FALLS CHURCH, VA — With Fairfax County Health Department's restaurant inspection reports back online, we continue to look at reports in the Falls Church area.
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.
Food establishment inspection reports had been unavailable online since 2019 as the health department worked to launch a new online system. The new inspection report system is "a step forward in offering available public health and food safety data that will enable residents and visitors to stay informed," stated Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, director of the Fairfax County Health Department.
Inspection reports are typically available 30 business days after the inspection. 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 inspections center around the Lee Highway corridor west of Falls Church City. In the past few weeks, we looked at inspections on the south side of Broad Street and the north side of Broad Street in the City of Falls Church, the Idylwood/Pimmit Hills areas and Seven Corners area.
Jefferson Golf Course snacks: 7900 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Taqueria Cancun: 7810 G Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: The person in charge is not a certified food protection manager (certified food manager arrived during inspection)
La Estancia Churrasqueria: 7810 F Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: The handwashing facility located at the kitchen is blocked, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing, observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided or is not clearly visible at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.
Kariju: 7810 C Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: Food employee(s) was observed handling the following ready-to-eat foods using their bare hands: salad, raw animal food storage, preparation, holding or display conducted in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows:raw shell eggs stored over soda and raw chicken stored over fries in walk-in-cooler, no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions, grease trap is in need of cleaning (strong odor), Ventilation is not sufficient to keep rooms free of excessive heat (kitchen was at 79F), sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided or is not clearly visible at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.
North China Cafe: 7810 A Lee Hwy, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: Food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: cut cabbage, lettuce, beansprouts on countertop at ambient 66f; observed sweet sour chicken in metal bowl over top fill limit at unit #2, 52f.
Taco Baja Grill: 7716 Lee Hwy, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: Observed that the column by cookline/ hand sink is missing tiles and covered with foil and there are holes in the wall, openings to the exterior of the building are present along the back door.
Victor's Grill: 7634 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
El Tio Tex-Mex Grill: 7630 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Huqqa Lounge: 2828 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: Raw animal food storage, preparation, holding or display conducted in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw beef stored over cucumbers in WIC, food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: sausage at 45F, cooked onion 45F, cooked green peppers 46F, wet wiping cloths used for wiping counters and other equipment surfaces were observed stored on the counter, person in charge (PIC) has a valid certificate of successful completion of a Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam but does not possess the CFM card issued by ORS Interactive, Inc., refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41F: 3DR Advantco at 50F.
Original Pancake House: 7395 M Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Vocelli Pizza: 7395 J Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: 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: pizza sauce, garlic sauce, person in charge (PIC) has a valid certificate of successful completion of a Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam but does not possess the CFM card issued by ORS Interactive, Inc. (expired card).
Subway: 7393 C Lee Hwy, Falls Church, Va 22042
Fava Pot: 7393 D Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: The following food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: roast eggplant at 44F,hummus at 44F, meat pie at 48F, review of the menu with the food service operator indicates that there is no consumer advisory for the following food item(s) that may be served raw and/or undercooked: eggs, handwashing sinks are equipped with separate cold and hot water faucets rather than a mixing valve or combination faucet, person in charge (PIC) has a valid certificate of successful completion of a Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam but does not possess the CFM card issuedby ORS Interactive, Inc., refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41F: 2DR Beverage Air Prep (L) at 46F.
Sarita's Restaurant: 2794 Graham Road, Falls Church, Va 22042
Pho Sate: 2814 Graham Rd, Falls Church, Va 22042
Violations: Food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: at the top portion of anon-working prep cooler (Unit #2)(used for storage) observed small egg roll 62f and large egg roll 64f on two trays without any assistive cooling methods, observed raw beef45f, baby corn 45f, raw chicken 44f, cooked greens 45f at the top portion of unit #5 the 1 door prep cooler along the cookline, discussion of the cooling method for the leftover broth revealed that themanager places a bucket approximately 15 inches high of broth to cool at the end of the evening if there is leftover broth, food establishment does not have written procedures for employees to follow when responding to vomiting or diarrheal events, person in charge is not able to provide a verbal or written policy for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by an employee who has a disease or a medical condition, refrigeration unit is not operating properly and is unable to maintain cold food at or below 41F: Unit #5 the 1-door prep cooler along the cookline 50F, food thawing using an improper method: observed raw, unsealed fish in the back compartment sink thawing in stagnant water, food thawing using an improper method: observed raw, unsealed fish in the back compartment sink thawing in stagnant water.
Camba Cafe: 7177 Lee Hwy, Falls Church, Va 22046
Violations: The handwashing facility located at the 3 vat sink is blocked, preventing access by employees for easy handwashing, 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: pastries in front display, food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked: mashed yucca, chicken empanada filling, person in charge (PIC) has a valid certificate of successful completion of a Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam but does not possess the CFM card issuedby ORS Interactive, Inc. (card expired).
Wild Tacoz: 7167 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22046
Italian Cafe: 7161 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22046
Violations: Observed the sanitizing solution in the Dish machine with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.
Luzmary's Restaurant: 7151 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va 22046
Violations: Utensils being washed at the chemical dish machine which was not dispensing chlorine, food item(s) were observed hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device: beef and pork saltenas ona speed rack, per manager are maintained on the speed rack as customers order throughout the day. Beef saltena 121f; pork saltena 128f, chemical sanitizing warewashing machine was observed with a sanitizing rinse concentration of less than 50 ppm chlorine solution, 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 hourspast the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: cheese tamale, cheese filled bun in the carryout display case which is not a cooled or heated case, paper towels were not provided at each handwashing sink, person in charge is not a certified food protection manager, sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided or is not clearly visible at all handwashing sinks used by food employees, open drinking containers used or stored in a manner that may contaminate food, food contact surfaces or utensils.
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