Restaurant Inspections: Franconia Pizza and Sampan Cafe

From Feb. 7-21 , the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Kingstowne and Rose Hill areas. 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.

Sampan Cafe
6116 Franconia Rd.
Date of inspection: Feb. 12
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his or her hands before engaging in food preparation, after touching bare human body parts, after coughing, sneezing, eating, after handling soiled utensils, or after engaging in any activity that could contaminate the hands: after cleaning and before putting on gloves to perform food prep.
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed handling cooked, ready-to-eat pork using their bare hands. The food items were discarded.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination as follows: raw beef over raw fish in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw shrimp over tofu, raw chicken over lotus root, raw egg over bok choy in 2dr prep cooler by wok and raw chicken over beets in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The food-contact surfaces of the following equipment were not observed sanitized: facility was not performing equipments that were being hand washed. No sanitizing was being done on prep tables.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: pot, knives and meat hooks.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name: two spray bottles.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests: bug spray at cookline. Manager discarded during inspection.
Critical: Methods are not being used to control pests: rodent activity observed.
Critical: Observed live animals on the premises of the establishment: observed squirrel in dry storage.
Non-critical: The cutting board(s) along the cookline are heavily scratched and scored. The food contact surface is no longer easily cleaned and sanitized due to condition.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged: 2dr prep cooler.
Non-critical: Observed that following are in need of cleaning: outside and inside of equipments, gaskets, shelvings, outside of storage bins, food debris and mice droppings in storage area.
Non-critical: Light bulbs in the following locations are not covered by a protective shielding: in dry storage and in 2dr upright freezer in backroom.
Non-critical: Observed that following are not in good repair: two missing filters under hood.
Non-critical: Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.
Non-critical: The following food items that are not easily identified by appearance were observed without a label: flours and sugars.
Non-critical: Exterior roof of the food establishment is not protecting the establishment from insects, rodents, or other animals.
Non-critical: Openings to the exterior of the building are present along the back door: screen door being used is torn.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed cleaning their hands in three compartment sink.

Starbucks at Giant
5870 Kingstowne Boulevard
Date of inspection: Feb. 12
No violations were found during the inspection.

Franconia Pizza
6112 Franconia Rd
Date of inspection: Feb. 8
Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following units are damaged: gasket is damaged and a gap showing at walk-in cooler door.