restaurant inspection score of C!!!!!

Visited Rafferty's on Breckinridge Lane on Saturday with family. Had a great meal. We were shocked though when we left. The restaurant inspection sticker dated 10/29/2009 gave it a C (81). None of us noticed the inspection sticker when we got there and we all wondered if it had been posted - we would not have stayed if we had seen the rating when we arrived. I have never seen a low rating for this restaurant. Is there a way to find out what the violations were? I will definitely be checking the restaurant inspection site before we return!

While I agree that a restaurant can get a C for something very minor in some cases I do believe it indicates they don't pay attention to details. If an employee leaves a drink out on a work table it in itself is minor but it does show that they don't enforce the rules. This time it may have been something that most people consider stupid but who knows what it will be the next time. I really wish that even if a restaurant is reinspected the original score would be part of the new posting. That way we can really see how they handle themselves.

I truly believe had this been a major infraction involving health and welfare of dining patrons; they'd not think twice about shutting it down. I've seen it happen in the past.

A couple of big violations that may have caused such a low score are, Chemicals not stored properly(In an area where food is being prepared) and food stored at improper temperature. I'm pretty sure those are both 10 point violations. In either case they really must be doing something wrong to get a "C". I would never eat there.

All of the places I've worked; The inspectors somehow know instinctively to come right after a busy service, when you are shorthanded and when your work area is usually in shambles. However, they are looking for specific things that show a pattern of un-safe food handling practices. For example; Your walk-in cooler may be spotless, but if you have chicken thawing out in a pan on a shelf that is above the lettuce, then you have a major violation. Tepid soups or sauces not brought up to tempature properly are another big one as well. I would say this is one of the most common shortcuts cooks take when setting up a line. Instead of emptying the contents of a bain marie into a pan and heating rapidly, they just put them straight into the steam well to heat up there. If you just set your line and the inspector comes by with the bio-therm and your product isn't hot enough, not only are you in violation, a lot of times they make you throw everything out.

Needless to say, most places are doing their best to prepare your food in a safe, clean environment. A simple rule of thumb serve most of us in the "Bizz" pretty well. "Don't serve it if you wouldn't eat it yourself". But for an establishment to get such a low score is pretty scary. That kitchen manager has some big problems on their hands.

[Robin Garr]

I truly believe had this been a major infraction involving health and welfare of dining patrons; they'd not think twice about shutting it down. I've seen it happen in the past.

That's correct. We just discussed this in a previous thread. A C represents an inspector's finding of something very careless and potentially hazardous, but one that's correctible. If it could not be corrected, the inspector would have closed the place, leaving you no option to go in.

The C on the door means the place screwed up and will be subject to inspection again within a week to 10 days. I wouldn't hesitate (and in fact, have not hesitated) to eat there, but I might conversationally ask the guy at the desk what happened. They generally tell the truth, which is generally not nearly as bad as people's imagination.

State of Affairs (WFPL) did a whole show on food inspections back in May - here's the link: http://www.wfpl.org/2009/05/21/whos-ins ... -our-food/

I thought the B was more interesting and more concerning than the C.

Occasionally, I've seen the Infraction written on the Rating sheet . But, not all the time. Has anyone else seen this too?

One can always do what one Chineese Buffet did. Post it in the window in the middle of a message

Go CARDS

Hmmmm...I guess it depends on ones perspective. Going back to the times I've been "graded" I suppose I'd have to admit that I would have been ecstatic to receive an "81"...So who am I to criticize.

[quote="Robin Garr

They generally tell the truth, which is generally not nearly as bad as people's imagination.

This is a topic for those of us in this industry that we all have stories about.

But to automatically refuse to go into a restaurant because of a low rating ( especially one that you frequently patronize ) needs an example....
This past spring I believe one of our local establishments had a water line break overnight, of course the inspector shows and puts a C rating on the door, mind you that was the only violation ( clean water on floor ) they already planned on closing for the day but no avail. Took 4 days to get reinspected, turned out water company was to blame.
I do understand the fear of seeing a low grade from patrons ( I wonder to what happened ? ). But as Dan touched on they are usually looking for trends. It starts in the parking lot when they pull up and goes from there, the biggest habits they are looking for are the ones that foodborne illnesses can affect ( ex..salmonella, campylobacte, Ecoli ) of course your whole unit is examined for improper food storage, danger zones when it comes to proper temperatures, food handling, sanitized work areas, structural surroundings, proper hair attire, maintained water temperatures on your dish machine, bar areas, restrooms, and so on....
The Health Dept. can make a restaurant or any food establishment, warehouse, processing plant very difficult if the guidelines are not being done, but remember these people go out to eat also and I garuntee they also know there is more to the story.

Now watch I will probaly have a visit this week

I know from previous discussions here you don't want a B because you're stuck with that for some time while a C is quickly fixable. Is it possible that some on-the-ball worker saw they were about to get a B and pushed it to a C so as to minimize the length of time without an A?

One can always do what one Chineese Buffet did. Post it in the window in the middle of a message

Go CARDS

I'm not sure that was a Chinese buffet. The picture of this "Go [C]ards window that received the national publicity was of a deli downtown, maybe in the Main Street area.

Here you go:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4277&start=15&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Just left Fat Jimmy's on 5th, where they also had a C rating. The big difference is they were dealing with it head on. On the chalk board above the register they had written, "If you have any questions about our C rating, please ask." On the other chalk board on the wall they had a list of things that caused the rating and a check mark by each one that had been addressed. The list included, the dishwasher (broken on the day of inspection), sanitizer bottles improperly labeled, to go cups not 6 inches off the ground, and maybe something else. Each one had been fixed or addressed. I was very impressed with their attempt at being upfront and honest about what caused the rating and the steps they had taken to fix it.
Kris

I think that's great. Mature, open way of dealing with it. But that only works if you can get customers past the sign and into the door.

I have opted out of a couple places before we entered because of a "C" rating, and I even know how easy it would be to get one. Something as simple as a box of to-go containers on the floor (even though they are wrapped in plastic inside the unopened case) can cause some points to be deducted.

Good on Fat Jimmy's. That's exactly the right way to deal with it.