Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Eateries With Dozen Violations

After the Virginia Department of Health transitioned to a new online database, restaurant inspections are back. City of Alexandria 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 Alexandria restaurants in recent weeks, including several restaurants with a dozen or more violations: Fish Market, Ho’s Chinese Carry-Out and Tequila & Taco. One of the violations at Ho’s Chinese Carry-Out was mouse droppings. Inspectors reported that some violations at Fish Market were corrected during the inspection.

In addition, 12 restaurants had no violations reported. Click on each restaurant for full results. Full reports are usually available five to seven days after the inspection on the health department's website.

Violations

California Tortilla (King): 3672 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302

Last inspection: Jan. 28

Violations: Observed that hand soap was not provided at the handwashing sink at the front counter and in the dish area, paper towels were not provided at kitchen hand sink at the front counter, Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination as follows Pan of raw chicken observed in the drawer above sirloin steaks on the cook line grill cooler drawers, employee jacket and purse observed stored on top of rice bin in the prep area. Employee shoes observed on top of the bag in the box in dry storage area (all corrected), build-up observed to the interior walls of the ice machine and deflector panel and observed in the interior chute of the ice dispenser to the Freestyle machine, no temperature measuring device located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: front counter drawer and prep cooler with cold top, unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: rice, beans, Cajun seasoning, salt shaker, olive oil dressing, Carribean mango sauce, Bbq sauce, bottom portion of the can opener observed in the trash can in the prep area, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: door handles to the reach-in coolers on the cook line

Chez Hareg Cafe: 5245 Duke St Alexandria, Virginia 22304

Last inspection: Jan. 31

Violations: Observed raw beef next to and over flour in the walk in cooler; the following food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Observed milk held at 43 F and half n half (43 F) in the 2 door Beverage Air cooler; certified food protection manager could not provide a food temperature measuring device; wiping cloths improperly stored between use (all corrected); person in charge has a food manager certification from an accredited program, but does not have the Northern VA Certified Food Protection Manager certificate (photo ID card); water from the front handwashing sink was measured at a temperature less than 100°F; the following mechanical refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less: 2 door Beverage Air (43 F)

Fish Market: 105 King St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Jan. 23

Violations: handwashing station at the shucking bar is used to store utensils, paper towels were not provided at shucking bar and bar handwashing sink, hand soap was not provided at the bar handwashing sink, container of mussels, and Oysters on display were stored without shellfish tags attached or stored in the display, Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: Raw Chicken and Raw Shrimp stored over cooked pasta noodles, Cooked Seared Tuna Stored in Container on top of Raw Shrimp, observed spoons stored at soup station were soiled with food residues, the following potentially hazardous foods were not cooled from 135°F to 41°F within a total of 6 hours: Cooked Vegetables (60°F), Grits (90°F) prepared at about 11AM, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Steamed Shrimp, Raw Shrimp in Prep Table at Shucking bar, Buttermilk, Chicken Breast, Hard Boiled Eggs, Lettuce in 2 door cooler, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food being held for more than the specified time/temperature allowed: Observed Jambalaya Prepared 1/10/2020, and Chili prepared on 1/13/2020 stored in the 2nd walk in cooler (all corrected), employees are unfamiliar with the proper procedures to display, store and maintain recordkeeping for oysters and shellfish, proper procedures for cooling, and cooling methods for potentially hazardous foods, monitoring cold holding of potentially hazardous foods and refrigeration equipment, and ensuring that foods are stored in a manner that prevents cross contamination of ready to eat foods, and allergen contamination, date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or labels maintained in the records, tags for the molluscan shellfish are not being retained for 90 days, containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name, observed vacuum packaged fish stored under refrigeration in Walk in Cooler, spoons at soup stations, wait stations, were found handled, displayed or dispensed with the food or lip-contact surface facing upward, 2 door refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less

Fontaine Caffe and Creperie (Fontaine Caffe, Inc.): 119 S. Royal St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Feb. 3

Violations: The following food item was measured at an improper temperature: raw shelled eggs found next to the fryer, observed the following ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food being held for more than the specified time/temperature allowed: Tuscan blend (cooked veggies/meat) with a make date of 1/23/20, improper use of wet wiping cloths for the following activity: Wet wiping cloths stored on prep tables (all corrected)

Ho’s Chinese Carry-Out: 1707 Centre Plz Alexandria, VA 22302

Last inspection: Feb. 3

Violations: PIC and employees are not aware of the symptoms or foodborne illness that are required to be reported; food establishment has not established written procedures for cleaning up vomiting or diarrheal events that happen in the facility; employee's tea was placed on the cutting board used to prep food on the prep table; handwashing facility located in the kitchen is blocked by a storage bin infront of it, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing; shell eggs observed on the top shelf of the WIC above vegetables; quipment food-contact surfaces were observed soiled to sight and touch: the table top can opener; wontons, cabbage, chicken, spring rolls, and eggs rolls, for which time rather than temperature is being used as a control was not labeled or otherwise marked with a 4 hour cook, serve or discard by time; shrimp observed thawing at room temperature; mouse droppings observed on the empty MSG container and along, under shelves and the floor wall junction; single-service cans were observed reused for the storage of sauces; unsealed wood is being used as a storage rack; nonfood contact surface of the flour bins and rice bins had accumulations of grime and debris; equipment that is not being used for operation of the facility is being stored under the prep tables

Huascaran: 3606 Mt. Vernon Ave Alexandria, VA 22305

Last inspection: Feb. 5

Violations: Observed raw chicken stored next to beef tripe and over creme of chicken, observed raw chicken stored over raw fish inside the 2-Door True Reach-In, cooked creme of chicken, cooked potatoes with pork, cooked beef tripe, and other cooked foods are not properly date marked for disposition, observed wet wiping cloths stored on counter tops and stove handles

Italian Gourmet Market & Deli: 500 John Carlyle St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Jan. 28

Violations: Cooked onions on stove burners hot holding at improper temperatures

Joe Theismann’s Restaurant: 1800 Diagonal Rd Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Jan. 28

Violations: Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures in shallow ice baths: Cooked potatoes (44°F), cooked greens (46°F), and cut tomatoes (45°F), prepared ready-to-eat TCS food items were prepared more than 7 days ago: Chili sauce (1/18/20), steak sauce (1/17/20), aioli (1/20/20), salsa (1/9/20), caesar dressing (1/19/20), and aioli (1/3/20)

Sweetgreen: 823 King St Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Last inspection: Jan. 27

Violations: Observed clean food containers stored beside the 3 compartment sink that were stacked while wet

Tequila & Taco: 540 John Carlyle St Alexandria, VA 22314

Last inspection: Feb. 6

Violations: Person in charge is not ensuring that employees are using proper methods to rapidly cool Time/Temperature Control for Safety foods; no records of freezing for parasite destruction are maintained for the following raw, raw marinated, partially cooked or marinated-partially cooked fish that are served or sold in ready-to-eat form: mahi-mahi, rock fish; quaternary ammonium compound sanitizing solution used was not at an acceptable concentration; potentially hazardous foods were not cooled from 135°F to 41°F within a total of 6 hours: queso and salsa; no consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: eggs, steak, raw fish; observed sanitizer spray bottle without common name; methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate cooling of the product from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours: ice bath without water not being used, large deep containers used to cool large quantities of food, ice not covering the entire bottom of container of food; observed improper methods used to thaw food: observed raw mahi mahi fish in vacuum packaging being thawed in the fridge; improper use of wet wiping cloths for the following activity: sanitizer solution too low in bucket; dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: observed utensils being stored in standing, room temperature water and ice scoop being stored on table top; floor tiles in front of Walk in cooler and ceiling tile above dishwasher observed in bad repair; mops are improperly stored between use

No Violations

AJ's Pizza & Cheesesteak: 5418 Duke St Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Jan. 29 (pre-opening)
Violations: none

Augie’s Mussel House & Patio: 1106 King St Alexandria, VA 22314
Last inspection: Feb. 13
Violations: none

Deli, News & More: 1406 King St Alexandria, VA 22314
Last inspection: Jan. 28
Violations: none

Hard Times Cafe: 1404 King St Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Last inspection: Feb. 6
Violations: none

Kiwi Kuisine: 4550 Eisenhower Ave Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Feb. 12
Violations: none

La Casa Restaurant: 4551 Duke St A Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Jan. 31
Violations: none

La Madeleine: 500 King St Alexandria, VA 22314
Last inspection: Feb. 12
Violations: none

Popeyes: 25 S. Pickett St Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Feb. 6
Violations: none

RedRocks: 904 King St Alexandria, VA 22314
Last inspection: Jan. 27
Violations: none

Sora Ethiopian Market, Cafe, & Carryout: 5145 Duke St C Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Feb. 6
Violations: none

Subway #23195: 4553 Duke St Alexandria, VA 22304
Last inspection: Jan. 31
Violations: none

Vocelli Pizza: 3406 Commonwealth Ave Alexandria, VA 22305
Last inspection: Jan. 29
Violations: none