Eat, Drink, Inspect

Food Establishment Health Inspections

Between July 28 and August 1, health inspectors visited twenty-nine food establishments across the region, including restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores, and catering services. Four businesses earned perfect reports with zero violations: Friends Catering on Timberlake Road, Teachable Moments on Thomson Drive, Nautical Bowls on Edge Way, and MG @ Virginia Center of Cultural Arts in Amherst. These locations were found in full compliance with food safety regulations at the time of inspection.

The highest numbers came from El Cazador in Brookneal and La Cocina on Hawkins Mill Road in Lynchburg, each cited for 10 violations. Pino’s Italian Restaurant in Appomattox had six, and Subway #11920 in Bedford recorded five. Several follow-up inspections were also conducted to ensure previous issues had been addressed, along with pre-opening checks for three new establishments.

La Cocina (Hawkins Mill Road, Lynchburg) received 10 violations during a July 30 routine inspection. Issues included improper cooling of beef, pork, and diced tomatoes, missing employee health and vomit/diarrheal cleanup policies, an employee drink stored in a prep area, dented canned goods, an over-strong sanitizer solution, unlabeled containers, a scratched nonstick pan, and use of a non–food grade water hose. Several problems were corrected on-site, including reheating improperly cooled foods, adjusting sanitizer levels, and replacing the water hose.

El Cazador (East Rush Street, Brookneal) was also cited for 10 violations during its July 28 routine inspection. Problems included a nonfunctioning paper towel dispenser at a hand sink, raw chicken stored over eggs, mold inside the ice machine and margarita machine nozzles, unlabeled bulk bins, wet-stacked pans, and a refrigerator failing to maintain safe cold-holding temperatures. Inspectors also noted improper plumbing connections, heavy mold buildup on air vents, damaged ceiling tiles, and insufficient lighting in kitchen areas. A follow-up inspection was scheduled within two weeks to verify corrections.

Full list of Food Establishment Inspections