Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Food Package 'Chewed by Pests'

Every wonder how clean your local restaurants are? 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 note 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 restaurants so far in December. Among these violations was a food package chewed by pests at RedRocks Pizza Napoletana. This violation was corrected during the inspection. Meanwhile six restaurants received perfect inspection scores.

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: 111 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 6

violations: Improper storage of wet wiping cloths: Wiping cloths were stored inside sanitizer measured at 0ppm chlorine concentration, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: sliced tomatoes (45-46°F), deli turkey (45°F), and tomato sauce (51°F) stored inside the sandwich prep unit; fried chicken (46-47°F), deli ham (47°F), deli turkey (46°F), and raw chicken (47°F) stored inside the upstairs walk-in cooler, food is not used within 24 hours after opening the commercial package and is not properly dated for disposition within 7 days at 41°F: shredded cheese stored in the downstairs walk-in; deli ham, deli turkey, and deli cheeses stored inside the upstairs walk-in, working containers of freon are not properly labeled (all corrected), 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): blanched french fries, certified food manager could not provide a food temperature measuring device, refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less: the sandwich prep unit and the upstairs walk-in cooler, door gaskets of the following unit are damaged: reach-in beer cooler, no covered refuse container for the disposal of feminine napkins in the ladies room stall, ceiling tiles in the upstairs prep area and the walls in both the upstairs and downstairs prep areas are not maintained in good repair, walls and ceilings in the downstairs prep area are in need of cleaning

Caphe Banh Mi: 407 Cameron St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 3

violations: The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: deli slicer was visibly dirty with food debris under and around the blade (corrected), nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: big exhaust fan in the kitchen, fan and shelves in the 2 door upright unit, wall next to fryers, floor tiles in the kitchen and under the grill area are not maintained in good repair

CAVA: 3525 C Jefferson Davis Hwy., Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: Dec. 5

violations: Person in charge has a food manager certification from an accredited program, but does not have the Northern VA Certified Food Protection Manager certificate, no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions, two spray bottles on shelf in back were not labeled (corrected)

Ginger Beef: 430 N. Pitt St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: Unwrapped or uncovered food in the following location where the food is subject to contamination: walk in cooler, low boy freezer, prep refrigerator, observed bowls being used to scoop cooked chicken rather than a utensil with handle, wet wiping cloths stored on prep table, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: -Exterior of fryer -Exterior of grill -Handsink -Container below hand sink -Shelves in walk in cooler -Fan in walk in cooler -Cornstarch and flour containers -Microwave (interior and exterior), equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: vegetable slicer and knives (corrected)

Hen Quarter: 801 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: Inside of ice machine downstairs is soiled with black-like substance

Live Oak Restaurant: 1603 Commonwealth Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Dec. 3

violations: Observed brines and stock cooling in prep sink in deep containers, and ice was below the level of the liquid, outdoor food preparation area around the smoker is in need of cleaning, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Brisket holding on countertop at 48F (corrected)

Namaste: 1504 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 3

violations: Observed an employee entering the kitchen, and began putting on gloves to assist with food prep, observed that foods cooling were tightly covered by cling wrap, or cooling in the serve top of prep tables, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Tandoori chicken on the buffet (121F), food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Heavy Cream stored on cookline (67F), paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink (all corrected), observed that surfaces touched often, like equipment handles, and shelving under prep areas were soiled with food debris

Nando's Peri Peri: 702 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: Water from the handwashing sink in the upstairs men's bathroom was measured at a temperature less than 100°F (corrected)

Noodle Box: 602 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: Observed that raw chicken was stored over cooked chicken in glass reach in cooler, methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate cooling of the product from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours: Observed that cooked chicken was cooked in large containers or bags and tightly covered, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: beef, shrimp, bean sprouts, ambient temperature above 45°F in the refrigeration unit holding raw shells eggs. Prep Table holding at 49F-50F, a distinct, separate water rinse after washing and before sanitizing of utensils and equipment was not observed, food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized: Observed that blender washed in handsink had been placed on drying rack in kitchen, observed employee washing blender in handsink, paper towels were not provided at back handwashing sink (all corrected), no Northern Virginia Certified Food Protection Manager on duty during hours of operation

&pizza: 3525 B Jefferson Davis Hwy., Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: Dec. 5

violations: Observed bags of marinara sauce thawing in cold water bath with no running water, no soap provided at back handwashing sinks (both corrected), observed ice chute on the soda machine to be soiled

RedRocks Pizza Napoletana: 904 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 10

violations: During start of inspection observed that several employees were handling personal items (phones), changing tasks, touching their face without washing hands, food item(s) is (are) observed to be unsound or adulterated: Observed package of pasta that has been chewed by pests, observed raw chicken stored over sauces in walk in cooler, trays of raw beef observed stored over cooked sausages in walk in cooler, observed slicer heavily soiled with raw food debris on underside of blade and guards, hand soap was not provided at each handwashing sink, paper towels were not provided at the kitchen handwashing sink, Quaternary ammonium concentration in wiping cloth buckets used to clean slicer exceeded 500ppm (all corrected), person in charge is not monitoring hand washing procedures, employees need training in separation of raw and ready to eat foods, discarding datemarked foods, discarding adulterated product, raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu, menu board, table tent or brochure without proper disclosure: Observed that Caesar salad dressing (made with unpasteurized shell eggs) is not indicated on the lunch menu, Salmon Toasts are not indicated on the dinner menu

No Violations

Bread & Water Company: 105 N. Union St, Alexandria, VA 22314, Dec. 10

violations: none

The Majestic: 911 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 12

violations: none

Meggrolls: 107 N Fayette St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 13

violations: none

Society Fair: 277 S. Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: none

Subway: 1512 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: Dec. 11

violations: none

Wing Zone: 4110 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: Dec. 13

violations: none

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