Posted: March 18th, 2009 - 11:26am by Katie Filion

I love sushi, especially all-you-can-eat sushi, but I don’t think I would eat at a sushi place that required three restaurant inspections before it was deemed safe.

Ichiban Sushi House in Montgomery, AL received a score of 63 after its first inspection, and 67 the second time around. Now a third surprise inspection will determine whether the establishment has made necessary improvements and can avoid license suspension, reports montgomeryadviser.com.

The latest inspection report listed 15 violations, including four that were considered critical. The first inspection was conducted Feb. 26, and the second was conducted March 11.

That’s one of the problems with restaurant inspection: the definition and consequential actions of a critical violation vary between jurisdictions. In some, a critical violation means automatic failure of the inspection and closure; in others, like Montgomery, establishments are re-inspected to ensure the violation is corrected.

In Alabama establishments are scored based on a 100 point system, with 85 and above being good, 70-85 being decent, and between 60-70 meaning the establishment must take immediate corrective actions within 48 hours. Scores below 60 result in closure.

 Inspection scores for restaurants in Alabama are available on the Alabama Department of Public Health website, with Montgomery county results available here.