‘Large rodent droppings’ found at Raleigh restaurant: Latest inspections

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 April 28 to May 4.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County inspection management system shows 83 restaurant inspections were completed April 28-May 4. One restaurant received a B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):

Sheeba Restaurant (3933 Western Blvd., Raleigh) received a score of 89% on Tuesday, April 28.

• The restaurant was in violation of 12 standards.
• Violations include raw meat not stored away from ready-to-eat food, “large rodent droppings” in the dry storage room and no dates seen “on any bulk food items” throughout the restaurant.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in October 2025.
• Note: While the inspection report calls this establishment “Sheeba Restaurant,” its name is now “Yemen Arabic Restaurant,” according to its employees.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows 42 restaurant inspections were completed April 28-May 4. One restaurant received a B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):

Tandoor Iron Grill Indian Restaurant (5410 NC 55 Highway, Suite I, Durham) received a score of 88.5% on Tuesday, April 28.

• The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards.
• Violations include several items stored for more than 24 hours in the walk-in cooler stored at the wrong temperatures, cooked foods with no dates and uncovered spices, among others.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in December 2025.

Orange County sanitation scores

The Orange County inspection management system shows 19 restaurant inspections were completed April 28-May 4. All received an A grade.

Johnston County sanitation scores

The Johnston County inspection management system shows 20 restaurant inspections were completed April 28-May 4. All received an A grade.

Chatham County sanitation scores

The Chatham County inspection management system shows seven restaurant inspections were completed April 28-May 4. One restaurant received B grade (a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%):

Pittsboro Food Mart (113 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro) received a score of 89% on Tuesday, April 28.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards.
• Violations include employees not washing their hands after using gloves, raw chicken was stored next to cooked chicken and temperatures were taken of ready-to-eat food, but the thermometer was not cleaned.
• The restaurant previously scored an A grade in January 2025.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 12:17 PM.

Anna Roman

The News & Observer

919-829-4807

Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.