Cary restaurant gets ‘A’ grade after reinspection: Triangle sanitation scores (March 21)
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 for the week of March 14-21.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that at least 100 inspections were completed between March 7-14.
▪ 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%.
Mecca Market (3913 Western Blvd., Raleigh) received a score of 84.5% during an inspection on March 15.
- The restaurant was in violation of 14 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included unclean food contact surfaces, some food not being cooked to a proper temperature, chicken not being held at a proper temperature on the steam table and foods not being marked with the dates they were prepared.
- The restaurant previously scored a 93% in December 2022, an 85.5% in July 2022 and a 96% in April 2022.
Mi Rancho (2549 S. Saunders St., Raleigh) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on March 14.
- The restaurant was in violation of 18 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, dishes being stored as clean having food debris and sticker residue on them and pink and black residue inside the ice machine.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 93.5% in October 2022, an 88% in September 2022 and a 91% in May 2022.
Thai’s Noodles (4101 Grace Park Dr., Morrisville) received a score of 88% during an inspection on March 16.
- The restaurant was in violation of 14 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included several foods being stored at incorrect temperatures, some foods missing date markings and bulk containers of sauces and produce being stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 94.5% and 86.5% in December 2022 and a 94% in June 2022.
The Handy Kitchen (9101 Leesville Rd., Suite 113) received a score of 86.5% during an inspection on March 13.
- The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included an employee not washing their hands before handling raw chicken, dry food residue in prep sinks, several foods being stored without date markings and “thick dust” on shelves, bulk bins and other containers.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 90.5% in August 2022, a 95% in April 2022 and a 95.5% in December 2021.
▪ One restaurant received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.
Okja K-Pub & Restaurant (1080 Darrington Dr., Cary) received a score of 79% during an inspection on March 15. NOTE: The restaurant was reinspected on March 30 and received a score of 96%, an A grade.
- The restaurant was in violation of 21 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included an employee washing their gloved hands instead of removing the gloves, crab being stored longer than the allowed seven days, tempura batter being stored on the floor and several raw fish items being stored above ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored an 83.5% in November 2022, a 90.5% in April 2022 and an 86% in March 2022.
▪ 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 29 restaurant inspections were completed between March 14-21.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.
▪ One restaurant received a B grade.
Curry Point Express (5400 S. Miami Blvd.. #100, Durham) received a score of 83% during an inspection on March 20.
- The restaurant was in violation of 21 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included an employee not properly washing their hands, an expired container of milk in the walk-in cooler and evidence of rodents in the kitchen.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored a 94.5% in October, a 91.5% in May 2022 and a 92.5% in December 2021.
Chili’s (6917 Fayetteville Rd., Durham) received a score of 89% during an inspection on March 20.
- The restaurant was in violation of 15 standards, with deductions ranging from zero to three points.
- Violations included many food containers with food debris and sticker residue on them, two gallons of chocolate milk being past their expiration date and an employee not wearing a hair restraint.
- Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored a 92% in October 2022, a 95.5% in January 2022 and a 96% in July 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 11 restaurants were inspected between March 14-21.
▪ 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 24 restaurants were inspected between March 14-21.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.
▪ One restaurant received a B grade.
Seven Food Mart (11585 N.C. Hwy 42 E, Middlesex) received a score of 88% during an inspection on March 14.
- The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards, with deductions ranging from 0.5 to three points.
- Violations included several foods not being held at proper temperatures and “a large volume of live and dead roaches.”
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored a 90% in December and September 2022, and a 91.5% in April 2022.
▪ No restaurants received a C grade.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County at johnston-nc.healthinspections.us.
Chatham County sanitation scores
The Chatham County inspections management system shows that six restaurants were inspected between March 14-21.
▪ All restaurants received an A grade.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Chatham County at bit.ly/3JfiHwq.
This story was originally published March 21, 2023 at 9:06 AM.
