Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Few Places With 12 Violations

City of Alexandria restaurants regularly undergo health inspections, with the frequency depending on the type of food served and how it is prepared. Some violations like malfunctioning refrigerators and food that's not warm or cold enough are common, but 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 Del Ray and Old Town Alexandria area restaurants in recent weeks, which includes restaurants that passed with no violations. Of note, Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar, Chart House, and Noodle Box had 12 or more violations. Chart House had a slimy build-up in ice machines, while Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant had drain flies. Some of these violations were corrected during the inspections.

Click on the violations to see each restaurant's results. Full reports are usually available five to seven days after the inspection on the health department's website.

Violations

Bugsy's Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar: 111 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 3

violations: The following food item(s) from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service: dented sauce can, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: cooked chicken (60-65 F) and blanched French fries (79 F) sitting out in room temperature for about 2 hours, in house made garlic butter (66 F), sliced tomatoes (39-48 F), AND shredded cheese (47 F) in 2 door prep cooler, meatballs (41-46 F) in 1 door prep cooler (pizza). Shredded lettuce (43-50 F) at the salad bar, cutting board at the bar is heavily scratched and scored, handwashing station at the front handsink is being used for purposes other than washing hands: used to fill up sanitizer containers, handwasing sign that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at the bar handsink (all corrected), wet wiping cloths sitting on top of cutting board on 1 door prep cooler, inadequate lighting was provided in the walk-in cooler downstairs, inadequate lighting was provided in the food preparation areas, wall next to the 2 door freezer upstairs is not maintained in good repair, bar handsink is not maintained in good repair, multiple drain flies throughout the facility, mops are not hung up to air dry

Catch on the Ave: 2419 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, Virginia 22301, last inspection: June 4

violations: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: 5 utensils at the bar in standing water at 68 F, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: rice (44-46 F) in the walk in cooler (right) AND mixed greens (49 F) and shredded lettuce (48 F), handwashing sign that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at the bar handsink (all corrected), date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or label

The Chart House: 1 Cameron St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 5

violations: Dish washer observed handling soiled dishes at the dish machine and began donning clean gloves to handle clean dishes without washing hands, dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: knives (2) on the cook line observed stored in-between the counter and side of the reach-in cooler unit where area is not properly cleaned frequently, foods were not cooled from 135°F to 41°F within a total of 6 hours: Crab soup (2) in the walk-in cooler observed prep the day before at 50°F and 53°F, Blanched broccoli at 54°F and cut cantelope at 51°F at the dining room salad bar were placed directly for service without cooling down to or below 41°F, methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate cooling of the product from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours: crab soup (2) in the walk-in cooler observed in deep tall containers with a lid, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Pantry reach-in cooler (left side): cole slaw 54°F, cooked shrimp 51°F/53°F, tuna 54°F Pantry reach-in cooler (right side): diced tomatoes 52°F, boiled eggs 55°F, grilled chicken 60°F Sheet tray on cart by dessert station: creme brulee 74°F/75°F 2 door reach-in cooler with cold top unit (front of the cook line): cooked pasta 62°F, tomato basil sauce 45°F 2 door reach-in cooler (under counter salad bar dining room): blue cheese 46°F, chickpea 44°F 1 door reach-in cooler (server station): milk 45°F Ice well (expo): cut tomato 71°F 2 door reach-in cooler with cold top unit (saute station): diced tomato 45°F, shredded cheese 47°F, coconut shrimp 45°F (all corrected), employees are not monitoring holding temperatures of time/temperature control for safety foods to ensure that they are properly held hot or cold, date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or label, pressure gauge on the supply line for the hot water sanitizing rinse of the warewashing machine is not (accurate/properly scaled), no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions for the Quaternary Ammonium, refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less: Pantry station reach-in coolers (left and right), 2 door reach-in cooler with cold top unit (front of the cook line), 2 door reach-in cooler, observed slimy-black build-up in the interior walls and panels of all ice machines, clean quart containers in the dish area were found stacked while wet after cleaning and chemical sanitization, towels and excessive food debris observed in the floor drain behind the salad bar

Del Ray Cafe: 205 E. Howell Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: May 29

violations: 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): Hollandaise sauce, butter (corrected)

Monterey's Pizza: 1000 N Fayette St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 5

violations: The following food item was measured at improper temperature: tomato sauce stored in room temperature (corrected), ice chute on the soda dispenser system is soiled

Noodle Box: 602 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: May 31

violations: Observed containers of eggs and raw chicken stored over produce in walk in cooler, wet wiping cloths stored in chlorine sanitizer solution in excess of 200ppm, foods were not cooled from 135°F to 70°F within a 2 hours: Observed boiled chicken cooling tightly covered in glass cooler at 82F, containers of cooling chicken are cooled tightly covered with plastic wrap, and fried tofu were cooled at room temperature, food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized: frying pans were washed and sanitized in solution with no measurable chlorine sanitizer, handwashing station at the 3 compartment sink is being used for purposes other than washing hands (all corrected), no Northern Virginia Certified Food Protection Manager on duty during hours of operation, person in charge is not ensuring that employees are not using proper methods to rapidly cool Time/Temperature Control for Safety foods, employees are not properly sanitizing cleaned multiuse equipment and utensils, employees are not properly trained on food safety as it relates to their duties, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: cooked noodles (48F), pork dumplings (51F), Spring Rolls (50F), Chicken (55F), Boiled Chicken (53F), Tofu (47F), raw shell eggs stored at room temperature, no consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: Soft Cooked egg in noodle dishes, unit(s) was overstocked and is not sufficient in number or capacity to meet the food storage demands of the establishment: Glass cooler

Pita House: 719 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: May 31

violations: The following food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Yogurt Mix, baba ghanouj in prep table cooler, food in the refrigeration unit is not used within 24 hours of preparation and is not properly dated for disposition within 7 days at 41°F: Cooked portions of ground beef, rice is generally used in 2 days, no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions (all corrected), food containers are not labeled with the contents of the food inside, wiping cloths are stored on countertop in between uses, nonfood contact surface of the food storage containers had accumulations of food residues and debris, walls and side of 2 door cooler by prep table, and floors in warewashing area, electrical closets and basement are in need of cleaning

Pork Barrel BBQ: 2312 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: May 30

violations: Cooling foods are placed into containers with lids or covered tightly with plastic wrap, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Salad (50F), Bleu Cheese (50F), Pasta Salad (48F), handwashing stations at the bar are being used as beverage dump stations (all corrected), sliced lemons offered for beverages are placed at drink station without a cover or lid, no dispensing utensils were found at the consumer self-service condiment bar for sliced lemons, reach in cooler was operating at 50F

No Violations

Ben & Jerry's: 103 S. Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: June 3

violations: none

IHOP: 3425 Richmond Hwy A, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 4

violations: none

Los Cuates Restaurant: 1116 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: May 30

violations: none

Marcela's Bakery: 3856 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: June 5

violations: none