Moldy salsa, past-date sour cream in Triangle restaurants: latest inspections

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 explained what those scores mean and how they’re calculated.

Here are sanitation scores in Triangle counties from May 19 - June 1.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County inspection management system shows 151 restaurant inspections were completed May 19 - June 1. Five restaurants received a B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):

Beto El Poblano (13100 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh) received a score of 88.5% on Monday, June 1.

• The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards.
• Violations include “microbial growth” found on cooked meat, mango habanero salsa and sour cream in the walk-in cooler, ready-to-eat food in the walk-in cooler not held at improper temperatures and raw pork “found stored in a black trash bag,” among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored a B grade in May 2026.

Flavor Hill (319 Fayetteville St., Raleigh) received a score of 82% on Thursday, May 28.

• The restaurant was in violation of 25 standards.
• Violations include multiple hot and cold food not held at proper temperatures, some live fruit flies and “pink and black microbial film buildup along ice baffle, not currently in direct contact with ice below,” among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in January 2026.

Hyderabadi Biryani Pointe (2711 NC Highway 55, Cary) received a score of 83% on Thursday, May 21.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations include no hand soap available at any handwashing sinks, some dry ingredients uncovered and undated and numerous flies found in the kitchen, among others.
• The restaurant previously scored a B grade in August 2025.

Mamacita Apex (2045 Creekside Landing Drive, Apex) received a score of 89% on Tuesday, May 19.

• The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards.
• Violations include raw eggs stored above produce in the walk-in cooler, dish washer not registering any chlorine for correct sanitizing and some food not held at proper temperatures due to a “power issue.“
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in September 2025.

Nazara Indian Bistro (1945 High House Road, Cary) received a score of 85% on Wednesday, May 27.

• The restaurant was in violation of 15 standards.
• Violations include cooked eggplant, chicken, goat and paneer without dates, containers stored as clean but with food residue on them and multiple foods being held at the wrong temperatures.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in August 2025.

The restaurant was re-inspected on Thursday, May 28, and received an A grade with score of 97.5%.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows 66 restaurant inspections were completed May 19 - June 1. Five restaurants received a B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):

Bulldega Urban Market (129 W. Parrish St., Durham) received a score of 83.5% on Tuesday, May 26.

• The restaurant was in violation of 18 standards.
• Violations include sour cream, still in use, with a use-by date of April 16, “little to no handwashing” while employees switched tasks, “several containers of grab salad” being used two days past the seven days allowed, cartons of eggs and other food items stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer and cooler, among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in January 2026.

Chelsea Cafe (1007 Slater Road, Suite 190, Durham) received a score of 89.5% on Thursday, May 21.

• The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards.
• Violations include a strand of hair on roasted potatoes, cutting blocks “deeply stained” and “deep stains from old food spillage” in a freezer, among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in February 2026.

The restaurant was re-inspected on Thursday, May 28, and received an A grade with a score of 96.5%.

iHop (1821 N. Pointe Drive, Durham) received a score of 87.5% on Wednesday, May 27.

• The restaurant was in violation of 13 standards.
• Violations include leaks observed in the handles of a handwashing sink, multiple food items held at the wrong temperature in a cooler and multiple items in the coolers and freezers didn’t have covers on them, among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored a B grade in February 2026.

Koki (104 City Hall Plaza, Suite 101, Durham) received a score of 88 on Thursday, May 21.

• The restaurant was in violation of 13 standards.
• Violations include several cartons of liquid eggs with a use-by date of May 13, hollandaise sauce with a use-by date of Feb. 1 and two containers of Italian cheese with a use-by date of May 4, raw chicken on a prep container for the duration inspection and cooked pasta with a prepared date of April 12, among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in July 2025.

Refuel 117 (2716 Guess Road, Durham) received a score of 83.5% on Wednesday, May 27.

• The restaurant was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations include handwashing sinks without soap, employees putting on gloves without washing their hands and multiple products made the previous day that did not have dates on it, among other violations.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in February 2026.

Orange County sanitation scores

The Orange County inspection management system shows 27 restaurant inspections were completed May 19 - June 1. All received an A grade.

Johnston County sanitation scores

The Johnston County inspection management system shows 28 restaurant inspections were completed May 19 - June 1. All received an A grade.

Chatham County sanitation scores

The Chatham County inspection management system shows eight restaurant inspections were completed May 19 - June 1. All received an A grade.

This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 8:20 AM with the headline "Moldy salsa, past-date sour cream in Triangle restaurants: latest inspections."

Anna Roman

The News & Observer

919-829-4807

Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.