Mouse poop in food bins earns Triangle restaurant a ‘C’ grade: Scores (Sept. 9)

The News & Observer publishes a weekly roundup of restaurant sanitation scores to keep you up-to-date on the health grades at Triangle dining spots.

Sanitation scores and their corresponding letter grades are used in North Carolina to assess restaurants’ adherence to rules and standards intended to mitigate and prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses.

You’ve likely seen sanitation grade cards at restaurants you’ve visited, and The N&O previously what those scores mean and how they’re calculated.

Here are sanitation scores in Triangle counties from Sept. 2-9.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County inspection management system shows that 115 restaurant inspections were completed Sept. 2-8.

• Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
• Two restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.

Oakwood Deli (331 New Bern Ave. in Raleigh) received a score of 86% on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

• The restaurant was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations included several knives being stored as clean observed with food debris along the blades, containers of food stored on the floor in kitchen area and a few flies observed in the kitchen.
• The restaurant previously scored 95.5% in April 2025. 

Sushi Mon #2 (3800 Glenwood Ave #100 in Raleigh) received a score of 87% on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included raw fish stored over ready-to-eat brussel sprouts and limes, and raw fish stored directly on the floor in the kitchen. A food employee was also seen handling raw scallops with gloved hands, then using the same hands to cover the food with plastic wrap without first washing hands so as to not contaminate the plastic wrap holder and other clean surfaces.
• The restaurant previously scored 94.5% in January 2025 and 96% in April 2024.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Wake County at bit.ly/4dGbJN3.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows 24 restaurant inspections were completed Sept. 2-8.

• Most restaurants received an A grade.
• One restaurant received a B grade.

Tacos Number Juan (910 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy in Durham) received a score of 86.5% on Sept. 3.

• The restaurant was in violation of 14 standards.
• Violations included very few employees washing their hands at the appropriate time, multiped gnats observed throughout the facility, and several knives stored as clean on a dirty knife rack.
• The restaurant previously scored 86.5% in August and 90.5% in May 2025. 

You can search all restaurant inspections in Durham County at bit.ly/3pVQfpG.

Orange County sanitation scores

The Orange County inspection management system shows that 18 restaurant inspections were completed Sept. 2-8.

• All restaurants received an A grade.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Orange County at bit.ly/3eQqpxc.

Johnston County sanitation scores

The Johnston County inspection management system shows that 13 restaurant inspections were completed Sept. 2-8.

• Most restaurants received an A grade.
• One restaurant received a B grade.

Pine Level Food Mart (1880 US 70 A Hwy in Pine Level) received a score of 88% on Sept. 2.

• The restaurant was in violation of ten standards.
• Violations included raw shell eggs stored above cooked and cooled sausage from breakfast and condiments, and raw chicken and raw pork thawing by sitting on the drainboard of the prep sink. There was also cooked and cooled meats, opened bags of cooked vegetables, open egg rolls, chili and hot dogs without a date label on them.
• The restaurant previously scored 92.5% in April 2025 and 93.5% in January 2025.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County at bit.ly/4eEDuGr.

Chatham County sanitation scores

The Chatham County inspections management system shows that five restaurant inspections were completed Sept. 2-8.

• Most restaurants received an A grade. 
• One restaurant received a C grade, which is a score between 70-79%.

Ni Armor Hawaiian BBQ (517 West St. in Pittsboro) received a score of 78% on Sept. 3.

• The restaurant was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations included multiple dirty food pans, utensils, utensil bins and fly strips touching clean food pans, mouse droppings observed inside of clean food bins and numerous flies observed near a three-comp sink
• The restaurant previously scored 93% in April and January 2025.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Chatham County at bit.ly/3JfiHwq.

This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 10:24 AM with the headline "Mouse poop in food bins earns Triangle restaurant a ‘C’ grade: Scores (Sept. 9)."