‘Food Debris And Greasy Residue’: Charlotte Kitchen Inspections

CHARLOTTE, NC — From food debris and greasy residue found on kitchen gear, to an employee touching a dirty trash can with their bare hands before touching clean equipment, recent health inspections in Charlotte area restaurants found numerous infractions that left an impact on health ratings.

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.

Inspections at six area restaurants ended with a “90” rating — the lowest score before dropping to a B rating — during recent inspections for a variety of infractions in the kitchen. The restaurants include:

• New Tin Tin Buffet, 10215 Park Road
• Wus Cajun Seafood, 1714 South Boulevard
• Circle K #2723965, 4923 South Tryon Street
• Bedder Bedder And More, 3501 S. Tryon Street
• Tavern on the Tracks, 1411 S. Tryon Street
• America’s Best Wings, 9630 University City Boulevard

At New Tin Tin Buffet, an inspector observed a child enter the kitchen and the food preparation area, employees improperly washing their hands, and “observed food employee touch soiled garbage can with bare hands then handle clean equipment without washing their hands in between,” as well as other infractions.

A health inspector found live mussels stored over cooked crab legs in a walk-in cooler, food kept at the wrong temperature and food improperly labeled. At the Circle K on South Tryon Street, an inspection found no soap or paper towels for hand washing, no sanitizer, and chicken wings held at an improper temperature.

At Bedder Bedder and More, kitchen employees were seen washing their hands for only five seconds, and preparing wraps with bare hands and several items of kitchen equipment “stored as clean with food debris and greasy residue.”

Kitchen employees at Tavern on the Tracks were seen walking in and out of the back door of the restaurant wearing gloves and then not changing them before they resumed handling food, as well as an ice machine in need of cleaning with pink and black residue, and food held at improper temperatures.

At America’s Best Wings, an inspection found utensils were not being properly washed, rinsed or sanitized and employees were not following the correct hand washing procedures. Kitchen employees were spotted eating in the kitchen and raw hamburger meat stored over fruit punch in a walk-in cooler.

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Results from the Mecklenburg County Health Department inspections done Feb. 28 -- Mar. 6, 2018 are listed below. You may look up your favorite restaurant or find more detailed information about this latest batch of inspections here.

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