How grading works in San Diego County.

Start with the local scale

San Diego County (San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, El Cajon and every other city in the county) scores restaurant inspections out of 100 and posts a letter grade card, so a HIGHER score is better: 90 to 100 earns an A, 80 to 89 a B, and 79 or below a C. Each violation is marked major or minor; major violations are the most serious and must be corrected right away.

A score is not universal

Never compare results between cities. Some departments add points for violations, others use pass/fail, and a lower score can mean a better result.

Read beyond the latest result

Check the inspection date, each recorded violation, and any follow-up inspection. Closures and re-inspections are labeled in each restaurant’s history.