.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor: pizza sauce, chips.
Non-critical: Clean plastic knives were observed stored with the food-contact surface facing upward.
Non-critical: The clothes (washer/dryer) is in the kitchen, across from prep table where it is exposed to contamination.
Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surface of the following equipment is not designed or constructed to be easily cleanable: aluminum foil and cardboard used to line shelves.
Non-critical: Water well is not operating properly and is unable to maintain hot food at or below 135 degrees even at maximum setting.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): A cutting board was heavily scratched and scored. The food contact surface is no longer easily cleaned and sanitized due to condition - discarded.
Non-critical: Observed that some areas are not maintained in good repair.
Non-critical: Observed that the following are in need of cleaning: walls, floor, piping, outside of equipments and shelvings.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the only handsink in the kitchen being used for cloth washing machine waste water tube plugged into the sink drain.

Subway
5810 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Feb. 1
Critical (corrected during inspection): There is no Certified Food Manager present at the beginning of the inspection.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge failed to state the required temperatures and holding times for the potentially hazardous food items when (1) in refrigerated storage and (2) in hot holding.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is commercially processed is not used or discarded within 24 hours of when the original container was opened and is not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink by 3-vat sink being used as dumping station.
Non-critical: Faucet at 3-vat sink is leaking.

Portales Restaurant
6148 Franconia Road
Date of inspection: Jan. 31
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical: When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the dish machine with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized: Manager did not have sanitizing chemical to set up three compartment sink. Manager purchased chlorine chemical and EHS provided training on how to set up three compartment sink.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked: cooked rice, marinara sauce, chicken soup in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name: three spray bottles of cleaners.
Non-critical: Harborage conditions exist: excess and broken equipments in storage rooms.
Non-critical: Openings to the exterior of the building are present along the backdoor.
Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surface of the following equipment is not corrosion resistant, nonabsorbent, and/or smooth: wooden table in kitchen that is not easily cleanable. Ducktape on chest freezer lid.
Non-critical: The following refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41°F: 2dr prep cooler.
Non-critical: Three light bulb(s) in the equipment storage area are not covered by a protective shielding.

Bonefish Grill
5920 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Jan. 30
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service: cans of chickpeas and artichoke - pulled out.
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in two wet wiping towel buckets with a concentration of less than 150 ppm total quaternary ammonium compound.
Critical: The following raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu without proper disclosure: Seared ahi "Tokyo" style on menu - manager will hand correct.
Critical: Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests: 2 pest spray cans - discarded.
Non-critical: Observed the following food thawing using an improper method: thawing frozen seafood in sink.
Non-critical: Harborage conditions exist: in water heater closet.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than 6 inches off the floor: bread crumbs in walk-in freezer.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink by grill and back prep area being used to hold dirty dishes and towels.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink: by grill, by dish machine, at bar.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees: hand sinks next to grill, next to dish machine, next to soda machine, 2 at bar, 2 bathrooms.

McDonald’s
7580 Telegraph Rd
Date of inspection: Jan. 30
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his or her hands after entering kitchen area from outside and before handling food equipments at 3-vat sink.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) is observed to be unsound or adulterated: 4 bags of buns had expired dates of 1/29/13 and 1/25/13 - discarded.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: observed box of open raw eggs over orange juice in 4dr upright cooler - right.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with the following potentially hazardous food item(s): open liquid egg on counter, two broken digital timers for cooked eggs on hot tray were missing time stamp - manual time stamps were placed.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Single-use gloves saved for reuse by food employees: observed used blue gloves left on equipment - discarded.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged: 1dr prep cooler in front and 1dr prep cooler at cookline.