Charlotte restaurant cited for bugs in the kitchen: Sanitation scores (May 23)
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- Tous Le Jours Southpark received a 'B' grade citing insect and food storage issues.
- Mecklenburg County inspected 108 restaurants, and five earned scores below 90%.
- Cabo's, Park Place, Sugar Creek Brewing and Jack in the Box also received 'B' grades.
A south Charlotte restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for numerous health violations, including the presence of insects and food stored on the floor.
Tous Le Jours SouthPark (4625 Piedmont Row Dr. in Charlotte) received an 84.5% score during an inspection on Tuesday, May 20.
Inspectors cited the restaurant after they found fruit flies in the back kitchen, county documents show.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for include:
Employees eating and drinking in the front kitchen
Employee drinks stored on shelves above prep surfaces
Missing paper towels at the back kitchen hand sink
Bucket inside of the hand sink
Tongs being kept in bucket of sanitizer mixed with soap
Hot dogs, sausages, mushrooms and open packages of mozzarella cheese without date labels
Two spray bottles without chemical labels
Boxes of food products stored on the floor in dry storage
Large amount of food, ice and box debris on the floor of the walk-in freezer
This is the restaurant’s first “B” grade.
Mecklenburg County sanitation scores
The Mecklenburg County sanitation grades database shows that at least 108 restaurant inspections were completed May 16-22.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Five restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
▪ Cabo’s Mexican Cuisine (6676 Carmel Rd. in Charlotte) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Tuesday, May 20.
The restaurant violated 12 standards, including food stored in a shed and wet wiping cloths on counters.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored 95% in January.
▪ Park Place Restaurant (10517 Park Rd. in Charlotte) received a score of 86.5% during an inspection on Tuesday, May 20.
The restaurant violated 18 standards, including multiple pans with food debris and uncovered food in storage.
Most violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored 92% in February.
▪ Sugar Creek Brewing Company (215 Southside Dr. in Charlotte) received a score of 86% during an inspection on Tuesday, May 20.
The restaurant violated 17 standards, including cold holding units below 41 degrees and flying pests in the dish pit area.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored 91% in November.
▪ Jack in the Box (7726 Pineville-Matthews Rd. in Charlotte) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Monday, May 19.
The restaurant violated 15 standards, including dead insects in back dry storage area and a mattress in the dumpster area.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored 91% in October.
How to search NC restaurant inspection scores
Sanitation scores and their corresponding letter grades are used in North Carolina to assess restaurants’ adherence to rules and standards intended to mitigate and prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses.
You’ve likely seen sanitation grade cards at restaurants you’ve visited, and The News & Observer previously explained what those scores mean and how they’re calculated.
According to state law, permits are immediately revoked if a restaurant receives a score of less than 70%.
You can search all restaurant inspections in Mecklenburg County at public.cdpehs.com.
