Restaurant Inspections: Latest Health Department Reports

Alexandria Health Department officials inspected numerous restaurants in West End Alexandria in recent weeks. We all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation.

"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."

Full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

These are the most recent inspection reports available from the health department. Click on the restaurant name for more information on each. 

Dunkin Donuts #307263, 504 S. Van Dorn St., May 29

2 core items. See the full report here.

Fratelli Restaurant, 410 S. Van Dorn St., May 29

1 priority item (corrected during inspection), 1 priority foundation item. See the full report here.

Illusions Thai Cafe, 1472 N. Beauregard St., May 28

5 core items (2 corrected during inspection), 1 priority foundation item. Salad bar and buffet temporarily suspended. See the full report here.

7-Eleven #10725B, 4949 Seminary Road, May 22

1 core item, 1 priority item (corrected during inspection). See the full report here.

Noodles & Company #457, 1480 N. Beauregard St., May 20

No violations were found during the risk factor assessment inspection.

There are three main types of violations, according to the health department:

• A core item "usually relates to general sanitation, operational controls, sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), facilities or structures, equipment design, or general maintenance."
• A priority item is "a provision in this Code whose application contributes directly to the elimination, prevention or reduction to an acceptable level, hazards associated with foodborne illness or injury and there is no other provision that more directly controls the hazard," and "includes items with a quantifiable measure to show control of hazards such as cooking, reheating, cooling, handwashing."
• A priority foundation item "includes an item that requires the purposeful incorporation of specific actions, equipment or procedures by industry management to attain control of risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness or injury such as personnel training, infrastructure or necessary equipment, HACCP plans, documentation or record keeping, and labeling."