Even though Charlotte’s restaurant selection continues to grow, so does our population, and some restaurants are taking advantage of this growing customer base by letting their health standards slide.
Some of the most common reasons for low scores were food handlers not washing their hands properly, contaminated food containers, and improper food temperatures (many restaurants are starting to use infrared thermometers to avoid this). You can see exactly what the inspectors look for on this blank copy of an inspection report.
These are the top 10 worst currently standing inspection scores in Mecklenburg County (some restaurants scored lower in November but were reinspected with higher scores before December 3rd):
#10 East African Cuisine
3200 Monroe Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 11/22/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed back dish pit handsink and bar handsink without paper towels.
- Observed bar hand sink with food residue in it.
- Observed back dish pit handsink and bar sink without soap.
- Observed an employee use a spray bottle of sanitizer at 0 ppm Cl on a prep surface. Also observed the dish machine functioning at 0 ppm Cl.
- Observed a spray bottle of sanitizer not labeled.
#9 The Wok
11508 Providence Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 11/13/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed raw eggs stored beneath raw beef, chicken and shrimp.
- Observed two deep, plastic pans of fried chicken and two large metal bowls of grilled chicken cooling in walk in between 50F and 70F.
- Observed noodles cooling in a covered plastic pan with no temperature change after 20 minutes.
- Observed a container of chicken in walk-in cooler and a bag of lettuce in reach in unit with no date marks to indicate when products were cooked/opened.
- Observed frozen meats stored directly on floor in walk in freezer.
- Observed food residue on handles of reach in units on cook line and on shelving in units throughout facility.
#8 Chicken Box Cafe
1331 W. Sugar Creek Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 11/20/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed raw turkey being thawed in 2 comp prep sink with cooked sweet potatoes being prepped in the adjacent compartment with water from the raw turkey flowing into the compartment with sweet potatoes contaminating the sweet potatoes.
- Observed a number of foods stored un-covered in walk-in freezer.
- Observed sanitizer had run out at dish machine, reading 0 ppm.
- Observed yellow gravy cooked and portioned yesterday in several 1/2 pint conainers with tight lids at 47-48 degrees cooling since last night (over 6 hrs).
- Observed a couple items thawed 2 days ago that were not marked with a date of thaw to track the 7 day shelf life of refrigeration allowed.
#7 Rock Bottom Brewery
401 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 11/17/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed food in hand washing sink in kitchen.
- Observed jalapeno stored in same container with raw shelled eggs in prep cooler.
- Observed several tcs foods in parts of coolers not holding temperatures at 45F or below. Some drawers in prep coolers at grill did not hold foods at 45F or below.
- Observed several foods such as lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and rice with out a date mark.
- Observed debris and food build up on shelves throughout the establishment.
- Observed no air thermometers in place in several coolers throughout the establishment.
#6 Asian Wok
10715 Park Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 90 (A) on 11/17/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed twist top employee beverage stored over prep refrigerator.
- Observed employees turn faucet off with their bare hands.
- Observed employee touch soiled cloth with their bare hands and not wash their hands.
- Observed employee touch chicken with their bare hands.
- Observed restroom out of disposable towels.
- Observed operator provided invoice from Sealand of “belt fish” but product was not listed as belt fish on label inside walk in freezer but as “ribbonfish”.
- Observed raw meat stored over sauce in walk in unit. Observed raw egg and raw shrimp stored over vegetable and rte food in flip top prep unit.
- Observed some pans, container and can opener stored as clean but soiled with food debris.
- Observed 3 containers of egg rolls prepared at 10am from day before w/ no date marked.
#5 Pho An Hoa
4832 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC
Scored 87.5 (B) on 11/15/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed an employee handle sprouts and jalepenos with bare hands.
- Observed raw eggs stored over cooked tripe and raw pork stored over broth.
- Observed build up on the inside of the boboa tea mixer lid today and on the noodle container being used to soak noodles.
- Observed cooked ginger stored at room temperature today. Beef at >45F on the make table due to being above the cold line.
- Observed tripe and 2 different types of cooked beef made 2 days ago that did not have dates on them.
#4 Carmel Place
5512 Carmel Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 86.5 (B) on 11/20/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed that facility does not have an employee health policy in place for employees to read and sign individually.
- Observed Milo employee touch pork tenderloin with bare hands when opening product for taking a temperature.
- Observed meat slicer with food debris under the blade housing and can opener with heavy food debris on the blade in back prep room.
- Observed employee at warewashing area immersing utensils in sanitizer vat for less than 5 seconds when instructions from manufacturer say to use a one minute contact time minimum.
- Observed butter holding at 58F in reach in and cheese holding at 56F on counter top next to hot holding steam wells.
- Observed facility using an 8 day date marking system with several TCS items dated for 8 days of shelf life.
- Observed garlic and oil mixture dated for 11/11 on its 9th day of shelf life.
- Observed unlabelled pink chemical in back closet with washer and dryer.
#3 Tsuki Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar
3429 Toringdon Way, Charlotte, NC
Scored 86.5 (B) on 11/22/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed food employee donning gloves without washing hands.
- Observed food employee taking off jewelry and placing hair restraint on then don gloves.
- Observed food employee going from dirty to clean at ware washing without washing hands.
- Observed raw chicken submerged/thawing on meat prep sink while shrimp was inside of basin being thawed under running water.
- Observed food employee wearing gloves going into walk in cooler come back out with container of noodle (used glove hands to scoop noodles) and food employee was cooking raw product on line.
- Observed food employees touching raw product and then using same gloves to touch ready to eat cherries for garnishment.
- Observed microwave soiled from previous night.
- Observed equipment and utensils stored as clean with food debris on it.
- Observed chicken and broccoli coming off at 148-150 degrees.
- Observed brown rice hot holding on counter at 118 degrees.
- Observed raw pooled eggs cold holding on line above 45 degrees, observed raw shell eggs on hibachi station cold holding above 45 degrees, observed salads cold holding on line above 45 degrees.
- Observed two containers of chicken, noodles, rice, and container of soup (riu) not date marked.
#2 Burger King at JCSU
100 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 86 (B) on 11/30/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed food employee rinse hands at hand washing sink.
- Observed food employees not wash hands after returning to service station.
- Observed hand sink near freezer blocked with empty crates.
- Observed no soap for hand washing at any sink in kitchen or service stations.
- Observed the interior portion of the ice machine with heavy build-up as well as the white rip.
- Observed no chemical sanitizer available to sanitize utensils.
- Observed several foods intended to hold hot, holding temperature below 135F.
- Observed eggs prepared more than 24 hours prior to inspection, with no date mark.
- Observed ham date marked for monad, PIC stated ham was opened today.
#1 The Factory Cafe
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd., Charlotte, NC
Scored 86 (B) on 11/17/2017
They had the following critical violations;
- Observed no hot water at hand washing sink at bar area.
- Observed no soap at hand washing sink near 3 dish washing area.
- Observed raw beef store above ready to eat foods such as condiments, cooked chicken, and produce.
- Observed raw beef stored above ready to eat chicken stock.
- Observed sanitizer concentration at dish machine at 0ppm chlorine.
- Observed cut tomatoes, and herb butter in prep cooler not holding temperature at 45F or below. Both food items were over stacked.
- Observed the majority of TCS foods in the establishment without date marks.
As of November 3rd, the above scores have not changed, but they can be increased (or decreased) at any time, as soon as they have a re-inspection.
If you’d like to monitor heath scores, or do a quick search for a restaurant you’re about to eat at, check out North Carolina’s health inspection database here.