Route 1 Restaurant Inspections: Eatery's Violations Include Insects

HUNTINGTON, VA — With Fairfax County Health Department's restaurant inspection reports back online, we continue to look at reports in the Route 1 corridor.

The health department's environmental health staff inspect over 5,200 restaurants and other retail food service establishments in Fairfax County and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax to ensure safe food handling practices are followed. This includes proper sanitation, food storage and preparation, and adequate kitchen facilities. Aside from restaurants, staff inspect child care centers, hospitals, school cafeterias, and temporary food service vendors at festivals.
Until June 2022, food establishment inspection reports had been unavailable online since 2019 as the health department worked to launch a new online system.

Residents can search for a specific restaurant or browse a map of inspected locations through the online database.

The health department cautions residents that a single inspection should not be used to evaluate a restaurant. Pieter Sheehan, the Fairfax County environmental health director, says "it is important to look at multiple inspection reports for a facility to truly understand their approach and commitment to food safety and sanitation."

This week's report focuses on restaurants in Huntington, Groveton, Fort Hunt and Belle Haven through October and November. Click on each link to see the full report for the restaurant.

Bento Sushi: 1624 Belle View Blvd., Alexandria, Va 22307

Last inspection: Nov. 4

Violations: The person in charge is not able to provide written procedures for the use of time as a public health control with the following time/temperature control for safety food item(s): sushi rice at the prep station; food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is used as a control is not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: based on the facility’s procedures, the sushi rice needs to use time as a public health control until a HACCP plan is submitted and approved for acidification; facility has undergone a change of ownership and is participating in procedures of rice acidification for the sushi rice, but has not submitted a HACCP plan or variance application.

Hunan Manor Carryout: 1305 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, Va 22308

Last inspection: Nov. 28

Violations: The following refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked: multiple containers of beef egg rolls, orange beef, general Tso chicken in the walk in cooler, and fried chicken, beef eggrolls in the 2 Dr under counter cooler; food employee was observed cleaning their hands in the 3 compartment sink, instead of in the hand sink; food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is used as a control is not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time thatis 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: the chopped cabbage at the stir fry station.

Via Veneto: 1309 Shenandoah Rd., Alexandria, Va 22308

Last inspection: Nov. 9

Violations: The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: meat marinara sauce (52F) in the Economy 2 Dr upright cooler, and the lasagna (45F) in the Economy 2 Dr upright cooler by the stove; food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: meat marinara sauce (119F) and plain marinara sauce (121F) in the steam wells; methods used for cooling were not adequate to facilitate proper cooling: cooking very large amounts of meat sauce and cooling it in very deep pickle buckets in the cooler; raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu, menu board, table tent or brochure without a reminder statement: tiramisu; multiple recent shell stock tags without the dates that the last shell stock was sold or served; dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: the ice scoop in the ice machine was positioned with the handle below the level of the ice; food thawing using an improper method: raw frozen chicken sitting out on the countertop in the kitchen; EHS observed the presence of a few living insects throughout the kitchen and prep areas; build up of grease, dirt and possible mold (on the ceilings).

New China Taste: 5910 North Kings Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Oct. 4

Violations: Observed an ambient air temperature above 45F in the following manner: outside at the side of the cookline in ambient room air of 71 F; handsink at the front of the cookline being used to store a metal wok scraper and a fork; maintenance tools are not being stored in a way that prevents the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service items; nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: gaskets on the walk in refrigerator and walk in freezer; sides of bus tubs; and tops of bulk dry food shelving; food storage ( a bag of cashews) in toilet rooms; sink stoppers for the wash and sanitize basin are missing; insect control device is located over food prep area where dead insects may be impelled or fall.

Tippy's Taco House: 5912 North Kings Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Nov. 29

Violations: No violations found.

Sarku Japan Teriyaki: 6309 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22303

Last inspection: Oct. 31

Violations: No violations found.

Famous Dave's: 6630 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Nov. 14

Violations: No violations found.

Subway: 6678 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Nov. 3

Violations: The following food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: meatballs in the steam well (126F); food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device:chocolate milk (44F) in the drink display cooler.

Outback Steakhouse: 6804 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Nov. 30

Violations: Due to improper operation of the hot water, mechanical warewashing machine, the thermal dish plate only registered at 150F, indicating that food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are not being adequately sanitized; no heat sensitive test strip was available to verify heat sanitization step of mechanical warewashing machine; no temperature measuring devices located in the following cold or hot holding equipment: the Traulsen 2 Dr prep top cooler at bloom station and the Silver King 2 Drawer cooler; high temperature sanitizing dish machine in the kitchen was not functioning properly, and the thermal dish plate registered only at 150F; dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: multiple ice cream scoopers being held in a container of water that registered at 75F; refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41F: the Silver King 2 drawer cooler(45F); plumbing connections and pipes, under the hand washing sink near the cook line, are leaking onto the floor when the sink is turned on.

Chipotle Mexican Grill: 6770 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria, Va 22306

Last inspection: Nov. 9

Violations: No violations found.