‘Significant black residue’: This week’s Triangle sanitation scores (Oct. 25)

Korie Dean
See the latest restaurant sanitation scores in the Triangle. (JOHN D. SIMMONS/Observer file photo)

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 Oct. 18-25.

Wake County sanitation scores

The Wake County sanitation grades database shows at least 100 inspections were completed between Oct. 18-25.

▪ 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%.

Ajisai Japanese Fusion (427 Woodburn Road, Raleigh) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Oct. 20.

  • The restaurant was in violation of 12 state standards, with point deductions ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 points.

  • Violations included raw eggs and scallops being stored over cooked chicken, several foods being stored at incorrect temperatures and rusty shelves in the dry storage area and walk-in cooler.

  • Some violations were repeat offenses and some were corrected during the inspection.

  • The restaurant previously scored a 94% in April, a 95.5% in November 2021 and a 95% in July 2021.

Don Beto’s Tacos (421 Chapanoke Road #105, Raleigh) received a score of 85.5% during an inspection on Oct. 20.

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

  • Violations included raw oysters lacking proper shellstock date markings, several foods being held at incorrect temperatures and a food employee not wearing a hair restraint.

  • Some violations were repeat offenses and some were corrected during the inspection.

  • The restaurant previously scored an 88% in July, a 91% in April and an 88% in February.

Sushi-Thai (2434 Wycliff Rd., Raleigh) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Oct. 18.

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

  • Violations included employees not regularly checking and maintaining food temperatures, the facility using a handwashing sink as a food prep sink, raw eggs being stored above raw fish in a cooler and “significant black residue” in the basin of an ice machine.

  • Some violations were repeat offenses and some were corrected during the inspection.

  • The restaurant previously scored a 91% in July, a 92% in March and a 95% in January 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 at wake-nc.healthinspections.us.

Durham County sanitation scores

The Durham County inspection management system shows that 22 restaurant inspections were completed between Oct. 18-25.

▪ All 22 restaurants received an A 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 16 restaurants were inspected between Oct. 18-25.

▪ All 16 restaurants received an A grade.

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 22 restaurants were inspected between Oct. 18-25.

▪ All 22 restaurants received an A grade.

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

Ask the N&O

Have a question you’d like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you’d like to share? The News & Observer’s Service Journalism team wants to hear from you. For useful and practical information from our staff, reach us by submitting questions to our form or sending an email to ask@newsobserver.com.

You’ve seen sanitation scores displayed at NC restaurants. What do they mean?

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