Restaurant Inspections: Jimmy John's and Margarita's Grocery

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants along the Route 1 corridor. 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.

Jimmy John’s
6305C Richmond Highway
Date of inspection: Feb. 15
Critical (corrected during inspection): 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 (corrected during inspection): When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the spray bottle with a concentration of 10 ppm total chlorine.
Non-critical: The certified food manager could not provide a food temperature measuring device.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Food stored on the floor and/or food stored less than six inches off the floor.
Non-critical: There is no covered refuse container for the disposal of feminine napkins in the ladies room stall.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees.

Margarita’s Grocery
8512 Richmond Hwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 11
Critical (corrected during inspection): There is no Certified Food Manager present at the beginning of the inspection.
Critical (corrected during inspection): 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 (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed drinking in food prep area and observed an open drink.
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his hands after handling raw chicken and before performing other tasks.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw beef and raw chicken over pickles and lettuce in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Observed prep table and cutting boards located at the meat prep area and cookline that are not being cleaned at least every 4 hours.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name: two cleaning chemical spray bottles.
Non-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. Observed 2 car cleaner cans and 2 air freshener spray cans over prep table.
Non-critical: Harborage conditions exist. Remove unused, broken equipments and litters off the premises.
Non-critical: The door gaskets of the following unit(s) are damaged: walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer.
Non-critical: The nonfood-contact surface of the following equipment is not corrosion resistant, nonabsorbent, and/or smooth: wooden shelving at cookline, aluminum foil lining on walk-in cooler shelving.
Non-critical: Plumbing connections under the both 3 compartment sinks (in the kitchen and in meat prep area) piping are leaking, preventing employees to properly perform wash, rinsing and sanitizing of food equipments. Maintenance has been called.
Non-critical: Observed that the following are not maintained in good repair: lights over cookline pops out therefore employees keep them off, walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer doors doors don't close.
Non-critical: Observed that following are in need of cleaning: walls, doors, shelves, and outside equipments.
Non-critical: Ceiling tiles in the kitchen area are absorbent.

Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy
Date of inspection: Feb. 11
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee failed to wash his hands after handling raw fish and before putting on clean gloves.
Critical (corrected during inspection): A food employee was observed handling the following ready-to-eat food using their bare hands: cooked duck. Manager discarded during inspection.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw fish over deli meat, raw chicken over cooked beans and chicken sauce in walk-in cooler.
Critical (corrected during inspection) Due to improper operation of the hot water, mechanical warewashing machine, the thermolabel did not turn black, indicating that food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are not being adequately sanitized.
Critical (corrected during inspection): 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: collard green, vegetable soup in walk-in cooler.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all handwashing sinks used by food employees: hand sink in the kitchen and in two bathrooms.
Non-critical: Observed that mops are improperly stored between use.