Restaurant Inspections: Burger King and Pasara Thai

From Jan. 16-28, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Kingstowne area. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Burger King
5890 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Water from the handwashing sink by 3-vat sink was measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees. At three compartment sink, hot water was at 102 degrees. Maintenance fixed it during inspection. EHS confirmed hot water at 3-vat at 113 degrees.

Great Wall
6575 Frontier Drive
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The concentration of the chlorine solution was measured at 200+ ppm. This concentration exceeds the approved limits for use with food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils in a foodservice establishment.
Critical: A food employee was observed eating, smoking, or drinking in an area other than designated break area while preparing/handling food or contacting clean food contact surfaces.
Critical: The food-contact surfaces of the soup pots and spoons were not observed sanitized.
Critical: The slicer was observed soiled to sight and touch.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed bottles of medicines stored in such a way that they could contaminate equipment in the food prep area.
Non-critical: The handwashing facility located near the back door is blocked and used to store equipment, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing.
Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surfaces of some equipment were observed soiled with an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and/or other debris.
Non-critical: Absence of no-smoking signs or international no-smoking signs in non-smoking area.

Johnny Rockets
5900 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous foods that are prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Clean plastic spoons were observed stored with the food-contact surface facing upward and coffee filters were not stored covered.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of one of the units are damaged.
Non-critical: A refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41 degrees.
Non-critical: There is no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions.

Moby Dick House of Kabob
5900 Kingstowne Towne Center
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name: 2 spray bottles of cleaners.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.
Non-critical: Soda crates found used for to hold up bags of flour.

Osaka
6701-K Loisdale Rd
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his or her hands before engaging in food preparation, after engaging in handling and speaking on the cellphone.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed food employees using improper handwashing procedures by washing gloves to prep food.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some cooked potentially hazardous foods are not being adequately cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours.
Critical: The tags for the molluscan shellfish are not being retained for 90 days.
Non-critical: Water from the handwashing sink located by the three vat sink was measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees.
Non-critical: Observed the handsink at the sushi station and in the wait station being used as dumping stations.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Single-use gloves saved for reuse by food employees.
Non-critical: Methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate proper cooling.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter.
Non-critical: Food trays were found stacked while wet after cleaning and chemical sanitization.
Non-critical: Observed that the floor tiles located at the entrance of the kitchen and entrance of the sushi area are not maintained in good repair.
Non-critical: Absence of no-smoking signs or international no-smoking signs in non-smoking area.

Pasara Thai Restaurant
5926 Kingstowne Towne Ctr
Date of inspection: Jan. 28
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his or her hands before engaging in food preparation and before putting on gloves.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The food-contact surfaces of some equipment were not observed sanitized during hand washing process.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that poisonous and toxic materials are not properly stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens or single service items.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed the handsink by three compartment sink being used as a dumping station and at bar used to hold dirty dish.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that hand soap was not provided at each handwashing sink.
Non-critical: Food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor.
Non-critical: Manufacturer containers were observed reused for the storage of spices.
Non-critical: Clean plastic spoons and forks were observed stored with the food-contact surface facing upward.
Non-critical: Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.
Non-critical: Observed that lockers and personal storage facilities are not located to protect food, equipment, linens and/or single-service items from contamination.

Franconia Pizza
6112 Franconia Rd
Date of inspection: Jan. 25
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed raw shell eggs on counter - moved to prep top.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical: Light bulb(s) over cookline are not covered by a protective shielding.
Non-critical: Observed that tiles in kitchen area and the lights over the mop sink are missing.
Non-critical: A refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41 degrees.
Non-critical: Door gaskets of the walk-in cooler are damaged.

McDonald’s
5600 Franconia Rd
Date of inspection: Jan. 25
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the wet wiping cloth bucket with a concentration of 150 ppm total quaternary ammonium compound and in three compartment sanitizing vat with 500 ppm quaternary ammonium concentration.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with some potentially hazardous food items.
Non-critical: There was no temperature measuring device located in some cold or hot holding equipment.
Non-critical: Wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter.
Non-critical: Hand sink in the back is not able to obtain 100F hot water. Cold water is shut off.

Panera Bread
5926 Kingstowne Towne Ctr
Date of inspection: Jan. 18
No violations were found during the inspection.

Papa John’s Pizza
5860 Kingstowne Center
Date of inspection: Jan. 18
Critical (corrected during inspection): One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service.
Critical (corrected during inspection): When tested, the quaternary ammonium compound-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the 3-vat sink with a concentration of 100 ppm total quaternary ammonium compound.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is commercially processed is not used or discarded within 24 hours of when the original container was opened and is not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): There is no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions.