Southpoint Area Restaurant Inspection Scores for March 2024

On occasion, Southpoint Access will gather information from Durham County’s Public Health Department to get a snapshot of how facilities in this region are scoring on their inspections. In this report, we delve into recent reports on restaurants in the 27713 zipcode.

TL;DR Version: Top scores (99/100) went to Kokyu. Lowest score (90/100) went to China Wok.

Akashi. 2223 NC Hwy 54. Score: 96.5/100. Notes: Plates of cooked shrimp and egg and cooked barbecue eel stored next to raw fish in sushi coolers. Most items in prep top holding above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Angie’s Jamaican Grill. 3825 S. Roxboro St., Ste. 123. Score: 96/100. Notes: White rice and fried rice below 135 degrees Fahrenheit in warmers. One container of cut cabbage left on counter at room temperature. Sanitizer bucket stored on top of food cans on low shelving.

Bojangle’s No. 4. 4831 NC Hwy 55. Score: 98/100. Notes: Employee walked in while speaking on phone and moved directly to the back prep area without putting down phone or washing hands, then joined service. Ham-filled container put on top of other foods.

Brigs at the Park. 4900 NC Hwy 55. Score: 94/100. Notes: Multiple employee beverages stored on center prep table next to employees rolling silverware. Raw burger next to raw shrimp, raw shelled egg with ready-to-eat foods and raw turkey sausage above ready-to-eat foods in low reach-in coolers. In the walk-in cooler, raw turkey sausage beside raw bacon/pork sausage and raw shelled eggs next to ready-to-eat foods and raw chicken immediately next to cooked seafoods.

Café Meridian. 4731 NC Hwy 55. Score: 97.5/100. Notes: Employee rinsed a pair of gloves between cleaning tasks. Mozzarella cheese and rice in the two-door low reach-in holding above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chili’s. 6917 Fayetteville Rd. Score: 96.5/100. Notes: Top of ice machine and seams around inside of machine and chute need cleaning. Insect control device above oil and another located above clean mugs.

China Wok. 3825 S. Roxboro St., Ste. 124. Score: 90/100. Notes: Person-in-charge observed handling phone while lifting fryer basket of wings. Stool blocked the front handwashing sinks and multiple buckets partially blocked the rear handwashing sink. Labels missing from bottle of degreaser and bucket of sanitizer.

Chipotle Mexican Grill. 6910 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 187. Score: 96/100. Notes: Empty boxes blocked handwashing sink at the back. Monterey jack cheese in service line cold holding was above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook Out. 2103 Allendown Dr. Score: 98/100. Notes: Peanut butter scooper stored inside the drive-through window handwashing sink. Containers of cooked chicken and cooked beef stacked and cooling covered four hours in the walk-in cooler.

Crab Sea. 4831 NC Hwy 55. Score: 94/100. Notes: Cooked chicken wings next to raw chicken and beneath raw seafood and raw eggs next to vegetables and noodles in two low reach-ins. Employee personal foods intermixed with restaurant food. Many items in three-door reach-in, low reach-in units, and walk-in cooler left uncovered when not actively cooling. Bottle of Raid Bug Barrier stored on shelving at the front counter.

El Dorado’s No. 6. 4900 S. NC Hwy 55. Score: 90.5/100. Notes: Employee washed hands, turned off water handles with clean hands before getting paper towels. Employee handled sprayer in dish area and then returned to the make line, handling utensils without first washing their hands. Sanitizer bucket stored in the server station handwashing sink. Bowl stored on secondary kitchen hand sink. Build-up inside soda nozzles in the soda machine. Unlabeled sanitizer buckets.

First Watch Daytime Café. 7011 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 101. Score: 95/100. Notes: Employees handled raw egg products before handling ready-to-eat foods, only changing gloves. Gloved employees also handled personal phones. Food items such as roast beef and bags of lettuce overfilled in the make line and holding above 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hilton Garden Inn Café. 7007 Fayetteville Rd. Score: 97/100. Notes: Hot water sanitizing dish machine only reached 135 degrees Fahrenheit. One container of sausage observed cooling 30 minutes on counter wrapped in plastic. Salmon thawed in the package with label stating to use immediately upon thawing. Two boxes of chips and one container of oil stored on floor of the dry storage closet.

Jamaica Jamaica. 4853 NC Hwy 55. Score: 93/100. Notes: Employee beverage on upper shelving beside food ingredients. Cabbage on stove and oxtails, collards, and beans in hot box holding below 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Curry and lentils prepared Friday/Saturday without dates on them in walk-in cooler and tall reach-in. No written procedures for hot well foods held on “time as a public health control” or TPHC.

Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs. 4535 NC Hwy 54. Score: 97.5/100. Notes: Employee beverage/food stored on prep surface and on shelving in the walk-in with food for the restaurant. Two sanitizer buckets stored immediately next to cups and equipment. Foods stored beneath exposed condenser lines in both the walk-in cooler and freezer.

KFC Taco Bell. 1110 NC Hwy 54 W. Score: 98.5/100. Notes: Plastic containers wet stacked. Torn gasket on low-reach cooler of the Taco Bell side.

Kokyu. 245 NC Hwy 54, Ste. 105. Score: 99/100. Notes: Employee beverage stored next to mixing bowls at the make line. Short rib in steam well holding below 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Labels needed on three large storage containers with dry ingredients in prep room.

Los Tres Mexican Restaurant. 6905 Fayetteville Rd. Score: 94.5/100. Notes: Large spoon in handwash sink in servers’ area. Raw chicken stored behind cheese in the cooler drawer. Soup left uncovered in walk-in cooler. Dish machine had a reading of 0 ppm chlorine. Bleach bottle not labeled.

Nordstrom Café Bistro. 6910 Fayetteville Rd. Score: 96.5/100. Notes: Multiple items in walk-in cooler holding between 42 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit. No labels on oils and spices in make line and back prep room. One employee without hair restraint washing dishes.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop. 6815 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 101. Score: 97/100. Notes: Deli meats cooling from being cut in tied plastic bags or plastic-wrapped trays in walk-in cooler and low reach-in. Three unlabeled seasoning shakers in make line. Employee wearing watch while slicing deli meats.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House. 7007 Fayetteville Rd. Score: 98.5/100. Notes: Avocado in cooler drawer with sticker still intact. Torn gaskets on two-door tall reach-in cooler.

Sarah’s Empanadas. 5410 NC Hwy 55, Ste. O. Score: 99/100. Notes: Eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods in walk-in cooler. Can opener covered in black gunk during inspection. Lighter stored above food prep area.

Starbucks No. 13203. 4834 NC Hwy 55. Score: 96/100. Notes: Employee beverage stored atop display case next to bag of coffee beans. Employee food stored on top shelf of tall reach-in next to food products. Bags of clean linen stored so they blocked rear handwashing sink. Dair and opened dairy-free milks stored in low reach-in cooler that person-in-charge said was out of order and hasn’t been used for cold storage.

Thai 55. 2223 NC Hwy 54, Suite Q. Score: 91.5/100. Notes: Two employee beverages stored on prep surfaces. Raw fish stored next to ready-to-eat foods and raw chicken intermixed with raw pork in low reach-in. Heavy build-up on ice machine deflector almost touching ice and on side walls. Two roaches on kitchen floor during inspection. After using handwashing sink, excessive amount of wastewater backed up from floor drain and leaked onto floor of kitchen in front of shelving/prep top.

Thai Star. 5410 NC Hwy 55, Ste. F. Score: 96/100. Notes: No hot water in front handwash sink. Multiple live insects under standing white freezer unit. Onions and potatoes stored on top of crate in mop sink.

The Good Seed. 8202 Renaissance Pkwy., Ste. 103. Score: 97.5/100. Notes: Employee drinking cup in more than one place near food equipment. Excessive chlorine in sanitizer at the three-compartment sink. Chemical bottles on food prep table. COVID wipes used to wipe the food prep area. Employees not wearing hear restraints.

Tobacco Wood Brewing Company. 2500 Meridian Pkwy., Ste. 130. Score: 97.5/100. Notes: Chlorine sanitizing dish machine read 0 ppm chlorine. One cooler drawer with foods reading above 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Employee preparing food lacked beard restraint.

True Flavors. 5410 NC Hwy 55, Ste. AJ. Score: 97/100. Notes: Gravy in hot holding unit at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Bottles of oils and butters on make line unlabeled.

Vittles at the Park. 2223 NC Hwy 54. Score: 96/100. Notes: Raw pork stored next to hush puppies in make line tall reach-in. Heavy build-up in rear ice machine on deflector and side walls touching the ice. Multiple spray bottles of Raid listed for household use at front counter.

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