Winchester restaurants are inspected by the Virginia Department of Health. How to read the reports, where to find them and how to complain: 540-722-3480.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Virginia Department of Health and the Lord Fairfax Health District. We link to the official records; we do not rate restaurants.

Restaurants, food trucks and other food businesses in Winchester are permitted and inspected by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Locally, that is the Frederick/Winchester Environmental Health office of the Lord Fairfax Health District, which also serves Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties.

Who to call

How to look up a restaurant

  1. Go to the VDH Restaurant Inspection Website.
  2. Search by the restaurant’s name, or by “Winchester” and the street, to narrow the list.
  3. Open an inspection to see its date and the violations the inspector recorded.

Check the address as well as the name: chains and restaurants with similar names in other Virginia towns appear in the same statewide database.

How to read a report

Virginia does not give restaurants a letter grade or a number score. A report lists what the inspector observed. According to VDH:

  • Priority violations are the ones most closely connected to foodborne illness.
  • Priority Foundation violations are also among the most significant types.

VDH reminds diners that an inspection is only a snapshot of what is going on in a food establishment. Read the date, and look for a later follow-up inspection.

Our method

We do not publish rankings or “worst restaurant” lists. Inspection reports carry legal weight for the businesses named, and a single visit can over- or under-state how a kitchen runs. When we report on an inspection in the news, we:

  • link the VDH report itself;
  • describe violations in the inspector’s words, with the date;
  • say whether the problem was corrected on site or on a follow-up; and
  • ask the business for comment.

If you own a restaurant named in our coverage and a later inspection shows the issue resolved, contact us and we will add it.

Other food permits

VDH also covers mobile food units and temporary food events, such as festival stands. See VDH’s mobile food unit page and its temporary food establishment page. Some organizations are exempt; VDH lists them on its food safety exemptions page.

What this means for you

  • Look for Priority violations first; they matter most for illness.
  • Read the date and whether the problem was fixed on site.
  • If you think you got sick from food, call 540-722-3480 or file the VDH report.

Related: new businesses in Winchester and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Who inspects restaurants in Winchester, Virginia?

The Virginia Department of Health, through the Frederick/Winchester Environmental Health office of the Lord Fairfax Health District, 107 N. Kent St., Suite 201, 540-722-3480.

Where can I see Winchester restaurant inspection reports?

On the Virginia Department of Health’s restaurant inspection website, which publishes inspection reports for restaurants across the state. Search by the restaurant’s name or address.

Do Virginia restaurants get letter grades or scores?

No. Virginia reports list the violations an inspector observed. Violations marked Priority and Priority Foundation are the most significant, and Priority violations are the ones most closely connected to foodborne illness.

How do I report a food safety problem at a Winchester restaurant?

Call Frederick/Winchester Environmental Health at 540-722-3480, or file a report through the Virginia Department of Health’s foodborne illness report page if you think food made you sick.