How to Read Restaurant Inspection Reports

Critical vs. non-critical violations

Health department violations are typically classified as critical (or 'priority') and non-critical. Critical violations are those that directly risk causing foodborne illness — improper food temperatures, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, sick employees working, evidence of pests. Non-critical violations cover general maintenance issues that don't pose an immediate health risk. When reviewing an inspection report, focus on the critical violations first.

How point systems work

Cities that use point-based grading assign point values to violations, then calculate a score from a base of 100. Each violation deducts points; more severe violations deduct more. In NYC, lower scores are better (you start at 0 and add points for violations). In LA, higher scores are better (you start at 100 and deduct points). Always check which direction the scale runs for the city you're looking at.

Reading corrective actions

Good inspection reports show not just what violations were found, but what corrective action was taken — and when. 'Corrected on site' means the restaurant fixed the issue during the inspection. Other violations have follow-up dates by which they must be resolved. A restaurant with many violations corrected on-site is often managed better than one with few violations left unresolved.

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