Restaurant Inspections: McDonalds, Amphora Diner

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.

In Vienna, inspectors from the Virginia Department of Health 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.

• Learn more about the differences between critical and a non-critical violations here, as well as the differences between types of inspections.

"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."

The following restaurants in Vienna were most recently inspected by the Virginia Department of Health. The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

How this works: Click on the links to get the detailed report of inspection violations for each restaurant listed below.

McDonald's, 544 Maple Ave W

Full report here

• Number of critical violations: 3
• Number of non-critical violations: 2

Critical violations included:

Corrected During Inspection Critical The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: Liquid egg product and sliced canadian bacon on counter on (not within) container of ice, sliced cheese and other PHF foods in Bev Air 2 dr undercounter cooler. NOTE: PIC voluntarily disposed of food of canadian bacon and liquid egg product, and relocated other foods to another cooler after determing they had been out of temperature < 30 minutes.
Potentially hazardous foods (time/temperature control for safety food) shall be held cold at a temperature of 41°F or below unless the permit holder is using "time as public health control" as specified under 3-501.19 to limit bacteria growth.

Corrected During Inspection Critical The following 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: sliced Canadian bacon and liquid egg product on ice container on counter, identified by PIC as under TPHC, but had no label stating time entered TPHC/discard time. Canadian bacon in over counter hot hold unit available for service after TPHC timer had expired. NOTE: Affected food was voluntarily disposed by PIC
If time only, rather than time in accordance with temperature control, up to a maximum of 4 hours, is used as the public health control the food shall: 1) have an initial temperature of 41°F or less if removed from cold holding temperature OR 135°F or above if removed from hot holding temperature control, 2) be 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, 3) be cooked and served if ready-to-eat, or discarded within 4 hours from the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control, and 4) be discarded if unmarked or marked to exceed a 4 hour limit.

Amphora Diner

Full report here.

• Number of critical violations: 2
• Number of non-critical violations: 5

Critical violations included:

Corrected During Inspection Critical Repeat The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cooked rice in small WI cooler kitchen, cooked spaghetti in large walk in cooler (2 pans); Sliced American and Swiss cheese in 1 dr upright cooler cookline; sliced tomatoes in 2 dr prep cooler top cookline. NOTE: PIC disposed of rice and spaghetti; cheese and sliced tomato were relocated to another cooler.
Potentially hazardous foods (time/temperature control for safety food) shall be held cold at a temperature of 41°F or below unless the permit holder is using "time as public health control" as specified under 3-501.19 to limit bacteria growth.