Restaurant Inspections: Chicken Palace and Subway

From Feb. 22 to March 1, the state health department inspected a few restaurants in the Burke and Fairfax Station areas: Chicken Palace, Subway and Szechuan East.

For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

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. Inspectors 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.

"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."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

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

Chicken Palace
6030-K Burke Commons Road
Date of inspection: Feb. 25
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical: Food items were found hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that poisonous and toxic materials are not properly stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens or single service items.
Critical: The floor drain by the food prep sink is clogged and slow to drain. also, the hand sink in the men's restroom is not producing sufficient water for proper hand washing.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that a mop was stored in the mop bucket filled with water after use.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The plastic spoons, knives and forks were found handled, displayed or dispensed with the food or lip-contact surface facing customers at the self-service station.
Non-critical: The ceiling of the cavity of the microwave oven is observed soiled.
Non-critical: Observed that inadequate lighting was provided in the food preparation areas. Burned out light bulbs noted under the hood system.

Subway
5765-D Burke Center Pkwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 25
No violations were found during the inspection.

Szechuan East
5765A Burke Center Pkwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 22
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical: Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor in the walk-in freezer.
Non-critical: Observed that the floor under cooking equipment is in need of cleaning. The ceiling tiles are in need of cleaning or repainting.
Non-critical: Observed that inadequate lighting was provided in the warewashing areas, equipment and storage areas.