Several Critical Health Violations at Two Falls Church Restaurants

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.

Happy Family

301 S. Washington St., Falls Church

Inspected Nov. 29: no critical violations, two non-critical violations

“The nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: gaskets at 2-door prep cooler.”

Lesbaguettes

6757 Wilson Blvd., #10-11, Falls Church

Inspected Nov. 29: five critical violations, no non-critical violations

“A food employee failed to wash his or her hands before engaging in food preparation, after touching bare human body parts, after coughing, sneezing, eating, after handling soiled utensils, or after engaging in any activity that could contaminate the hands.”

Moby Dick House of Kabob

444 West Broad St., Suite A, Falls Church

Inspected Nov. 27: four critical violations, no non-critical violations

“Different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination as follows: raw chicken over raw lamb in walk in cooler.”