Charlotte restaurant cited for moldy food, dirty dishes: Scores (Oct. 31)

A Charlotte country club restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for numerous health violations, including moldy food and dirty dishes.

Providence Country Club Clubhouse (6001 Providence Country Club Dr. in Charlotte) received an 81.5% score during an inspection on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

Violations the restaurant was cited for include:

• Food lacking prepared date labels 
• Food stored on the floor in walk-in cooler 
• Jar of olives found with mold
• Dented and bulging canned good stored with intact ones 
• Dirty dishes stored as clean

This is the restaurant’s second “B” grade. The first one occurred in May.

Mecklenburg County sanitation scores

The Mecklenburg County sanitation grades database shows that at least 126 restaurant inspections were completed Oct. 24-30.

▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.

▪ Three restaurants received a B grade, or a score of at least 80% but lower than 90%.

▪ Fiesta Patria Mexican Restaurant (3635 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. in Charlotte) received a score of 88.5% during an inspection on Friday, Oct. 24.

• The restaurant violated 21 standards, including improper food storage temperatures and mold found on raw chorizo.
• Most violations were corrected during the inspection. 
• This was the restaurant’s first inspection.

▪ Harp & Crown Pub & Kitchen (19930 W. Catawba Ave. in Cornelius) received a score of 89% during an inspection on Friday, Oct. 24.

• The restaurant violated 18 standards, including an employee wearing a watch while preparing food and soiled wiping cloths on prep surfaces.
• Most violations were corrected during the inspection. 
• The restaurant previously scored 96.5% in April. 

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.