Charlotte restaurant cited for rat trap in pot, illegal yogurt during inspection
A University area restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for numerous health violations, including rodent traps inside cookware and unauthorized yogurt fermentation.
Crackin Crawfish (440 E. McCullough Dr. in Charlotte) received an 87% score during an inspection on Friday, Feb. 27.
Inspectors cited the restaurant after finding “house made yogurt” inside the facility, county documents show.
According to the report, restaurant staff told inspectors they leave yogurt out overnight, but the establishment did not have an approved fermentation plan. Management agreed to stop making yogurt in-house and instead purchase commercially packaged yogurt.
The restaurant was also dinged after inspectors saw an employee “relocate nail clippers” before going back to food preparation without washing their hands, according to county documents.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for include:
- Raw lobster stored over unwashed potatoes
- Food employees without hair restraints
- Rodent trap stored inside pot
- Food debris on kitchen equipment
- Nail clippers and employee drinks stored on prep table
This is the restaurant’s first “B” grade.
Mecklenburg County sanitation scores
The Mecklenburg County sanitation grades database shows that at least 114 restaurant inspections were completed Feb. 27-March 5.
▪ Most restaurants received an A grade, or a score of at least 90%.
▪ Two restaurants received B grades, or scores of at least 80% but lower than 90%.
▪ Desi Bites (11328 E. Independence Blvd.) received a score of 89.5% during an inspection on Monday, March 2.
- The restaurant was in violation of 10 standards, including containers of uncovered food and dishes stacked wet.
- Most violations were corrected during the inspection.
- The restaurant previously scored 90% 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.
Most common restaurant violations
The Charlotte Observer previously spoke to Adam Dietrich, a local food safety expert, about five of the most common food safety violations restaurants get dinged for during health inspections:
- Handwashing lapses are common: Inspectors frequently cite workers for skipping required handwashing or recontaminating hands, a major risk for spreading illnesses like norovirus, Salmonella and E. coli.
- “Performative” glove use causes problems: Gloves are often misused, either by not changing them between tasks or worn instead of washing hands, which can spread bacteria just as easily as bare hands.
- 41°F is the cold-holding cutoff: The North Carolina Food Code requires cold foods to be held at 41 degrees or below, since bacteria multiply rapidly above that threshold and can reach dangerous levels within hours.
- Improper storage leads to cross-contamination: Limited space and poor organization can result in raw food juices dripping onto other foods, a known cause of outbreaks, prompting strict storage rules in the food code.
- Lack of food safety training costs points: Restaurants are often penalized for missing certifications or inadequate staff training in hygiene, allergens and safe food handling, issues experts say are preventable with proper education.
