‘Standing sewage’ found at Durham restaurant: Latest Triangle inspections
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pomodoro Italian Kitchen flagged for standing sewage and uncovered seafood/foods.
- Tacos Number Juan cited for uncovered freezer items no longer cooling and grease spill.
- All listed counties except Durham reported only A grades that week.
Update: 20+ Triangle restaurants reinspected after health violations. See the new scores
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 from Feb. 17-23.
Wake County sanitation scores
The Wake County inspection management system shows 122 restaurant inspections were completed from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23. All received an A grade.
Durham County sanitation scores
The Durham County inspection management system shows 35 restaurant inspections were completed from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23. Two restaurants received a B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):
Pomodoro Italian Kitchen (1811 Hillandale Road) received a score of 89.5% on Tuesday, Feb. 17
- The restaurant was in violation of 17 standards.
- Violations include leaks under sinks causing drainage problems with “standing sewage” addressed during the inspection, raw seafood on a cooler stored over whipping cream and covers were off cheese and partially off of some meat in the freezer, among others.
- The restaurant previously scored a 96% in August 2025.
Tacos Number Juan (910 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway) received a score of 87.5% on Friday, Feb. 20.
- The restaurant was in violation of 14 standards.
- Violations include several items in the walk-in freeze “were uncovered and no longer cooling properly,” yellow stained ceiling tiles near the grill, outdoor grease trap spilling onto the ground near the dumpster area and “in-house sauces and salsas” were not full submerged in its ice bath, among others.
- The restaurant previously scored a 90% in October 2025.
Orange County sanitation scores
The Orange County inspection management system shows 22 restaurant inspections were completed from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23. All received an A grade.
Johnston County sanitation scores
The Johnston County inspection management system shows 38 restaurant inspections were completed from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23. All received an A grade.
Chatham County sanitation scores
The Chatham County inspection management system shows six restaurant inspections were completed from Feb. 17 to Feb. 23. All received an A grade.
This story was originally published February 24, 2026 at 10:54 AM.
