ICYMI: Health Ratings Drop After Recent Restaurant Inspections

CHARLOTTE, NC — Several Charlotte-area restaurants saw their health ratings drop this past week after health inspections found food kept overnight in a refrigeration unit that had been turned off, kitchen floors coated with grease and food build up and kitchen employees touching food without washing their hands after handling trash.

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.

Some of the lowest health inspection ratings for recently inspected Charlotte-area restaurants were given to:

• Enricos Italian Restaurant, 4815 Berewick Town Center Drive
• La Unica Mexican Restaurant, 16139 Lancaster Highway, Suite 150
• Ink N Ivy, 222 S. Church Street
• Zaxby’s #70, 7508 S. Tryon Street
• Cheddar’s, 620 University Center Boulevard

At Enrico’s Italian Restaurant, an inspection found raw beef stored above ready-to-eat food, a dirty slicer blade with “heavy build up,” and employees improperly washing their hands.

At La Unica, an inspector found food held past its expiration, a handwashing sink blocked by a case of beer and utensils and equipment stored and stacked wet.

At Zaxby’s on South Tryon Street, an inspector saw that a food employee didn’t wash their hands after holding their personal cell phone and touching their face before they handled bread. The inspection also found dirty dishes and trash on the floor around the hand washing sink, dirty lids stored as clean, and that the kitchen was in need of cleaning after a buildup of food and oil was found on the floor.

At Cheddar’s, an employee’s half-eaten dessert was found stored with plates, another was seen handling trash and not washing their hands before handling food, washed tomatoes stored in the same box as unwashed and perishable food, such as slaw, chicken and dressing stored in a prep top cooler that was turned off overnight.

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Results from the Mecklenburg County Health Department inspections done May 9 — May 15, 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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