Please wash your hands: This week’s Triangle restaurant sanitation scores (Aug. 23)
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 Aug. 16-23.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County sanitation grades database was down this week, but we requested and received reports for restaurants that scored lower than 90% during their inspections between Aug. 16-22.
▪ Four restaurants received B grades during the requested timeframe.
Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse (220 Nottingham Dr., Cary) received a score of 82% during an inspection on Aug. 19.
- The inspector noted violations of 16 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included a bin being used to store fresh spaghetti being dirty “with spotted black microbial” on the outside, an ice machine having “accumulated black growth” and lemons in a walk-in cooler having “fuzzy growth.”
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
KFC (3408 Poole Rd., Raleigh) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Aug. 16.
- The inspector noted violations of 13 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
- Violations included there being no date markings on food, an employee making sandwiches with their bare hands and greasy dishes being stored as clean.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
Naga’s South Indian Cuisine (1000 Lower Shiloh Way, Morrisville) received a score of 85% during a reinspection on Aug. 17.
- The inspector noted violations of 17 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to four points.
- Violations included food employees not washing their hands when changing tasks, a food employee not using soap or warm water to wash their hands and foods being held at incorrect temperatures.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
Virgil’s Cocktails and Cocina (126 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh) received a score of 87% during an inspection on Aug. 18.
- The inspector noted violations of 22 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included an employee leaving the bathroom and returning to the kitchen without washing their hands, the main ice machine having heavy pink and black residue and several foods being stored without date markings.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
Durham County sanitation scores
The Durham County inspection management system shows that 26 restaurant inspections were completed between Aug. 16-23.
▪ 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%.
La Cocina #9 (2121 TW Alexander Dr. Suite 119, Morrisville) received a score of 85% during an inspection on Aug. 18.
- The restaurant was in violation of 20 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to two points.
- Violations included a food employee using their cellphone, then touching food without washing their hands; another employee wiping their face and nose with their hand, then handling “single service items” without washing their hands; multiple containers, lids and knives with food debris on them being stored as clean; and several foods being stored without date markings.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored a 93.5% in January, a 97% in September 2021 and a 95% 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 Aug. 16-23.
▪ All 15 restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
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 was down Tuesday morning, and sanitation scores for Aug. 16-23 were not immediately available. We’ll update this story if the scores become available.
This story was originally published August 23, 2022 at 9:59 AM.
