Two Raleigh Italian restaurants get ‘B’ grades: Triangle sanitation scores (Feb. 7)

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 Wake and Durham counties for the week of Jan. 31-Feb. 7.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County sanitation grades database shows that at least 100 inspections were completed between Jan. 31-Feb. 7.

▪ 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%.

Gravy (135 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Feb. 2.

• The restaurant was in violation of 15 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to two points.

• Violations included several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, several foods being stored past the allowed seven days, raw chicken being stored above alfredo sauce and raw salmon in a prep cooler and boxes of food being stored on the floor of the walk-in freezer.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 90.5% in September 2022, a 95.5% in May 2022 and a 92.5% in February 2022.

Vic’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria (4035 Lake Boone Trail #109, Raleigh) received a score of 88% on Feb. 2.

• The restaurant was in violation of 12 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.

• Violations included cooked pasta being stored inside a pan of breaded raw chicken, food debris and sticker residue on clean dishes, foods being held at incorrect temperatures and large containers of sauce being stored on the floor of the walk-in freezer.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 92.5% and 87.5% in October 2022, and a 93% in June 2022.

▪ 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 at wake-nc.healthinspections.us.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows that 47 restaurant inspections were completed between Jan. 31-Feb. 7.

▪ Most restaurants received an A grade.

▪ Three restaurants received a B grade.

Church’s Chicken (942 N. Miami Blvd., Durham) received a score of 85% during an inspection on Jan. 31. The restaurant had been inspected earlier in January and received a score of 72%, a C grade.

• The restaurant was in violation of 11 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.

• Violations included multiple employees not washing their hands when contaminated, “all cooking equipment throughout the facility” being in need of “excess cleaning” and several foods being held at incorrect temperatures.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored an 86% in September 2022, a 97% in June 2022 and a 93.5% in September 2021.

Pei Wei Express (inside The Streets at Southpoint, 6910 Fayetteville Rd., Durham) received a score of 85% during an inspection on Jan. 31.

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

• Violations included a “lack of managerial control over food safety,” most foods on the serving line being stored at incorrect temperatures, a bucket of soy sauce being stored on the floor and employees not wearing hair restraints.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored an 88% in July 2022, an 85% in June 2022 and a 91% in January 2021.

Taqueria Jalisco (1517 Glenn School Rd., Durham) received a score of 85% during an inspection on Feb. 2.

• The restaurant was in violation of 13 state standards, with point deductions ranging from zero to three points.

• Violations included soiled pans and hand-held dicers being stored as clean, several foods being held at incorrect temperatures, some food being stored past the allowed seven days and a grill employee not washing their hands between handling raw meat and kitchen equipment.

• Some violations were corrected during the inspection.

• The restaurant previously scored a 93.5% in December and July 2022.

▪ No restaurants received a C grade.

▪ 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 11 restaurants were inspected between Jan. 31-Feb. 7.

▪ All restaurants received an A grade.

Johnston County sanitation scores

The Johnston County sanitation inspections database shows that 16 restaurants were inspected between Jan. 31-Feb. 7.

▪ All restaurants received an A grade.

You can search all restaurant inspections in Johnston County at johnston-nc.healthinspections.us.