Do You Know How Clean the Kitchen Is at Your Favorite Restaurant?

My husband jokes that I go a little nuts with food safety – although he’ll also admit he’s happy I do.  I clean the fridge out monthly, insist on throwing out leftovers that are more than a couple days old, and love to wipe down my countertops with disinfectant spray.  I wash my hands constantly while I’m in the kitchen.  Not just before I start cooking, but also as I’m cooking and moving from one task to the next.  I use a thermometer to make sure poultry and meat is cooked to the proper temperature, I don’t just cut into to it to look at the color.

Practicing safe food handling is just a natural part of providing nutritious and safe food for my family.  So before we go to a restaurant, I like to check out how clean a restaurant keeps their kitchen.

Restaurants are inspected on a routine basis by the local health department.  States like California require restaurants to display their inspection rating prominently in the front of the restaurant.  The letter “A”, “B” or “C” empowers the public to decide whether to eat there or not.   My sister who lives in California said there’s little hope for a restaurant with less than an “A” rating to last in her area.  The prominence of the rating places pressure on restaurants to operate a clean kitchen.

For the year we lived in Cleveland, Ohio, I was disappointed the local health department didn’t provide this information online.  I was thrilled when we moved to Pennsylvania to see how sophisticated the online database of the entire state’s restaurant inspection information was.  They have a central web site where you can search any restaurant in the state and view specific details on the inspection and any violations.  I always check it before we eat out.  Again, we’re driving the extra distance to get takeout pizza because the place just around the corner had too many violations for my comfort.In the Omaha, Nebraska area, the Douglas County Health Department maintains an online list of restaurants and their inspection rating (SUPERIOR, EXCELLENT, STANDARD, FAIR).  The “SUPERIOR” rating is new this year and indicates that a manager at the restaurant is ServSafe certified, meaning he or she has passed a rigorous food safety course, and at least 75% of the staff are trained in food safety.  When we lived in Omaha, my husband and I would drive the extra few miles to the Subway rated “EXCELLENT” even though there was another Subway just a few blocks away from our house.  The longer drive was worth it to us.  If you’ve ever had food poisoning, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Restaurants are required to maintain clean hand washing sinks with soap and single-use towels. A red flag for me are restaurants that have empty soap dispensers.  Hand washing is so important!

To find restaurant inspection information about restaurants in your area, a quick internet search may be all you need.  If you aren’t having success, contact your local health department.  Most are more than happy to help.

To check out restaurants in the Omaha, Nebraska area, go to:http://www.douglascountyhealth.com/food-a-drink/food-facility-ratings

To view restaurant inspection information in Pennsylvania, go to:
https://www.pafoodsafety.state.pa.us/web/inspection/publicinspectionsearch.aspx