Triangle restaurant gets ‘B’ for moldy chicken, food on floor: Scores (Oct. 21)

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 Oct. 7-14.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County inspection management system shows that 90 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 4-21.

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

Imperial Garden Chinese Restaurant (7713 Lead Mine Rd #15 in Raleigh) received a score of 86.5% on Friday, Oct. 17.

• The restaurant was in violation of 12 standards.
• Violations included several lemons and oranges with microbial growth on their peels, dried-on meat debris and red droplets on the slicer and meat grinder under the prep table next to a prep sink and food debris buildup inside the reach-in freezer.
• The restaurant previously scored 90.5% in March 2025 and 90% in July 2024.

Luna Azul Tacos Y Mariscos (2645 E Millbrook Rd. in Raleigh) received a score of 87% on Friday, Oct. 17.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included no date on moldy salsa and green moldy cooked chicken in the side prep unit, very moldy peppers and cilantro, along with several live fruit flies observed in the kitchen and front service and bar areas.
• The restaurant previously scored 88% in June 2025 and 96.5% in November 2024.

Gen Ramen (2330 Bale St # 112 in Raleigh) received a score of 85.5% on Thursday, Oct. 16.

• The restaurant was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations included multiple containers stored as clean with sticker residue remaining, and a couple with food residue. There was also a large pan of hard boiled eggs cooling on the floor in the kitchen and a food handler observed working with food without wearing a hat or hair net.
• The restaurant previously scored 92% in June 2025 and 96.5% in November 2024.

Hilton Raleigh North Hills - 88 Oaks (3415 Wake Forest Rd. in Raleigh) received a score of 87.5% on Thursday, Oct. 16.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included a food handler observed working with food without wearing a hat or hair net and a clean dish storage rack with residue/debris accumulation. On the breakfast buffet, cut melon, cream cheese, 2% milk and whole milk were not at the proper cold holding temperatures.
• The restaurant previously scored 94% in March 2025 and 94.5% in August 2024.

Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet (3131 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh) received a score of 88% on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included an open fly strip hanging over boxes of stored food and food prep sink area, multiple containers of prepared foods stored under open rusting/peeling wire shelving without covers in the walk-in coolers and reach-in cold-hold units, and black char accumulation and residue in the hot-holding oven.
• The restaurant previously scored 90% in March 2025 and 94% 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 that 42 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 14-20.

• Most restaurants received an A grade.
• Two restaurants received a B grade.

Federal (914 W Main St. in Durham) received a score of 87% on Monday, Oct. 20.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included numerous flies observed in the kitchen and raw fish and shrimp stored above ready to eat shredded pork in low reach in a glass front cooler. There were also multiple containers of items such as sour cream, cut lettuce, pico and chicken without any date marking in low boy coolers and the walk-in cooler. 
• The restaurant previously scored 95.5% in April 2025 and 97% in December 2024. 

Zaxby’s (3520 Hillsborough Rd. in Durham) received a score of 87% on Friday, Oct. 17.

• The restaurant was in violation of 20 standards.
• Violations included egg rolls in the freezer found uncovered and unwrapped, an ice machine found dirty around the ice chute, and a 4-compartment sink had sewage spilling onto the floor when all compartments were emptied.
• The restaurant previously scored 97% in June 2025 and 94.5% in January 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 ten restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 14-20.

• 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 40 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 14-20.

• All restaurants received an A grade.

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 one restaurant inspection was completed Oct. 14-20.

• The restaurant received an A grade.

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

This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM with the headline "Triangle restaurant gets ‘B’ for moldy chicken, food on floor: Scores (Oct. 21)."