Even though the Charlotte region’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).
These were the top 10 worst inspection scores in Charlotte for January, 2023;
#10 Bodega Deli
5600 ALBEMARLE RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28212
Scored 90.5 (A) on 1/25/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed no written procedures for vomiting and diarrhea cleanup.
- Observed 1 food employee not vigorously rub hands for required time and turn faucet off with bare hands after hand washing.
- Observed no soap provided at hand washing sink behind front counter.
- Observed box of raw chicken open stored over RTE cooked sausage.
- Observed raw beef stored over RTE food in reach in freezer.
- Observed food employee handle and prepare bowl of raw eggs then proceed to handle RTE bread.
- Observed pork not related within 2 hours and reached 109 degrees F.
- Observed sausage hot held at 66 degrees F.
- Observed cheese and eggs stored outside of refrigeration and greater than 41 degrees F.
- Observed ham changed in container according to staff but incorrect date on container.
- Observed medication and A and D ointment stored over food prep area and clean drain board of 3 compartmented sink.
#9 Baoding
4722 SHARON RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28210
Scored 90 (A) on 1/3/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed A number of PIC managerial duties not being fulfilled including: Handwashing, cooling methods, and maintaining temperatures.
- Observed multiple employee go inside of the walk in cooler and return to working with foods without washing their hands in between.
- Observed no paper towels provided at rear sink upon arrival.
- Observed raw chicken stored behind raw beef bot outside of original packaging inside of walk in freezer.
- Observed foods such as pooled eggs in two locations, beef in two locations, and cooked chicken also above temperature threshold of 41F.
- Observed lettuce prepared the day before holding inside of prep unit without date marking.
#8 Jackie Boys Grill & Tap
2910 MT HOLLY HUNTERSVILLE RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28214
Scored 88.5 (B) on 1/4/2022 (rescored to 96.5 (A) on 1/19)
They had the following violations;
- Observed no PIC at the facility at the hour of operation.
- Observed no CFPM at the facility.
- Observed food employee seems to have no knowledge about EHP.
- Observed food employee washed hands less than 10 seconds.
- Observed no hand soap at one of the hand sink, and no paper towels at the other handsink.
- Observed food thermometer with stickiness on the handle.
- Observed containers of cooked chicken, grill onion and peppers, pico, slice tomatoes trying to cool in WIC from a day before, temperature above 41F.
- Observed containers of cut lettuce trying to cool from a day before, temperature above 41F.
- Observed cooked chicken wings, cooked noodles, raw meats in WIC, above 41F.
- Observed boxes of fries in WIF stored on the floor.
#7 Just Salad
1021 MOREHEAD MEDICAL DR, CHARLOTTE NC 28204
Scored 88.5 (B) on 1/20/2023
They had the following violations;
- PIC was not physically present during inspection.
- Facility has own Employee Health Policy. Re-written policy does not have non-Typhi.
- Cut Greens prepped 1/17 and 1/19 not covered in WIC.
- Observed significant sticker residue on stacked containers stored as clean.
- Facility is placing TPHC labels on hot food containers when food is well below the 135.0 F requirement.
#6 Cava Southend
2126 SOUTH BV, CHARLOTTE, NC 28203
Scored 88.5 (B) on 1/30/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed employee wash hands correctly and then turn off faucet with clean bare hands. Utilize paper towel to turn off faucet instead of clean bare hands.
- Observed employee preparing food on serving line for customer, handling money at the end of the line, and going back to handle food for the next customer without changing gloves and washing hands between handling money and food.
- Observed sticker residue on multiple dishes stacked as clean. Ensure label and sticker residue are removed entirely during the cleaning process.
- Observed hot pickled onions cool from 115F at 2:07pm to 98F at 3:20pm.
- Observed white rice and multiple types of cut leafy greens (spinach, cabbage, etc) holding above 41F in salad display unit (see temperature chart). EHS strongly recommends placing unit on time. Also observed two containers of white rice holding above 41F in walk-in cooler (shelf with door access to front line).
#5 La Catricha
820 E. ARROWOOD RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28217
Scored 88 (B) on 1/26/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed employee come in from the outside and not properly wash hands.
- Observed no paper towels at handsink near grill.
- Observed queso cheese being delivered at a temperature above 41F.
- Observed raw sausage being stored on top of frozen corn.
- Observed build up in the ice machine.
- Observed frozen beans and chicken prepared 01-25-23 not properly date marked.
- Observed cut queso, tamales, tacos in the reach in cooler that were not properly date marked.
- Observed bowls and plastic containers left wet stacked on air drying shelves.
#4 Greco Fresh Grill Sharon Corners
4724 SHARON RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28210
Scored 87 (B) on 1/13/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed no serve safe or ANSI equivalent food protection manager present during the time of the inspection.
- Observed ice dumped inside of the hand washing sink.
- Observed salmon stored below beef inside of the reach in unit.
- Observed employee touch raw gyro meat and then handle lettuce and tomatoes with the same gloves.
- Observed all TCS foods above 41F. See temperature chart. Foods were out off temperature due to overfilling of containers.
- Observed a number of foods prepared days prior without date marking present such as grape leave, cooked chicken, lettuce, cheese, and rice. Items were dated during the inspection.
- Consumer Advisory Disclosures that are asterisked to a footnote shall state, * Items are served raw or undercooked, or contain (or may contain) raw or undercooked ingredients. -Pf No abstract seen on the menu.
- Observed chemicals stored in secondary containers without labels attached to identify contents inside.
- Observed residential use bug spray.
- Observed containers of seasoning salts stored on the ground.
#3 Mortons The Steakhouse
227 W TRADE ST, CHARLOTTE NC 28202
Scored 86.5 (B) on 1/4/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed cart blocking the handsink on the cook line.
- Observed raw tuna stored over ready to eat vegetables in reach in.
- Observed raw shrimp and fish stored over crabcakes with no raw ingredients in the walk in.
- Observed unwashed produce stored over ready to eat produce and cheeses in walk in cooler.
- Observed bleach sanitizer at under counter dish machine to be 0ppm. Line was primed and read 10ppm. After another wash, machine read 0ppm again.
- Observed one half pan stored as clean with food build up.
- Observed a whole stack of ceramic plates, bus tub of ceramic ramekins, and several bowls and plates throughout the storage racks with food debris and build up that were stored as clean.
- Observed cheese sauce that after 1 hr and 25 min of reheating in the steam well was at 73F.
- Observed hollandaise sauce and bernaise sauce holding below 135F in steam well.
- Observed shrimp in the grill cooler at 43F.
- Observed several items in various coolers more than 7 days old including creamed spinach (12/26), scampi butter (12/23), goat cheese (12/28), tuna (12/24) and meatball (12/16).
- Observed no date mark on the red pepper sauce.
- Observed no time marked on sour cream that was held at room temperature during service.
#2 Dennys
4541 SUNSET RD, CHARLOTTE NC 28216
Scored 84 (B) on 1/25/2023
They had the following violations;
- Live and dead German roaches on interiors of prep coolers.
- No certified staff on site during inspection.
- Hand sink at dish pit with no hand soap.
- Mashed potatoes on hot line holding 114 F.
- Walk-in cooler holding TCS food above 55.0 F.
- Observed TCS food in cold drawers at cook line with no date marking, prep top TCS foods at end of cook line with no date marking.
#1 Crafty Crab Seafood
8933 J M KEYNES DR, CHARLOTTE, NC 28262
Scored 81 (B) on 1/25/2023
They had the following violations;
- Observed PIC did not have working knowledge of food code due to number of violations observed during inspection.
- Observed PIC could not communicate information on health policy to employees who speak Spanish and only had poster in English available.
- Observed PIC did not have written vomiting and diarrhea plan.
- Observed employees not washing hands before engaging in food preparation.
- Observed hand wash in rear inoperable and hand wash in serving area had not hot water.
- Observed raw fish and tripe for employees stored over ready to eat crayfish in walk in cooler and raw shrimp stored over ready to eat foods in reach in cooler.
- Observed cooked corn and potatoes cooling at insufficient rate to meet cooling parameters.
- Observed crayfish and shrimp over stacked in prep unit top portion at 50 degrees.
- Observed chicken wings cooked yesterday not date marked in reach in cooler.
- Observed boiled eggs on tphc with not labeling for discard time.
If you’d like to monitor health scores or do a quick search for a restaurant you’re about to eat at, check out North Carolina’s health inspection database here.