Roaches, flies and undercooked meat: Worst Triangle restaurant scores in August

North Carolina health inspectors found multiple violations at restaurants in the Triangle in August, including undercooked meats, dirty dishes stored as clean plus live flies and multiple roaches.

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 the restaurants that received the lowest scores in the last month.

Worst Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County inspection management system shows restaurant inspections completed in August.

Shaw University Cafeteria at 118 E. South St. in Raleigh

• The restaurant received a score of 89.5% on Thursday, Aug. 21 and was in violation of nine standards.
• Violations included pans of rice and chopped grilled chicken on the hot holding line not at proper temperature, three walk-in coolers are no longer working and floor tile grout worn down and holding water/debris in kitchen.
• The restaurant previously scored 93% in March 2025 and 95.5% in October 2024. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Hyderabadi Biryani Pointe at 2711 NC-55 in Cary

• The restaurant received a score of 87.5% on Monday, Aug. 11 and was in violation of 11 standards.
• Violations included no available soap at the prep area handwashing sink, but only hand sanitizer instead. Single-use plastic containers were also being reused to portion various dry ingredients, and the walls and floors throughout the kitchen were soiled with food and debris.
• The restaurant previously scored 91% in April 2025 and 90% in July 2024. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

PandyaNad at 4325 Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh

• The restaurant received a score of 86.5% on Monday, Aug. 11 and was in violation of 17 standards.
• Violations included staff members serving, preparing and packaging food items observed not wearing hair restraints during tasks, surfaces of the cooking equipment had heavy encrusted grease and food deposits. There was also no working refrigeration equipment available for the front service production area to ensure products were maintained at the necessary temperature. 
• The restaurant previously scored 94% in June 2025 and 95.5% in November 2024.
• It was inspected again Thursday, Aug. 21 and scored 96%.

The Pit at 328 W Davie St. in Raleigh

• The restaurant received a score of 87% on Thursday, Aug. 7 and was in violation of 15 standards.
• Violations included a few live flies in the kitchen, several covered containers of food stored under a leaking condenser line in the walk-in cooler and several metal pans stored as clean observed stacked wet.
• The restaurant previously scored 90% in December 2024 and 94.5% in September 2024.
• It was inspected again Tuesday, Aug. 19 and scored 97.5%.

Saltgrass Steakhouse at 6601 Knightdale Blvd. in Knightdale

• The restaurant received a score of 88.5% on Monday, Aug. 4 and was in violation of eight standards.
• Violations included multiple containers of raw beef being stored over top of containers of raw fish, multiple dishes that were deemed clean with food debris and a few moist and soiled wiping cloths on counter tops.
• The restaurant previously scored 92% in March 2025 and 93% in July 2024. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Flavor Hills (319 Fayetteville St Suite 105 in Raleigh) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Friday, Aug. 1.

• The restaurant was in violation of 13 standards.
• Violations included several metal pans, bowls and utensils being stored as clean observed with food debris, all of the shelving in the walk-in cooler had food debris and black residue accumulation and several food employees observed handling raw meats and eggs without washing their hands before moving to another task.
• The restaurant previously scored 90% in April 2025 and 86.5% in February 2025.
• It was inspected again Friday, Aug. 15 and scored 93%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Wake County at bit.ly/4dGbJN3.

Worst Durham County sanitation scores

Wheat at 810 9th St #130 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 88% on Thursday, Aug. 28 and was in violation of 14 standards.
• Violations included raw eggs stored next to unwashed produce, which were both stored above ready-to-eat food in the walk-in cooler. There was also brown residue inside the ice machine and chicken fried rice coming off the grill cooked 22 degrees lower than necessary. 
• The restaurant previously scored 95.5% in May and 97.5% in January 2025. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

The Loop at 1116 Broad St. in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 89.5% on Wednesday, Aug. 27 and was in violation of 12 standards.
• Violations included grilled chicken coming off the grill found to be 28 degrees lower than necessary and multiple containers stacked wet. Multiple items throughout the inspection such as ice cream, onions, tomatoes, and lemons were also found without covers on them.
• The restaurant previously scored 95.5% in May 2025 and 96% in January 2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Randy’s Pizza at 2121 TW Alexander Dr. in Morrisville

• The restaurant received a score of 88% on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations included knives stored as clean visible build-up and debris along the bottom of the blades near the handles, multiple frozen foods in a standing freezer without lids or any type of covering, and two employees not wearing hair restraints.
• The restaurant previously scored 91% in June 2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Urban Turban Indian Grill and Bar at 1125 NC-54 #301 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 88% on Wednesday, Aug. 20 and was in violation of 15 standards.
• Violations included multiple dishes observed with sticker residual on the food contact surface, several clean utensils stored in containers on the floor and food splatter on walls in multiple areas.
• The restaurant previously scored 90% and 85.5% in May 2025. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Twisted Noodle at 4201 University Dr STE 112 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 88.5% on Tuesday, Aug. 19 and was in violation of 14 standards.
• Violations included an employee cutting unwashed cabbage on the cutting board at the make line, another who scooped rice in the kitchen without a hair restraint and missing date markings for cooked brown rice in the walk-in, and for wontons, cooked potatoes, and tofu in the reach-in.
• The restaurant previously scored 94% in May 2025 and 93% in January 2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Waffle House at 3500 Hillsborough Rd. in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 87.5% on Thursday, Aug. 14 and was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations included multiple containers of utensils above the grill found with food debris in them and a box of to-go containers found stored on the floor in the dry storage room. The interior, including gasket, and exteriors of the fliptop cooler, four-door fridge, and more were also in need of cleaning.
• The restaurant previously scored 96% in January 2025. 
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Tacos Number Juan at 910 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy. in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 86.5% on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and was in violation of 15 standards.
• Violations included an employee preparing garnish with bare hands, multiple wet wiping cloths stored on the prep counters and gallon of milk was observed opened without any date mark indicating when it was opened. Additionally, the same milk gallon was being used past its manufacturer’s expiration date
• The restaurant previously scored 90.5% and 88% in May 2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Thai 55 at 2223 NC-54 STE Q in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 88% on Monday, Aug. 11 and was in violation of 13 standards.
• Violations included pink and black build up on the ice machine deflector and the walls of the ice machine almost touching the ice, tongs were stored on the oven door and several others in a bucket on the ground, and a sheet pan of egg rolls were observed uncovered in the reach-in freezer.
• The restaurant previously scored 89.5% in June 2025 and 91.5% in February 2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

Top’s China Restaurant at 1205 University Dr. in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 82% on Friday, Aug. 8 and was in violation of 21 standards.
• Violations included multiple utensils with build up, raw chicken thawing on the floor in buckets and multiple roaches crawling on surfaces in the facility.
• The restaurant previously scored 97.5% in April 2025 and 9.3% in March2025.
• It has not been reinspected, according to county documents, as of publication.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Durham County at bit.ly/3pVQfpG.

Worst Chatham County sanitation scores

Pittsboro Food Mart at 133 Hillsboro St. in Pittsboro

• The restaurant received a score of 86.5% on Friday, Aug. 1 and was in violation of 14 standards.
• Violations included a food employee not washing hands before handling food, another observed handling unpackaged food without effective hair restraints and the bathroom toilet was dirty and stopped up with tissue paper.
• The restaurant previously scored 91.5% in May 2025 and 97% in December 2024.
• It was inspected again Monday, Aug. 11 and received a 92%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Chatham County at bit.ly/3JfiHwq.

All restaurants in Orange and Johnston counties inspected during the month of August received A grades.

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 12:32 PM.