Rodent Droppings, Flying Insects, Mildew: NoVA, Fredericksburg Restaurants Cited

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 rodent droppings, employees not washing hands, soiled ice machines and flying insects. One restaurant even had 23 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.

• Alexandria Restaurant Inspections: Up To 10 Violations At Eateries
• Undated Food, Soiled Equipment: Vienna Restaurant Inspections
• Tikki Masala Kept Too Cold At One Arlington Restaurant: Inspection
• 23 Violations Found At This Fredericksburg Restaurant: Inspections
• Manassas Restaurant Inspections: No Handwashing, Dirty Ice Machine
• Rodent Droppings, Mildew: Ashburn, Sterling Restaurant Inspections