McLean Restaurant Inspections: Cava Mezze, Silver Diner

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 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.

"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."

Since our last round-up, the following McLean restaurants have been inspected by the Virginia Department of Health. The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

BGR The Burger Joint, inside Tysons Corner Center

• Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete and a complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
• Critical: Feta cheese and blue cheese were held at temperatures in excess of the required temperature of 41 degrees. 
• Critical: A degreaser was stored above food storage containers. 

McLean Family Restaurant, 1321 Chain Bridge Rd.

• No critical violations

Cava Mezze Grill, inside Tysons Corner Center

• Critical: Crumbled feta cheese and tzatziki sauce were not being held at the proper temperature.

Silver Diner, 8101 Fletcher St.

• No critical violations

Philadelphia Cheese Steak Factory, inside Tysons Corner Center

• Critical: Milk was held at an improper temperature