Roaches out of control: This week’s Triangle sanitation scores (June 21)
The News & Observer publishes a weekly round-up of restaurant sanitation scores to keep you up-to-date on the health grades at Triangle 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 foodborne illnesses.
You’ve likely seen sanitation grade cards at restaurants you’ve visited, and The N&O previously explained what those scores mean and how they’re calculated.
Here are sanitation scores in Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston counties for the week of June 14-21.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that 100 restaurants were inspected between June 14-21.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Three restaurants received B grades, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Everest Kitchen (25 N. Main St., Wendell) received a score of 86.5% during an inspection on June 14.
- The restaurant was in violation of 24 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
- Violations included pink and black mold build up on the interior of an ice machine, several foods being held at the incorrect temperatures, many foods lacking date markings and some soiled food containers being stored as clean.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored a 93.5% in March, a 97% in October 2021 and an 86.5% in September 2021.
Kim’s Restaurant (6014 Duraleigh Rd., Raleigh) received a score of 85.5% during an inspection on June 16.
- The restaurant was in violation of 22 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to two points.
- Violations included employees beginning work or changing tasks without washing their hands, foods being held at the incorrect temperatures, numerous food items being stored without date markings and several flies being observed throughout the facility.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored a 96.5% in February, a 97% in September 2021 and a 95% in April 2021.
Taqueria El Toro (3601 Junction Blvd., Raleigh) received a score of 86.5% during an inspection on June 14.
- The restaurant was in violation of 20 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
- Violations included chicken being held at too low of a temperature, some previously prepared foods being stored without date markings and several flies being present in the kitchen.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored a 94.5% in March, a 97% in November 2021 and a 98% in July 2021.
▪ No restaurants in Wake County received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade, or a score below 70%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Wake County by using the county’s inspection grades database at wake-nc.healthinspections.us.
Durham County sanitation scores
The Durham County inspection management system shows that 16 restaurant inspections were completed between June 14-21.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Two restaurants received B grades, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Pupuseria & Taqueria Orellana (5300 N. Roxboro St. #2228, Durham) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on June 14.
- The restaurant was in violation of 15 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included spoiled lettuce being stored in a reach-in cooler, several foods being stored at incorrect temperatures and several ants crawling on the counter and near the handwashing sink.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored a 95% in December 2021, a 97.5% in May 2021 and a 97% in January 2021.
Wok’n Grille (5311 S. Miami Blvd., Durham) received a score of 83.5% during an inspection on June 16.
- The restaurant was in violation of 16 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to two points.
- Violations included raw meat being stored near vegetables and ready-to-eat foods, the restaurant not sanitizing dishes in the washing process, several foods lacking date markings and one live cockroach in the kitchen.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored a 95% in November 2021, a 95.5% in May 2021 and a 96% in February 2021.
▪ No restaurants in Durham County received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade, or a score below 70%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Durham County using the county’s inspections database at bit.ly/3pVQfpG.
Orange County sanitation scores
The Orange County inspection management system shows that 15 restaurants were inspected between June 14-21.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ One restaurant received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Walt’s Grill (111 S. Merritt Mill Rd., Chapel Hill) received a score of 88% during an inspection on June 17.
- The restaurant was in violation of 13 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
- Violations included soiled kitchen equipment throughout the facility, prepared foods lacking date markings and several cockroaches of “various ages and sizes” being observed in the facility, including one going across the restaurant’s prep table. The restaurant was described as not having “adequate control” over the cockroaches “at this time.”
Some violations were corrected during the inspection, the inspection report shows.
The restaurant previously scored an 83% in January 2022, an 88% in September 2021 and an 89% in June 2021.
▪ No restaurants in Orange County received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade, or a score below 70%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Orange County using the county’s inspections database at bit.ly/3eQqpxc.
Johnston County sanitation scores
The Johnston County sanitation inspections database shows that 28 restaurants were inspected between June 14-21.
▪ All 28 restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County using the county’s inspections database at johnston-nc.healthinspections.us.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Roaches out of control: This week’s Triangle sanitation scores (June 21)."
