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Almost every Quinnipiac student has eaten at Eli’s on Whitney or its sister Eli’s Brick Oven Pizza in their time at Quinnipiac.

On December 5th Eli’s received a “C” grade in a restaurant inspection conducted by the Quinnipiack Valley Health Department, with a score of 88 out of 100.

According to the New Haven Register, it failed inspection because of a four-point violation for failing to keep some cold food at the right temperatures. Some of this food included chicken wings, numerous soups, chowder, rice and broth at the right temperatures. It was also cited for not sanitizing cleaning rags regularly enough and for having a“filthy” vacuum for the sous vide cooking process.

Earlier last week Eli’s was reinspected and received a 92 out of 100, receiving a “B” grade. 

Shawn Reilly, Director of Operations for Eli’s Restaurant Group said in a statement to Q30 News, “We at Eli’s take sanitation very seriously and have numerous checklist and safeguards in place to ensure the safety of our guests and our staff.  We have been providing a safe eating environment for the past 24 years and will continue to do so in the future.” 

Quinnipiac students are reacting to this news of this failed inspection grade at Eli’s on Whitney. 

“I actually got food poisoning at a restaurant not too long ago…it does happen but the fact that they had a “C” at Eli’s is pretty scary to me,” Nicholas Coco, senior, said.

This situation has some students now considering thinking twice the next time they go out to eat. Many admitted that they often do not check a restaurant’s inspection grade before eating there.

“If I’m trying somewhere new yeah, maybe I’ll like look on Yelp,” Sophia Gazor, sophomore, said.

Senior, Rudy Serricchio, says that if he can see the rating on a restaurant window he will typically look before entering.

“If I can see the ratings, yes,” Serricchio said. “Like most restaurants have their ratings up on the wall where you can see it, I’ve never seen one on the wall [at Eli’s].”

You do not have to go up to a restaurants window to find out their restaurant inspection rating. You can go to http://www.qvhd.org/food-service-ratings to find all the ratings for restaurants in Hamden, North Haven and Woodbridge.