Restaurant Inspections: Taco Bell and Panera

From Oct. 9-23, quite a few restaurants in Burke and Fairfax Station were inspected. 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.

Goody Corner Deli
6501 Loisdale Court
Date of inspection: Oct. 23
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is commercially processed is not used or discarded within 24 hours of when the original container was opened and is not observed to be date marked.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
5747 Burke Centre Parkway
Date of inspection: Oct. 22
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items prepared from ambient air temperature ingredients is not being adequately cooled to 41 degrees or less within four hours.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food items were found hot holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.

Mangino’s Pizza
9570-N Burke Road
Date of inspection: Oct. 22
No violations were found during the inspection.

Panera Bread
5774 Union Mill Road
Date of inspection: Oct. 22
Non-critical: The 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.

Taco Bell
5661 Burke Center Pkwy
Date of inspection: Oct. 22
No violations were found during the inspection.

Cedar Cafe
6409 Shipplett Blvd
Date of inspection: Oct. 18
Critical (corrected during inspection): There is no Certified Food Manager present at the beginning of the inspection.

China Express
5712 Union Mill Rd
Date of inspection: Oct. 15
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: Raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu, menu board, table tent or brochure without proper disclosure.