Restaurant Inspections: Gold River and Lasani Kabob

From Nov. 10-27, the state health department inspected two restaurants in the Lorton area. 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.

Gold River
9110 Richmond Highway
Date of inspection: Nov. 19
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): Cooked potentially hazardous foods are not being adequately cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Food items on the spice cart at room temperature were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical (corrected during inspection): 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.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Pesticides labeled for residential use were observed in the facility and are being applied by the operator to control pests. Observed Raid spray in facility.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Employees are not aware of or are not practicing proper methods to rapidly cool potentially hazardous food.
Non-critical: A food employee was observed cleaning their hands in the mop sink.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that handwashing aids and devices have been installed at the mop sink.

Lasani Kabab Restaurant
8998-B Lorton Station Blvd
Date of inspection: Nov. 15
Critical (corrected during inspection): There is no Certified Food Manager present at the beginning of the inspection.
Critical: The permit holder has installed a warewashing machine. The current water heater (Bradford White, M-I-100T6BN, 85,000 BTU) does not have the capacity to meet an increase in hourly hot water demands required by the addition of the warewashing machine.