Filthy Ice Chutes, Hidden Food: Charlotte Restaurant Inspections

CHARLOTTE, NC -- Rice meant for the trash found hidden from an inspector behind a door, filthy ice machines and employees eating in the same areas they were preparing food. All of these health code violations and more were found recently at Charlotte-area restaurants.

Do you truly know how clean your favorite coffee shop or restaurant is? Find out with the most recent restaurant and food service inspections in Charlotte, Huntersville, Davidson, and elsewhere in Mecklenburg County, performed by the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

Godavari Truly South Indian restaurant located at 520 University Center Boulevard received a “C” rating, the second such rating this year. During an Oct 24 inspection, an inspector found four containers of rice that was improperly cooled after cooking the day before and told the kitchen manager it needed to be thrown out. Later, however, the inspector found three of the rice containers “hidden behind the door of the outside storage room to save for later use.” Some other violations found at the restaurant included raw shrimp found stores above batter in the prep line, raw chicken stored above cooked peppers and raw fish stored above desert in the walk-in cooler, and a can of coconut milk stored directly on top of noodles in the prep line. Black build up was also found in its ice machine, the inspection report said.

Area restaurants that received a “B” rating for violations include: Los Reyes Supermarket #4 Deli at 4416 Central Avenue, China Inn at 5630 N. Graham Street, Las Meras Tortas at 5661 Farm Pond Lane, and Circle K #2723924 located at 6500 Fairview Road.

At Los Reyes Supermarket #4 Deli, an inspector caught a kitchen employee eating in the food preparation area, an ice machine chute with heavy pink and black build-up, and improperly cooled rice.

At China Inn, an inspector found an employee rinsing their hands in a sink above raw shrimp, and another using their personal cell phone while cooking. “Personal phones are sources of contamination that employees need to properly wash hands after handling,” the report said. An employee was also seen putting a “temperature abused” piece of chicken into a tub of freshly cooked sesame chicken, which potentially contaminated the entire tub.

At Las Meras Tortas, food was found held at improper temperatures and an employee put on a used single-use glove after washing their hands. An inspection at the Circle K on Fairview Road, some of the violations an inspector found that the handwashing sink had been removed and no soap at a rear sink, food kept at improper temperatures and open food with no date markings.

Results from the Mecklenburg County Health Department inspections done Oct. 18 -Oct. 24 are listed below. You may find more detailed information here.

Photo via Pixabay