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How to read a restaurant inspection report

Grades, scores, violations, re-inspections — what each part of an official inspection report actually tells you.

What a critical violation actually means

The violation tier tied directly to foodborne-illness risk — and how it differs from a dirty floor.

A, B, C or pass/fail: how US cities grade restaurants

Why the same kitchen could earn an A in one city, a 94 in another, and a green placard in a third.

Why a B grade isn't a dirty kitchen

The honest middle of the grading scale, and what it usually means in practice.

What it takes for inspectors to close a restaurant

Closure is the health department's last resort — here's what triggers it, and what reopening requires.

How often restaurants actually get inspected

Risk-based scheduling, why a taco truck and a hospital cafeteria are on different clocks, and what the gaps mean.

Do inspection grades actually predict food poisoning?

What inspection results can and can't tell you about your odds of getting sick — an honest look.

The violations inspectors cite most

The same handful of issues shows up in kitchen after kitchen, coast to coast. Here's the repeat-offender list.

How CleanPlate's grading works

Our methodology: where the data comes from, how different systems are normalized, and what we will never do.

Why some cities post grades in windows — and some don't

The public-posting debate: what happened when grades went up in windows, and why most of the US still keeps reports in filing cabinets.