What do San Diego restaurant grades mean, and how do you check a restaurant's health inspection?
The A, B or C card in the window is the score from the last County inspection: A is 90-100, B is 80-89, C is 79 or below. Look up any restaurant's reports at sdfoodinfo.org, and report problems at 858-505-6903.
- Score for an A
- 90+
- Inspections a year
- 32,000+
- Retail food facilities
- 13,800
- Complaint desk
- 858-505-6903
Out of 100
County Food Program
Including 8,100+ restaurants
Or fhdcomplaints@sdcounty.ca.gov
The short version
- San Diego County requires restaurants to post an A, B or C grade card near the public entrance during business hours.
- An A is 90-100, a B is 80-89 and a C is 79 or less, after points come off for each violation (4, 2 or 1).
- County specialists run more than 32,000 inspections a year at about 13,800 retail food facilities, including 8,100+ restaurants.
- Inspection reports are searchable at SD Food Info (sdfoodinfo.org); food trucks have carried grade decals since March 2013.
- Complaints go to the FHD Complaint Desk at (858) 505-6903; the County no longer accepts anonymous complaints.
That letter in the window comes from the County of San Diego's Department of Environmental Health and Quality, which inspects restaurants across all 18 cities and the unincorporated county. The card tells you the score from the last inspection; the report behind it tells you what the inspector actually found. We checked the County's Food Program pages, its SD Food Info guide and its complaint page on November 8, 2026.
| Grade | Score | What the County says it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100 | Satisfactory compliance with state law |
| B | 80-89 | Needs improvement in operations and/or structure |
| C | 79 or less | Failing grade |
A
- Score
- 90-100
- What the County says it means
- Satisfactory compliance with state law
B
- Score
- 80-89
- What the County says it means
- Needs improvement in operations and/or structure
C
- Score
- 79 or less
- What the County says it means
- Failing grade
County of San Diego Food Program FAQ and SD Food Info.
How the score is calculated
Every inspection starts at 100. Points come off for each violation: 4 for a major risk factor, 2 for a minor risk factor and 1 for a good retail practice. Two major violations, say a cooler running warm and no soap at the hand sink, already take a kitchen from 100 to 92.
Checking a restaurant before you go
- 01
Open SD Food Info
Go to sdfoodinfo.org (the County also has a mobile app) and search by name or address.
- 02
Read the latest routine inspection
Look at the score and the listed violations, not just the letter. Inspection types include Routine, Re-inspection and Status Verification.
- 03
Check the result field
Results include Complete, No Access, Ordered Closed, Self-Closed and Approved to Reopen.
- 04
Don't expect corrections to show
Reports are historical. A fixed violation stays on that dated report until the next inspection adds new data.
How much does an A tell you? A 2017 NBC 7 San Diego analysis found more than 99% of routine inspections in the county ended in an A, a higher share than Los Angeles or San Francisco, and that the County typically made two unannounced routine inspections per restaurant each year. That's why the full report is worth a look.
Reporting a problem
- Sanitation problems, fires, water outages, sewage backups: FHD Complaint Desk at (858) 505-6903, fhdcomplaints@sdcounty.ca.gov, or the County's online complaint form.
- Your name is required: the County says it no longer accepts anonymous complaints, but keeps your contact details confidential.
- Suspected food poisoning from a restaurant or market: FHD Epidemiology Liaison at (858) 505-6814, or email the intake form to fhdepi@sdcounty.ca.gov.
- General questions or errors in an inspection record: FHD Duty Specialist at (858) 505-6900; the County says corrections are usually made within two business days.
Home cooks selling meals are inspected too: see how MEHKO home kitchens work in San Diego County. And if your bill has an extra line on it, here's what restaurant surcharges are allowed in California.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 8, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality · Checked November 8, 2026
A/B/C score ranges and meanings, CLOSED sign and reopening rules
- PrimarySD Food Info
County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality · Checked November 8, 2026
Point values, posting rule, inspection types and results, grocery grading, historical reports, error corrections
- PrimaryFood Program
County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality · Checked November 8, 2026
13,800 facilities, 8,100+ restaurants, 32,000+ inspections a year, 18 cities
- PrimaryFood Complaints
County of San Diego, Department of Environmental Health and Quality · Checked November 8, 2026
Complaint desk, no anonymous complaints, foodborne illness line
NBC 7 San Diego · Published September 26, 2017
Share of A grades, comparison with other counties, two routine inspections a year
NBC 7 San Diego · Published March 5, 2013
Food truck grade decals with QR codes began March 2013