2 popular chain restaurants get ‘B’ grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 28)
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 Wake and Durham counties for the week of Feb. 21-28.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that at least 100 inspections were completed between Feb. 21-28.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Four restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Applebee’s (501 E. Six Forks Rd., Raleigh) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Feb. 21.
- The restaurant was in violation of 17 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
- Violations included raw shrimp being stored above spinach dip and cooked onions, corndogs in the reach-in freezer that had been prepared more than two weeks prior to the inspection, a bug light being installed above tea urns and dried blood on a work surface.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 91.5% in December 2022.
Applebee’s (11805 Retail Dr., Wake Forest) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Feb. 27.
The restaurant was in violation of 16 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.
Violations included several dirty dishes and other kitchen equipment being stored as clean, residue in the ice machine and several foods being held at incorrect temperatures.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 93% in November 2022.
Carolina Ale House (2240 Walnut St., Cary) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Feb. 23.
- The restaurant was in violation of 11 state standards, with point deductions ranging from 0.5 to two points.
- Violations included an employee returning from outside and not washing their hands before working with food, black growth inside the tea dispenser nozzle and several foods being held at incorrect temperatures.
- The restaurant previously scored a 97.5% in November 2022, an 86% in September 2022 and a 91% in June 2022.
Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant (1207 Hillsborough St., Raleigh) received a score of 87% during an inspection on Feb. 23.
- The restaurant was in violation of 11 state standards, with point deductions ranging from 0.5 to three points.
- Violations included employees starting the workday without washing their hands, several foods not being held at correct temperatures and no foods in the walk-in cooler having date markings on them.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 93% in September 2022, a 94.5% in March 2022 and an 87.5% in September 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 at wake-nc.healthinspections.us.
Durham County sanitation scores
The Durham County inspection management system shows that 42 restaurant inspections were completed between Feb. 21-28.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.
▪ Two restaurants received a B grade.
Justin’s Restaurant / Bar (1013 W. Main St., Durham) received a score of 83% during an inspection on Feb. 21.
- The restaurant was in violation of 22 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to two points.
- Violations included two employees not washing their hands before handling food, several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, a “loaded peanut butter rat trap” on a shelf holding food ingredients and “evidence of rodents chewing through” a box of cornbread mix.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 90.5% in November 2022.
Wingstop (3600 N. Duke St., Durham) received a score of 84% during an inspection on Feb. 24.
- The restaurant was in violation of 17 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included an employee not washing their hands before preparing food, an employee bagging french fries with their bare hands and black and pink mold on the lip of the ice machine.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 92% in September 2022, and a 98% in January 2022 and June 2021.
▪ No restaurants received a C grade.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade.
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 18 restaurants were inspected between Feb. 21-28.
▪ 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 sanitation inspections database shows that 23 restaurants were inspected between Feb. 21-28.
▪ All restaurants received an A grade.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County at johnston-nc.healthinspections.us.
