I have to admit, I've never really been one to worry about how safe restaurants are to eat at. I'm usually more worried about how much it costs and whether I like the kind of food they serve. But the movement toward more openness in government has created a great opportunity to get a little better idea about how risky your favorite restaurant really is.
Rule #1: If a restaurant is open, it means that the health department determined on its most recent inspection that the restaurant was safe for you to eat at. This doesn't guarantee you won't get sick, but it's definitely something good to keep in mind no matter how high or low the restaurant scored on its last inspection.
Rule #2: Restaurant inspections are anything but a guarantee. How well a restaurant's most recent inspection went only tells you how how well the restaurant's most recent inspection went. However, though restaurants certainly have good days and bad days, many restaurant inspection sites show inspection scores over several years, giving you a good idea of how a restaurant performs on average.
Rule #3: While restaurant inspection scores are a great tool, keep your eyes open. Just because the restaurant you're at had a perfect score a year ago doesn't mean you should ignore the undercooked hamburger or the dirty silverware. If something sets off warning bells, speak up about it. Ask lots of questions, and don't be afraid to send it back.
Okay, here's how to do it:
1.) Find restaurant inspections in your area. I don't know how often this list gets updated, and new jurisdictions are going online all the time, so if your area's not on the list, look up your local health department's website and look for it there. If you have to, call them and ask about it. That's what they're there for. If they don't have online scores, many states now have open records laws so you can submit a request and get the scores you want. It might take a while though, so plan ahead.
2.) Look up your restaurant. Most, if not all, online databases should be searchable, so it should be pretty easy to find the place you're interested in based on the name and/or address.
3.) Check the most recent inspection score. Most health departments give a grade or score to help determine how well the restaurant did. Many places base their grades on fixed cut-offs (e.g., getting below a 10 gives you an "A," 11-20 gives you a "B," etc.), while others give a ranking based on how the score compares to other restaurants (e.g., getting an "A" if your restaurant scored in the best 25%, a "B" for the next 25%, etc.). Every health department is different, so take a minute to read up on how your health department does things and use that to determine how well the restaurant's score measures up.
4.) If possible, compare the score to past inspections. Does the restaurant usually score high, or low? Was its most recent inspection a fluke? If available, go through the individual violations in the report. Gather as much information as you can.
5.) Add up all the information and decide whether you feel like the restaurant is worth the risk. If a restaurant usually scores well, but had a low score at its most recent inspection, it may have just been a bad day. If a restaurant scores poorly, but it was for violations that don't seem too serious to you, you may decide that it meets your personal criteria for safe food preparation. It's your call.
6.) Go out and eat! (Or cook up a delicious meal at home....) But remember, if you do decide--based on the data--that a restaurant meets your standards, remember to keep your eyes open. What looks good on paper may not be quite so appetizing in person.
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