Flies & dried food on sink at Charlotte restaurant: Sanitation scores (July 3)
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cottage Restaurant in Charlotte received an 81.5% for multiple health violations.
- Violations included flies, unclean equipment and mishandled raw meat on prep areas.
- Only two out of 135 inspections in Mecklenburg County scored below an A in July 2025.
A north Charlotte restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for numerous health violations, including the presence of insects and dirty kitchen equipment.
Cottage Restaurant (6701 N. Tryon St. in Charlotte) received an 81.5% score during an inspection on Wednesday, July 2.
Inspectors cited the restaurant after they found flies inside the restaurant and “dried vegetable matter” on a prep sink that looked like it “hadn’t been cleaned in days,” county documents show.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for include:
Dirty dishes stored as clean
Employee food on prep sink
Employee raw meat on prep table
No paper towels at handwashing sink
Wontons prepared on a table with raw meat thawing
Unlabeled sauces and ingredients
Fly swatter on cutting board
Heavy food buildup on kitchen surfaces
This is the restaurant’s fifth “B” grade. The most recent one occurred in September 2022.
Mecklenburg County sanitation scores
The Mecklenburg County sanitation grades database shows that at least 135 restaurant inspections were completed June 27 - July 3.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Two restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
▪ East Coast Wings + Grill (5220 New Fashion Way in Charlotte) received a score of 87.5% during an inspection on Wednesday, July 2.
The restaurant violated nine standards, food buildup on kitchen equipment and wet dishes stacked as clean.
Some violations were corrected during the inspection.
The restaurant previously scored 93% in January.
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.
