Restaurant inspections are generally conducted by a local health department or another local regulatory agency. Inspectors check food handling, cleanliness, equipment, employee practices, pests, water supply, and other conditions that may affect public health. Most agencies publish inspection results online, but the information and format can vary.
Find the right inspection portal
Start with the local government website for the area where the restaurant operates. Use a search engine and enter the restaurant name with phrases such as “health inspection,” “food inspection,” or “restaurant inspection report.” You can also search for the local health department’s name with “restaurant inspections.”
Look for an official government website. Search results may include restaurant review sites, news articles, or private databases that are outdated or incomplete. An official portal may let you search by restaurant name, address, permit number, inspection date, or facility type. If no online results appear, the agency may publish limited information or may require a public records request.
Check that you found the right restaurant
Restaurants can have similar names, multiple locations, or separate records for different operating areas. Confirm the street address, business name, and inspection date before interpreting a report. A recent report may not be available immediately after an inspection. An older report does not necessarily describe current conditions.
Understand the report
Reports often list observations called violations or deficiencies. A critical violation usually involves a higher risk of causing foodborne illness. Examples include unsafe food temperatures, inadequate handwashing, contaminated equipment, and improper allergen control. A noncritical violation generally concerns sanitation, maintenance, or another condition less likely to cause illness immediately.
Definitions differ among jurisdictions. Some agencies use letter grades, numerical scores, color ratings, pass or fail results, or a point system. In some systems, more points indicate more serious problems. In others, a higher score indicates better compliance. Read the portal’s explanation of its scoring method instead of comparing numbers across different jurisdictions.
Pay attention to the inspection date, the specific findings, required corrections, and whether a follow-up inspection took place. A violation listed in one report may have been corrected later. An inspection is a snapshot in time. It does not guarantee conditions for every meal or future visit.
If you suspect foodborne illness
Seek medical advice for severe symptoms, dehydration, bloody diarrhea, persistent vomiting, high fever, or symptoms affecting an infant, older adult, pregnant person, or someone with a weakened immune system. Write down when symptoms began, what you ate, and where you ate. Keep receipts, order confirmations, and relevant packaging when possible.
Report suspected foodborne illness to the local health department that oversees the restaurant. Provide factual details: the date and time of the meal, foods eaten, symptoms, and whether anyone else became ill. Do not rely only on an online review. Health officials may use reports from multiple consumers to identify a possible outbreak.