Roaches, flies & rotting veggies. Worst Charlotte restaurant inspections in July

Mecklenburg County health inspectors found multiple violations at restaurants in July, including dirty dishes, expired food and “large amounts” of bugs.

No restaurants in Mecklenburg County got a “C” grade in June, but there were four eateries that received low “B” grades (scores of at least 80% but lower than 90%).

Here’s a roundup of the restaurants that received some of the lowest ratings in July.

Cottage Restaurant (6701 N. Tryon St. in Charlotte)

Cottage Restaurant had an inspection on Wednesday, July 2 and got a score of 81.5%.

• An inspector 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.
• The restaurant was also dinged after an inspector noticed dirty dishes stored as clean and a fly swatter on a cutting board. 
• The restaurant scored 94% upon reinspection on Thursday, July 31.

The Imperial Treasure Ballantyne (14815 Ballantyne Village Way in Charlotte)

The Imperial Treasure Ballantyne had an inspection on Tuesday, July 29 and got a score of 86%.

• According to county documents, an inspector found employees putting on gloves without washing hands and raw squid stored behind ready-to-eat foods.
• A live insect was also found in the kitchen, along with bowls stacked as clean with food residue and a can of WD-40 stored with food items.
• The restaurant has not been reinspected as of publication, county documents show.

Tous Le Jours SouthPark (4625 Piedmont Row Dr. in Charlotte)

Tous Le Jours SouthPark had an inspection on Monday, July 14 and got a score of 86%.

• An inspector cited the restaurant after they found “multiple small flies throughout the facility, some of which were in display cases with food items,” county documents show.
• The eatery was also cited after an inspector noticed that savory items had been held in a display case past four hours, and a build up of food debris in the bottom of coolers and freezers. Multiple wet wiping cloths were also found on food prep surfaces, along with a knife stored in the handwashing sink.
• The restaurant has not been reinspected as of publication, county documents show.

New Century Oriental Deli (4500 N. Tryon St. in Charlotte)

New Century Oriental Deli had an inspection on Wednesday, July 16 and got a score of 86.5%.

• According to county documents, inspectors found “large amounts” or live roaches and flies in the kitchen area.
• An inspector also found that the freezer was not working, and the food in it was not frozen.
• The restaurant was also dinged for heavy buildup of debris in food storage areas and no paper towels provided at the handwashing sink.

The restaurant has not been reinspected as of publication, county documents show.

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.

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.