Mice droppings, mold & flies: Worst Triangle restaurant inspections in May

North Carolina health inspectors found multiple violations at restaurants in the Triangle in May.

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.

Here are the restaurants that received some of the lowest ratings in Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston and Chatham counties.

Worst Wake County sanitation scores

Mamacita Apex at 2045 Creekside Landing Dr. in Apex

• The restaurant received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Wednesday, May 21 and was in violation of 16 standards.

• Violations included raw eggs stored above produce in the walk-in cooler, raw fish, shrimp and chicken stored above ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler and multiple wiping cloths were stored on counter surfaces and cutting boards.

• The restaurant previously scored 92% in November 2024 and 96% in August 2024.

• Mamacita has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Worst Durham County sanitation scores

The Goat at 5600 Primary Dr. in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Thursday, May 22 and was in violation of 18 standards.

• Violations included heavily molded strawberries in the walk-in cooler, knives, numerous containers, sauce bottles and baking sheets stored as clean with visible debris, and dusty build-up seen on ceiling vent and nearby tiles above the food prep area.

• The restaurant previously scored 92% in December 2024 and 95.5% in September 2024.

• The Goat has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Tacos Number Juan at 910 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 88% during an inspection on May 21 and was in violation of 18 standards.

• Violations included homemade salsas in the salsa cooler in the dining area warmer than necessary temperature, multiple flies throughout the facility and several food handling employees observed not wearing hair restraints.

• The restaurant previously scored 96% in February 2025 and 96.5% in October 2024.

• Tacos Number Juan has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Urban Turban Indian Grill and Bar at 1125 W NC 54 Hwy Suite 301 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 85.5% during an inspection on Friday, May 2 and was in violation of 18 standards.

• Violations included multiple dishes stored as clean with food debris still on food contact surfaces, single-use items stored on the floor near the dish area and food splatter on walls in multiple areas.

• The restaurant previously scored 94% in November 2024 and 90% in July 2024.

• Urban Turban Indian has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Note: The restaurant’s website lists its address as 1125 NC-54 #301, Durham, NC 27707.

Yaya Tea Golden Belt at 807 E Main St Ste 2-150 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Thursday, May 1 and was in violation of 12 standards.

• Violations included dusty buildup on the hood vent covers and water with food debris observed under the cold drawers. None of the employees were wearing hair restraints during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored 88% in January 2024 and 91% in August 2023.

• Yaya Tea Golden Belt has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Note: This restaurant’s website lists its name as Yaya Tea, but it is located in Golden Belt Campus.

Worst Johnston County sanitation scores

Micro Mini-Mart at 102 US-301 in Micro

• The restaurant received a score of 87% during an inspection on Tuesday, May 27 and was in violation of 12 standards.

• Violations included hot dogs and chili were colder than necessary temperature, mice droppings noted inside cabinet at the front of store, and general equipment cleaning is needed throughout facility including grease trap area, pipes, lines, etc.

• The restaurant previously scored 92.5% in February 2025 and 94.5% in October 2024.
• Micro Mini-Mart has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

All restaurants inspected Chatham County during May received A grades.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Mice droppings, mold & flies: Worst Triangle restaurant inspections in May."

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription