Rodent poop ‘lined the walls’ of this Triangle bar: Restaurant sanitation scores (Oct. 31)
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 Oct. 25-31.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that at least 100 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 25-31.
▪ All restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
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 25 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 25-31.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.
▪ One restaurant received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Justin’s Restaurant & Bar (1013 W. Main St. in Durham) received a score of 80.5% during an inspection on Oct. 26
The restaurant was in violation of 19 standards. Of these, nine were considered critical violations.
The inspection report says “the kitchen manager stated they stored raw pasta and other ingredients in the walk in cooler because rodents were problematic,” finding rodents had chewed through a food bag and contaminated items. Rodent feces lined the walls and equipment upstairs, and the inspector found holes from rodents around the kitchen, dining room and ceiling. The establishment used peanut butter rat traps in the kitchen and upstairs.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored 94.5% in APril 2023 and 83% in February 2023.
▪ No restaurants received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but lower than 80%.
▪ 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 six restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 25-31.
▪ 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 13 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 25-31.
▪ All restaurants received an A 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 that nine restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 25-31.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.
▪ One restaurant received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
Kingston 99 Kitchen (192 Lorax Ln. Suite B in Pittsboro) received a score of 89% during an inspection on Oct. 27.
The restaurant was in violation of 11 standards. Of these, five were considered critical violations.
Serious violations included seeing an employee not wash their hands between tasks and gloving and seeing “flies in multiple areas of the establishment, including the kitchen.”
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored 97% in Aug. 2023.
▪ No restaurants received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but lower than 80%.
▪ No restaurants received a failing grade.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Chatham County at bit.ly/3JfiHwq.
