Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: 18 Violations, Roach Violation

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The latest restaurant inspections are posted up to Oct. 20, and there's a mix of restaurants with violations and no violations.

The Alexandria Health Department's environmental health specialist regularly inspects restaurants and other food service establishments around the city. Each food service establishment gets at least one inspection per year, but the frequency of inspections is based on the type of food prepared and how it is prepared, according to the Virginia Department of Health inspection database. Inspections may be routine visits, follow-up inspections, training inspections, pre-opening inspections, or risk assessment or complaint inspections.

Reports are typically available a week after the inspection. Residents can search for a specific restaurant or browse a map of inspected locations through the online database.

Below are the most recent reports for restaurants around Alexandria. Notable results include 18 violations at the Crafty Crab, which will result in a follow-up inspection. There were also 10 violations at Marcela's Bakery, including dead roaches. The violation was corrected, but a follow-up inspection was scheduled due to other violations.

Click on each link to see the full report for the restaurant.

Buzz Bakeshop: 901 Slaters Ln Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (routine)

Violations: No violations found.

Barca Pier & Wine Bar: 2 Pioneer Mill Way Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (training)

Violations: No violations found.

Historic Gadsby's Tavern: 138 N. Royal St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (risk factor)

Violations: No certified food protection manager present to supervise; water temperature in the manifold servicing the high temperature warewashing machine was below the minimum allowable level of 180ºF; Observed mashed potatoes in the walk-in cooler at 48 F.

Pho 95: 265 S. Van Dorn St Alexandria, VA 22304

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (follow-up)

Violations: No violations found.

Myron Mixon's Pitmaster Barbeque: 220 N. Lee St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (routine)

Violations: Foods cold holding at improper temperatures: Beans (48°F), mac and cheese (48°F), potato salad (60°F) from yesterday in WIC 1. Pulled chicken (48°F), chicken wings (45°F) from yesterday in WIC 2, Stew (53°F) from this morning; container of beans in the WIC in bulk storage and covered at 153°F, observed many gnats in the facility, harborage conditions exist, knives stored between prep units.

Crafty Crab: 5770 Dow Ave. Alexandria, VA 22304

Last inspection: Oct. 20 (routine)

Violations: Employees are not properly trained in food safety as it relates to their assigned duties; food establishment has not established written procedures for cleaning up vomiting or diarrheal events that happen in the facility; open employee drink stored in the reach-in cooler above food sold to the public; food employee was observed cleaning their hands in a food preparation sink or a sink used for utensil washing; employee observed peeling hardboiled eggs with bare hands; food item(s) from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service: dented can in prep area; raw chicken observed over raw seafood in the walk-in cooler, container of raw oysters (served raw) stored below raw proteins in the reach-in cooler on the cookline; observed eggs, potatoes, and corn not being adequately cooled to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria; cooked potatoes (76°F and 98°F) cold holding at improper temperatures; cooked eggs, cooked seafood, cooked chicken observed in the walk-in cooler observed not properly date marked; spray bottle of sanitizer in the dish area was not properly labeled; corn, potatoes and eggs observed cooling in deep plastic containers and covered while in the process of cooling; no label observed to the bulk container and working container of flour and corn meal on the cook line; multiple cases of food product observed on the floor in both walk-in freezers; ice scoops observed touching ice in the server station ice bin. Ice buckets observed stored face up, tongs observed stored on the fire suppression system, scoops observed touching product in the bulk seasoning containers; blade to the lemon wedger observed bent and no longer in good condition; no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions; hose observed in the basin of the mop sink.

Marcelas Bakery: 3856 Mt. Vernon Ave Alexandria, VA 22305

Last inspection: Oct. 19 (routine)

Violations: Person in Charge is not ensuring that employees are: -using proper methods to rapidly cool time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods that are not held hot or are not for consumption within 4 hours, -properly maintaining the temperatures of TCS foods during cold holding through daily oversight; unwrapped or uncovered raw beef and slaw stored in the sliding glass door reach-in cooler; chlorine sanitizing solution used at the 3-compartment sink was measured at 0ppm; foods cold holding at improper temperatures: rice (50), slaw (53), diced tomatoes (50), milk (61), raw chicken (45-48), heavy cream (54), raw fish (54), cooked yucca (51), shredded chicken (52), steak (48), cut lettuce (51), and queso cheese (48) stored inside the sliding glass door reach-in cooler and the hot dogs (42-46); rice, slaw, diced tomatoes, cooked yucca, shredded chicken, cut lettuce, and queso cheese stored inside the sliding glass door reach-in cooler are not labeled with a "consume by/disposition" date; methods used for cooling were not adequate and food containers for cooling food are arranged so as not allow for maximum heat transfer; dead roaches found on a control device located on the floor, underneath the hand washing sink located in the main baking area; sliding glass door reach-in cooler was observed in a state of disrepair and damaged, not properly cold holding TCS foods at or below 41°F; accumulations of dust, dirt, food residue or other debris on the following non-food-contact surfaces: inside reach-in refrigerators and freezers, storage shelves inside the walk-in cooler, large baking equipment, and several storage shelves throughout the facility; floors, walls, and ceilings throughout the facility noted in need of cleaning.

Sam Phao Thai Cuisine: 1019 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 19 (routine)

Violations: Dish machine reading 0 ppm for chlorine; observed bulk cooked rice in the 2 door cooler at 64 deg F from yesterday.

Lori's Table: 1028 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 19 (routine)

Violations: No certified food protection manager to supervise the food establishment's food service employees; observed multiple items in the prep unit above the required cold holding temperature of 41 degree F or below. Chicken salad at 48, salmon at 52, cheese at 50; mechanical refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less: prep unit reading at 45 deg F.

McDonald's #20492: 1000 N. Henry St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 19 (routine)

Violations: No violations found.

La Madeleine: 500 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 19 (follow-up)

Violations: No violations found.

Fresh Baguette: 1101 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (risk factor)

Violations: No violations found.

Italian Place: 621 Wythe St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (routine)

Violations: Observed several foods cold holding at improper temperatures (above 41 F); 1 door glass upright (back) is cold-holding above 41 F.

McDonald's #5919: 3646 King St Alexandria, VA 22302

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (routine)

Violations: No violations found.

Chart House: 1 Cameron St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (routine and complaint investigation)

Violations: No violations related to complaint. After the restaurant received a complaint, an entire case of nuts was inspected, found to be contaminated and was destroyed. The person in charge said there were almond moth larvae, and the supplier was contacted about the potential contamination.

Don Taco: 808 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (follow-up)

Violations: No violations found.

Vaso's Mediterranean Bistro: 1118 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (follow-up)

Violations: No violations found.

Glory Days Grill: 3141 Duke St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (risk factor)

Violations: Handwashing station at the expo area is being used as a dump station; no disposable towels were provided a the hand washing lavatory in the expo area; Iice machine chute was observed with black build up; sour cream (45F) and three cheese blend (46F) cold holding at improper temperatures.

Los Cuates Restaurant: 1116 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Oct. 18 (follow-up)

Violations: No violations found.