Only one restaurant was rated “Poor” by Darien Health Department inspectors, another two were rated “Fair,” and nine others received “Good” ratings in the most recent health inspection data released by the department.
Two eateries — Palmwich on the Post Road and Subway on Heights Road — received perfect ratings of 100.
How it works
Restaurants in town are rated under the Darien Health Department’s own Good/Fair/Poor ratings system. Health inspectors also use the state health code regulations to score restaurants, with a perfect score set at 100, and deductions for various code violations.
The Darien system takes into account problems that are ongoing or that have been fixed, so a restaurant scoring higher than others on the state scale may actually get a lower score on the Darien scale, or vice versa.
You can find the past several inspection ratings under the Darien ratings system for food-serving establishments on this website.
See also our previous article listing restaurant inspection ratings.
Any establishment actually deemed unsafe can be closed by the town Health Department until violations are fixed. Darien Health Director David Knauf says that has never happened in the time he’s been with the department.
Here’s an alphabetical list of the most recently released results of Darien health inspections (information is listed by name, address, Darien rating, state score; for restaurants rated “poor,” additional information is given: inspector’s comments that led to the state rating and additional remarks on the inspection report [information within brackets has been added for clarity by Darienite.com; semicolons like this (“;”) separate individual comments, each one with a particular violation that triggers a point deduction from a perfect state score of 100 points; Darienite.com will change abbreviations, punctuation and other grammar to fit our editorial style, usually silently if there is no change in meaning]):
- Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon — Interstate 95 Darien South rest stop — Oct. 20 — GOOD — 96
- Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant — 54 Post Road — Oct. 15 — POOR — 80 — Inspector’s comments: “Meatballs at 54 [degrees] and 59 [degrees] (overstocked); improper cooling; broken/not-working thermometer; food uncovered in walk-in [cooler]; light uncovered in walk-in [cooler]; misuse of sink (rinsing utensils in prep sink and hand-washing sink); inside refrigeration and knives in storage area; no waste receptacle in pizza prep area; cracked food storage containers; hood filters — dish racks on the floor; hand sink off the wall in employee restroom (downstairs) — fix ASAP! ‘Do not use’ sign should be posted until fixed!; fruit fly problem in prep area; walls in disrepair downstairs, ceiling tiles downstairs.” Inspector’s additional remarks: “Hand washing observed/glove use.”
- Cesco’s Trattoria — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. (Goodwives Shopping Center) — Oct. 22 — GOOD — 92
- Darien Seafood — 1941 Post Road — no date given — GOOD — 95
- Frosty Bear Cafe (at Darien Library) — 1441 Post Road — Oct. 20 — GOOD — 96
- Jake’s Place — 4 Ledge Road — Oct. 20 — GOOD — 93
- Palmwich — 205 Post Road — Oct. 14 — GOOD — 100
- Panera Bread — 1063 Post Road — Oct. 16 — FAIR — 91
- Papa Joe’s — 1973 Post Road — Oct. 22 — GOOD — 93
- Subway — 22-26 Heights Road — Oct. 13 — GOOD — 100
- Subway — 879 Post Road — Oct. 15 — GOOD — 99
- Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s — 2748 Post Road — Oct. 15 — FAIR — 92
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