Restaurant Inspections: Springfield Restaurants Cited for Critical Violations

During the past few weeks, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Springfield 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.

1320 Club II
7039 Brookfield Plz
Date of inspection: Oct. 17
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: sliced ham, raw chicken, coleslaw, pico de gallo.

Chopsticks Express
7553 Huntsman Blvd.
Date of inspection: Oct. 17
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following food item(s) from damaged packaging were found offered for sale or service: 4 cans of dented bamboo shoots on shelf along with non-dented cans.
Critical (corrected during inspection): The following cooked potentially hazardous foods are not being adequately cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within 2 hours Duck cooling for 2 hours in the duck oven observed at 108 degrees.

Outback Steak House
6651-A Backlick Rd.
Date of inspection: Oct. 17
Critical: The following equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: knives and food storage containers.
Critical: The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cooked pasta and cooked rice inside of walk-in cooler, cooked roast inside of 2dr Traulsen upright unit
Non-critical: Absence of no-smoking signs or international no-smoking signs in non-smoking area.