RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: Qdoba Mexican Grill Cited for 14 Health Code Violations

The Prince William Health District cited Qdoba Mexican Grill in Gainesville for 14 violations of the health code.

The restaurant, located at 7376 Atlas Walk Way, was inspected May 6 and the inspector found one critical and 13 noncritical violations,

Qdoba Mexican Grill was previously cited for 18 violations June 24, 2014.

According to the Health District report, the critical violations include:

Critical Repeat (Corrected During Inspection): The 3-vat sink sanitizer concentration was low. Food equipment was not sanitized.

Other non-critical violations included:

• Employees observed working in the food service area without proper hair restraints.
• Repeat: Table under-shelf next to office less than 6" off the floor
• Repeat: Aluminum sieves damaged - not easily cleanable.
• Water in bottom of 2-door prep cooler cabinet. Condensate drip tray overflowing.
• The in-use (wash, rinse water in the 3-vat sink was observed to be heavily soiled or contaminated.
• A sanitizer test kit is not being used to ensure the chemical sanitizing solution(s) are at the proper concentration.
• Single-service cups at service counter not furnished in original wrapper intact or from and approved dispenser.
• Repeat: The mop sink water line to the hose with the spray nozzle lacks a backflow or backsiphonage prevention device identified as meeting standards set by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering.
• (Corrected During Inspection): Water turned off at rear kitchen handsink.
• Repeat: Soap was not provided at the hand washing sink in the rear kitchen.
• Signs or posters that notify food employees to wash their hands are not provided at all handwashing sinks.
• Repeat: Dead lamps in walk-in cooler and in rear kitchen.
• Ceiling panel not properly installed by kitchen rear exit door.

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“Restaurant inspections are normally scheduled for one to four inspections per year, depending on the complexity of the menu, how much food is made from raw products, and how much is made in advance rather than cooked-to-order,” the agency states on their website.

When violations are observed during a routine inspection, they are detailed in a report and classified as either critical (posing a direct or immediate threat to consumers) or non-critical (a failure of cleaning or maintenance), the agency said.

These inspections are considered by the Health District as a snapshot of a specific day of operation.

According to the agency: “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.”