Restaurant Inspection Grade

I am sure that someone will have the answer to this question....Is the grade that a place gets the same in any county you go to...for that matter any state....What I mean do they all use the same standard grading system across the state/usa....or do they vary from one health department to another....So does a "C" in Jefferson county mean the same as in Oldham County?

[Robin Garr]

So does a "C" in Jefferson county mean the same as in Oldham County?

Jefferson County's system is governed by Metro Health Department regulation, and it's one-of-a-kind. Generally speaking, each local jurisdiction makes its own rules, so they're definitely not exactly the same.

On the other side of the coin, they're all pretty much similar insofar as they put strong emphasis on the most serious "critical" violations.

Robert,

What Robin said, plus...

While standard rules exist, actual enforcement can vary widely based on the inspector you have. Our inspector was very fair; I've heard nightmares about certain inspectors really busting people's #@*...(Well, you know what I mean).

Deb

What Deb said, plus...

When I lived in New York, a friend had a nice little Japanese place in the West Village. The kitchen was spotless, and he maintained the highest standards. If the food dropped on the floor, I actually wouldn't be terribly upset. The inspector seriously marked him down because the coffee pot was two degrees too cool.

On the other hand, another friend owned a bar/restaurant in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. It was disgusting, and even though it was a friend, I wouldn't eat there. The garbage was overflowing, the floor had dirty water pooled on it, the screen in the back window was so tattered as to be almost nonexistant. The inspector wandered through and gave them, I believe, an A.

Given this kind of discrepancy, I take bad grades with a big old bushel of salt.