Babylon Futbol Café Sited for Six Critical Violations

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports are not quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

With that said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation.

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 the 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."

In the past month, the following Falls Church restaurants have been inspected by the VDH. The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Pho Bien Restaurant

6795 Wilson Blvd, #20/22, Falls Church

Inspected Dec. 5: five critical violations, no non-critical violations

“The following refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked: goat, chicken.”

Fairfax Inn & Restaurant

2946 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Falls Church

Inspected Dec. 7: two critical violations, four non-critical violations

“Observed the hand sink in the front of the facility had food debris in the drain.”

Babylon Futbol Café

3501 S. Jefferson St., Falls Church

Inspected Dec. 6: six critical violations, six non-critical violations

“Surfaces of ice bins and enclosed components of equipment are not being cleaned as required.”