For the safest meal in town, you might as well go to jail. The Montgomery County jail is one of the safest dining facilities in the region, with a health inspection record better than practically every other restaurant in the New River Valley.
Since 2003, the jail has only received three "critical" violations during its yearly routine health inspections.
"That's quite impressive," said Gary Coggins, senior environmental health manager for Montgomery County. Very impressive considering average dining establishments accrue critical violations at a much higher rate.
This past August alone, Cabo Fish Taco, Best of Blacksburg's top-picked restaurant, received two critical viola- ions. El Rodeo, the top-picked Mexican food restaurant, received six critical violations last year. Buffalo Wild Wings, voted the best wings restaurant in Blacksburg, has received 15 critical violations and 40 non-critical violations since February.
As defined on the Virginia Department of Health Web site, a non-critical violation is "not directly related to the cause of foodborne illness, but if uncorrected, could impede the operation of the restaurant." There is a minimal likelihood of foodborne illness from negligent non-critical violations, but the Web site states, "Non-critical violations, if left uncorrected, could lead to critical violations."
Critical violations, as defined on the Web site, are "violations of the food regulations, which, if left uncorrected, are more likely than other violations to directly contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental degradation."
Coggins' team of health inspectors has been vigilantly inspecting Blacksburg's Buffalo Wild Wings location on the corner of Prices Fork Road and North Main Street.
"We've pointed out some areas where (Buffalo Wild Wings) can make improvements and they understand that as well. They are working with us so that we can all end up in the right place," Coggins said. "I would hope that that's where we are getting them to, to that point. That when are done, we can kind of relax a little bit with them. We've been focusing on them a little bit because both Buffalo Wild Wings and my inspectors have come to recognize there are some areas where they can be improved on ... They are getting some hard lessons right now."
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