Four Hampton restaurants receive health inspections

Four Hampton restaurants or food service operations underwent routine health inspections Sept. 18.

Inspections are scheduled to take place one to four times per year depending on variables such as menu complexity, how much food is made in advance versus cooked to order and how much food is made from raw products, according to the Virginia Department of Health website. Violations are either critical, meaning that if left uncorrected they are more likely than other violations to directly contribute to food contamination, environmental degradation or illness, or noncritical, violations that are not directly related to causing food-borne illness.

The Armstrong School, 3401 Matoaka Road, received seven noncritical violations. Repeat noncritical violations included needed repairs to sinks, floors and plumbing. The school also needed to clean the gasket/seal of the ice cream freezer and replace a light bulb in the reach-in freezer. Single-serve plates were also found stored on the floor.

Gah Bua Kham Thai Restaurant, 2270 Executive Drive, received three critical and 15 noncritical violations. The critical violations, which were corrected during the inspection, included bare hand contact of food, food equipment stored on the floor, and the presence of personal medicinal items on or over food and food service equipment in the storeroom. Noncritical violations included a clogged soap dispenser, reuse of soft plastic pliable containers and unprotected foam cups and plastic lids on a counter. The restaurant also had repeat violations of bamboo cook items present, food service equipment improperly stored, dry goods improperly stored and thermometers not present on undercounted refrigeration units.

Hooters, 1801 W. Mercury Blvd., received six noncritical violations, including five repeats. The new violation was an eroded grout issue on the floor. The repeat violations were breading sifter basket separated at frame, dirty grill, light not operational in refrigeration unit and several damaged tiles.

Laura's Rise & Shine, 1981 E. Pembroke Ave., received four critical violations and 10 noncritical violations. The critical violations included an employee not washing hands prior to putting on gloves after handling raw egg, butter pats on tables at improper temperatures, prepared ready-to-eat foods in refrigeration unit not properly dated and complete consumer advisory not provided on the menu. Noncritical violations included rodent droppings on floor below storeroom shelving, plastic cups stored on paper towel lining, metal banded brush used for butter/margarine, refrigerator in need of repairs, front counter construction causes cleaning hazard, chlorine test strips not provided, food contact surfaces are not clean, non-food contact surfaces are not clean, floor not clean below soda dispenser and physical structures in poor repair.

This information was obtained from inspection reports from the Virginia Department of Health. To read the reports in full, go to www.vdh.state.va.us and select Restaurant Inspections in the Quick Links section, then Hampton. Enter the restaurant's name in the search field.

For more information, call the Hampton Health Division at 757-727-2570.

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