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The Riverhouse Restaurant

4620 Highway 16, Smithers, V0J 2N6 · Restaurant

Official record from Northern Health →

Inspection summary

The Riverhouse Restaurant has been inspected 2 times by Northern Health Authority since February 15, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 8, 2025, recorded 4 infractions.

None of the 2 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination and Cleaning and sanitizing.

What these findings mean

Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.

  • Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk

    This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.

    Recorded 3 times on August 8, 2025. For example: 209 - Food not protected from contamination [s. 12(a)]

  • Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk

    Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.

    Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 8, 2025. For example: 302 - Critical Equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not properly washed and sanitized [s. 17(2)]

  • Other findingsLower risk

    Findings that do not fit the categories above, such as follow-ups that confirm an earlier violation was corrected, or requirements specific to this type of facility.

    Recorded once on February 15, 2024. For example: 402 - Critical Employee does not wash hands properly or at adequate frequency [s. 21(3)]

About this data

These results come from Northern Health Authority, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.

2 inspections

  1. Routine Inspection

    4 infractions

    • 209 - Food not protected from contamination [s. 12(a)]
      • Observation: Exhaust fan over fryer was observed coated in a thick dust along side a fan that was blowing towards the exhaust unit.
      • Corrective Action: Ensure proper cleaning protocol to prevent possibility of cross contamination and maintain a sanitary environement.
    • 209 - Food not protected from contamination [s. 12(a)]
      • Observation: Non- food grade plastic container was being used to brine french fries over night.
      • Corrective Action: Ensure only Food grade storage containers are being used to store any type of food to prevent possibility of chemical or physical contamination of food.
    • 209 - Food not protected from contamination [s. 12(a)]
      • Observation: (CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION) Poison ant bate traps were observed being use on the bar counter top as well as in the dry storage
      • Corrective Action: Remove immediatly and wash and sanitize area. Refrain from using poison bate anywhere inside areas where food is being prepared or stored to prevent possibility of cross contamination. As ants walk through the poison bate, they carry the poison on their feet, contaminating the srfaces they touch.
    • 302 - Critical Equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not properly washed and sanitized [s. 17(2)]
      • Observation: No active sanitizer detected in sanitizer containers or spray bottles/ buckets in the back of house. A large sealed container of Quat solution was made and observed being stored beneath counter - (Public Health Significance) Sanitizing solutions must be strong enough to destroy bacteria on surfaces to prevent the contamination of staff, clients or food on contact with the improperly cleaned surface.
      • Corrective Action: Change sanitizing solutions as required to always maintain an effective concentration (200 ppm unscented bleach, 200 ppm QUAT)- follow manufacturer's specifications)
  2. Routine Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 301 - Critical Equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not maintained in sanitary condition [s. 17(1)]
      • Observation: (CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION) At the time of inspection i asked multiple kitchen staff what they used as their food contact sanitizer i was given a bottle of "Fantastic with bleach" . This is not an approved sanitizer as it does not work directly on contact and requires a potable water rinse, without a rinse, there is the possibility to cause chemical contamination of food. . As per the instructions on the side of the bottle: the solution must remain wet for 10 minutes and then washed with potable water. This should not be used on food contact surfaces. When i asked the manager about the surface sanitizer, i was informed of a quat based sanitizer that they had on site and should have been using. No answer as to why the fantastic was on site and being used in the kitchen
      • Corrective Action: Bottles of the quat solution were prepared and to be used in the kitchen.
    • 402 - Critical Employee does not wash hands properly or at adequate frequency [s. 21(3)]
      • Observation: Observed employee who was preparing food and wearing gloves change tasks (handle chemical bottles, use the dishwasher), and go right back to preparing food without changing gloves and washing hands.
      • Corrective Action: Ensure hands are washed and gloves are changed after switching tasks to avoid possibility of cross contamination of food. Employee was educated onsite and manager was informed.

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