Restaurant Inspections: 3 Restaurants Rack Up 11 Critical Violations

During the last few weeks of May, 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.

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Aditi Indian Dining

5926 Kingstowne Towne Center

Date of inspection: May 28

Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed handling the following ready-to-eat food using their bare hands. Discarded during inspections.

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): Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination.

Critical (corrected during inspection): Chemical sanitizer immersion time was not adequate for 3-vat quartenary ammonium sanitizing solution. Employee was not performing sanitizing step during dish washing.

Critical: 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 with a concentration of 500 ppm total quaternary ammonium compound.

Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were found hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

Non-critical: The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: various flours and sugar bins.

Non-critical: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: plates used to scoop foods in walk-in cooler.

Non-critical: Manufacturer containers were observed reused for the storage of tea bags.

Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink.

Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that hand soap was not provided at each handwashing sink.

Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Water from the handwashing sink by cookline was measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees. Hot water faucet is broken and no hot water is available at this hand sink.

Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following 3-vat sink is damaged and not able to hold sanitizer water in the sink.

Non-critical: There is no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions.

Non-critical: Observed that the following are in need of cleaning: walls and ceilings, vents.

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Sweet Frog

8418 Old Keene Mill Road

Date of inspection: May 28

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.

Non-critical: Manufacturer containers for Jelly beans were observed reused for the storage of chocolate sauce.

Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Outside refuse container was uncovered.

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Romano's Macaroni Grill

5925 Kingstowne Towne Center

Date of inspection: May 24

Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were found hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

Critical: An air gap between the water supply outlet and the flood rim level mop sink is not observed.

Non-critical: Outside refuse container was uncovered.

Non-critical: At the time of the inspection, it was observed that a change of ownership has taken place at the food establishment. The current operator does not have a valid permit to operate.