Health Department Rates Restaurants

When you’re on the hunt for a restaurant recommendation, you probably ask your friends or check for Zagat ratings. Now, you can add the Darien Department of Health to your list of trusted sources. They’ve just rolled out an online rating system that, according to their Website, is “designed to provide the public with some basic information about the sanitary conditions observed in the facility.” They base their ratings on data the Health Department has collected over the past year.

The ratings are simple, and based on several factors:

-- The absence/presence of “critical violations” that are likely to cause food borne illness

-- The absence/presence of chronic violations

-- The facility inspection history and efforts to correct previously noted violations

-- The training and demonstrable knowledge of food service personnel

-- The overall sanitary conditions in the facility at the time of inspection

Restaurants are rated “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor” based on these criteria. The Health Department’s Website allows you to search existing restaurants for their ratings.

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