VA Restaurant Violations: Flies, Food On Floor, Fish At Wrong Temp

VIRGINIA — Some signs of a restaurant with problems are easy to spot: Weird smells, crawling insects or unkempt employees are all red flags. But sometimes the problem is harder to pin down, such as food stored at improper temperatures, unclean kitchen equipment, or insufficient handwashing.

Some recent restaurant inspections throughout Virginia uncovered insect infestations, soiled rice cookers, fly bait over a food area, food stored on a floor, fish and chicken kept at the wrong temperature, and more. One restaurant had 15 violations.

Then there are commercial kitchens that are immaculately clean, surpass all safety standards and serve up delicious food.

"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.

Restaurants are routinely inspected at least once per year, although more frequent inspections may be warranted depending on the risk level of food processes and the restaurant's history of compliance.

Do you know how clean your favorite coffee shop, go-to restaurant or school kitchen is? Look through these recent food safety inspections from around Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg, courtesy of Patch.

• Grime In Rice Cooker, Pest Spray: Manassas Restaurant Inspections
• Asterix On Menu Near Buttermilk Pancakes, Not Animal-Derived Food
• 15 Violations At 1 Eatery: Manassas Restaurant Inspections
• Guacamole, Chicken Kept At Wrong Temperatures Discarded: Inspections
• Fresh Fish Kept Improperly At Fredericksburg Restaurant: Inspections
• Woodbridge Restaurant Inspections: Improper Pesticide, Undated Foods
• No Written Plans For Cleaning Up Vomiting, Diarrheal Events: Inspector
• Vienna Restaurant Inspections: Food Stored On Floor, Uncovered Food
• Manassas Restaurant Inspections: Fruit Fly Concern, More Violations
• No Covered Receptacle In Women's Bathroom At 2 Fredericksburg Eateries