Bugs and handwashing violations: This week’s Triangle sanitation scores (Aug. 9)

The News & Observer publishes a weekly round-up of restaurant sanitation scores to keep you up-to-date on the health grades at Triangle 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 foodborne 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 Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston counties for the week of Aug. 2-9.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that 100 restaurants were inspected between Aug. 2-9.

▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.

▪ Three restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.

Lonerider at Five Points (1626 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Aug. 5.

• The restaurant was in violation of 22 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.

• Violations included pink residue build-up in the ice machine, black residue build-up in the soda gun nozzles at the bar, metal dishes with food debris being stored as clean, several cold items being stored at too warm of a temperature, several food items lacking date markings and a dead bug found behind spice bins.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 97% in December 2021, a 96.5% in June 2021 and a 95% in December 2020.

Pho Vietnam (1284 Buck Jones Rd., Raleigh) received a score of 89% during an inspection on Aug. 3.

• The restaurant was in violation of 18 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to 1.5 points.

• Violations included several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, “very few” food items having proper date markings, the restaurant not having a food thermometer and foods in the walk-in cooler being stored under a vent with “significant leaking.”

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• This is the only inspection on record for the restaurant in the Wake County restaurant sanitation grades database.

Wing Stop (4531 New Bern Ave. #100, Raleigh) received a score of 86% during an inspection on Aug. 5.

• The restaurant was in violation of 17 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.

• Violations included dishes being greasy to the touch, employees not washing their hands, pink and black residue in the ice machine and several flies in the kitchen.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 95.5% in February, a 94.5% in October 2021 and a 91% in June 2021.

▪ No restaurants in Wake County received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.

▪ No restaurants received a failing grade, or a score below 70%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Wake County by using the county’s inspection grades database at wake-nc.healthinspections.us.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows that 37 restaurant inspections were completed between Aug. 2-9.

▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.

▪ Two restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.

Thai at Main Street (317 W. Main St., Durham) received a score of 88% during an inspection on Aug. 3.

• The restaurant was in violation of 17 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.

• Violations included utensils with food debris on them being stored as clean, several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, bags of cooked tofu lacking date markings and many flies and gnats in the kitchen.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 96% in November 2021, a 95.5% in April 2021 and a 96% in February 2021.

Hardee’s (3912 N. Duke St., Durham) received a score of 84.5% during an inspection on Aug. 5.

• The restaurant was in violation of 16 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to four points.

• Violations included an employee placing raw ham on the grill, then touching the fryer basket, then completing a biscuit order, all without washing their hands in between; another employee picking up boxes from the floor, then going to the food line to prepare food without washing their hands in between; raw eggs dripping onto lettuce and tomatoes in the walk-in cooler; several foods being held at incorrect temperatures; and pink and black residue in the drink machine.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 96.5% in January, a 96% in April 2021 and a 98% in August 2020.

▪ No restaurants in Durham County received a C grade, or a score of at least 70% but less than 80%.

▪ No restaurants received a failing grade, or a score below 70%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Durham County using the county’s inspections database at bit.ly/3pVQfpG.

Orange County sanitation scores

The Orange County inspection management system shows that 14 restaurants were inspected between Aug. 2-9.

▪ All 14 restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Orange County using the county’s inspections database at bit.ly/3eQqpxc.

Johnston County sanitation scores

The Johnston County sanitation inspections database shows that 24 restaurants were inspected between Aug. 2-9.

▪ All 24 restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County using the county’s inspections database at johnston-nc.healthinspections.us.