Restaurant Inspections: No Critical Violations at Molly's Yogurt, Caribou Coffee

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.

In Fairfax County, inspectors from the Virginia Department of Health 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.

• Learn more about the differences between critical and a non-critical violations here, as well as the differences between types of inspections.

"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."

Caribou Coffee and Molly's Yogurt were ecently inspected by the Virginia Department of Health, and passed with no crtiical violations.

Molly's Yogurt had four non-critical violations.

Among them:

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: Container of bleach stored on top of case of canned roasted red peppers.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.