What Do Those Inspection Grades at Your Favorite Restaurant Really Mean?

I once worked as a restaurant bartender, but the reason I got the job was because I spoke fluent English, and could communicate with customers when needed. My language skills came in handy that one time we had a fire. I also had to be there for the local health department inspections, otherwise no one would understand what needed to be fixed. 

Restaurants are inspected by various government agencies, depending on the state or even local regulations. These inspections are crucial to make sure the restaurant meets standards for safe food storage, handling, and cooking, plus sanitation standards for the business as a whole. The results of these inspections can be posted as a percentage, a grade, or some other scale. If the results are bad enough, the restaurant will be shut down until conditions improve. But how are we to interpret passing grades that vary from one place to another? Weird History Food takes us through the system so we can understand what we are getting into a little better.