Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Soiled Ice Chute

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 area restaurants, which includes restaurants that passed with no violations. Among these violations was a soiled ice chute at a Subway on Richmond Highway.

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

Cafe Old Town: 2111 Eisenhower Ave 10, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: April 2

violations: Food containers for cooling food are covered tightly, or are placed into the top of prep units (corrected), wet wiping cloths are stored on counter in between use, observed that interior of coolers, shelving near hot plates was unclean with food debris

Charlie's on the Avenue: 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: March 20

violations: No consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: observed sunny side eggs missing asterisks, equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: french fry cutter (both corrected), door gaskets of the following unit(s) are (missing, damaged): the 3 door reach in and the walk-in cooler glass doors

Daniel O'Connell's Restaurant: 112 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 28

violations: Observed that the following potentially hazardous foods were not cooled from 135°F to 41°F within a total of 6 hours: containers of mushroom soup, lamb soup and cooked beans were all above 41 F, food being held for more than the specified time/temperature allowed: white cream sauce (made 3/19/19) and linguini cream sauce (3/14/19), handwashing facility located at the end of the cookline is blocked, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing, several spray bottles throughout the kitchen and bars are not labeled (all corrected)

Evening Star Cafe: 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: March 21

violations: food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Observed rice, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cooked carrots held at temperatures above 41F (see food temperatures) (corrected), date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or label, 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): French fries held at room temperature, Several foods are packaged and prepared using a sous vide process, but the food establishment has not implemented a HACCP plan that outlines the procedure, handwashing station at the bar is being used as a dump station, staff were not able to provide the HACCP, or recent records for verification of CCPs for the foods prepared using a special process (ROP, & Sous Vide Procedures)

Faccia Luna Pizzeria: 823 S. Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: April 1

violations: Ice scoop handle at server station was touching ice, nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris: Interior of refrigerators/freezers, exterior of mixer, floor underneath shelves and equipment is in need of cleaning

Five Guys Burgers & Fries: 3525 A Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: March 28

violations: Food item prepared from ambient air temperature ingredients is not being adequately cooled to 41°F or less within 4 hours: sliced tomatoes and cut lettuce prepped at 9 am were above 41 F at 2:30 PM (corrected)

FujiSan Sushi: 3801 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: March 22

violations: Records demonstrating the monitoring of the critical control points are not being retained (corrected)

Ichiban Sushi House: 211 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: April 3

violations: Food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is being used as a control was not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: shrimp tempura on back shelf, clean equipment and carry-out containers were observed stored with the food-contact surface facing upward throughout facility (both corrected), areas of this food establishment had ceilings constructed of a material that was not smooth, nonabsorbent, and easily-cleanable: ceilings throughout kitchen observed with acoustic ceiling tiles that are not cleanable, toilet room door is not tight fitting and/or provided with a self- closing door

Kaizen Tavern: 1909 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: March 21

violations: During inspection observed employees coming into the kitchen from outside, and staff proceeded to put on gloves before washing hands, observed eggs stored above sauces in glass cooler, observed packaged raw chicken, packaged ground beef, and portions of pork stored in the same pan in the refrigerator, observed that fish is thawed under ROP, and is not opened before or immediately after thawing, following methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate cooling of the product from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours: Overall, items are placed on the tops of prep tables, or stored tightly covered to cool, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: Cooked onions held on counter at 64F, Observed ground beef and sliced beef stored in glass cooler in outdoor storage area: person in charge verified that it takes about 2 days to prepare and serve after cooking (all corrected)

La Madeleine: 500 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 20

violations: In-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: In-use utensils were stored in standing water at 80°F, cutting board along the prep refrigerator is heavily scratched and scored

Nasime: 1209 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 29

violations: Light bulb above the storage rack across the three compartment sink is not covered by a protective shielding

Old Town Sandwich Shop: 127 S. Peyton St 101, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: April 2

violations: Employee handling transactions with gloves on then going straight to food prep without changing gloves and washing hands, raw marinated chicken stored over RTE veggies, foods in 2 door upright unit, containers of food such as grits and rice that were cooling and were fully covered, food item(s) were measured at improper temperatures: boiled eggs prepared in the morning, being held with no temperature control-on the counter top (all corrected)

Sam Phao Thai Cuisine: 1019 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 26

violations: The person in charge failed to describe the primary symptoms of illnesses/diseases that are transmissible through food, food employees are not inspecting the food upon receipt to verify proper temperature and intact packaging, chef cracking raw eggs and continuing prep without changing soiled gloves and washing hands (all corrected), (cavity, door seal) of the microwave oven is observed soiled

Starbucks: 532 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 27

violations: Wet wiping cloth buckets improperly stored on the floor by the espresso machines (corrected)

St. Elmo's Coffee Pub: 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: April 5

violations: The following farm-raised fish served or sold in a ready-to-eat form without freezing for parasite destruction is not properly identified as such: smoked salmon offered on the menu, food items were measured at improper temperatures: ham quiche and spinach quiche at 46 F (corrected), no consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: smoked salmon

Subway: 3825 Richmond Hwy A, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: March 22

violations: Observed ice chute and surrounding areas of the ice chute on the soda machine to be soiled

Taquiera Poblano: 2400 Mt. Vernon Ave B, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: March 22

violations: Observed that the WIC floor tiles are deteriorating, the wall tiles behind the three compartment sink are coming off, and some sink caulking is coming off the wall

Vermilion: 1120 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 25

violations: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: utensils stored in warm water with sanitizer, food being held for more than the specified time/temperature allowed: artichoke dip made on 3/17/19 (both corrected), date on which the last shellstock from the container is sold or served was not recorded on the tag or label, improper use of wet wiping cloths for the following activity: towels stored in high concentration of quaternary ammonium (400+), refrigeration unit is not currently operating as required to cold hold food at a temperature of 41°F or less

No Violations

District Taco: 701 S. Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 20

violations: none

Jack's Place: 222 N. Lee St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 20

violations: none

Monterey's Pizza (pre-opening): 1000 N Fayette St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 26

violations: none

Old Town Deli: 109 N. Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 28

violations: none

Popeyes: 3402 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: April 5

violations: none

The Warehouse Bar & Grill: 214 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314, last inspection: March 29

violations: none