Pink Slime, Fruit Flies: What Recent Restaurant Inspections Found

CHARLOTTE, NC — Recent kitchen inspections at Charlotte-area restaurants found a variety of violations, including pink slime in an ice machine, flies and raw meat sitting directly on shelving, according to Mecklenburg County public health officials.

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.

County health officials recently inspected 133 restaurants in the Charlotte-metro area. Some of the lowest scores were given to the following restaurants:

• Carolina Beer/Great American Bagel & Bakery, 5501 Josh Birmingham Parkway — 90.5
• Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 1928 South Boulevard — 90.5
• Boiling Pot/ China GoGo, 7010 Smith Corners — 90.5
• Rexford Park Public House, 2200 Rexford Road — 90.5

An Aug. 7 inspection at Carolina Beer/ Great American Bagel & Bakery found five violations, including an ice machine “with pink slime/mold build-up,” areas of the kitchen in need of cleaning and numerous food items held at improper temperature.

At Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 15 violations were documented during an Aug. 7 inspection and included gnats and fruit flies throughout the facility, stored food improperly separated, a clogged drainage pipe causing overflow in the kitchen and a dishwasher that was not reaching the required temperature of 180 degrees.

An Aug. 8 inspection at Boiling Pot/ China Gogo documented 10 violations, including raw pork stored above vegetables, food left uncovered in the walk-in cooler, raw tripe and beef sitting directly on shelves in the freezer, numerous food items holding at improper temperatures, and areas of the kitchen in need of cleaning.

At Rexford Park Public House, an Aug. 9 inspection found 7 violations, including numerous food items holding at too-warm a temperature and in need of throwing out; several refrigeration units in bad repair; and areas of the kitchen, such as floor corners and under equipment, in need of cleaning.

Results from the Mecklenburg County Health Department inspections done Aug. 7 - Aug. 13, 2019 are listed below. You may look up your favorite restaurant or find more detailed information about this latest batch of inspections here.