Tag: Raleigh Durham restaurants

In North Carolina, state law requires restaurants undergo between one and four inspections per year.

Sanitation scores and their corresponding letter grades are used to assess restaurants’ adherence to rules and standards intended to mitigate and prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses, as explained in The News & Observer’s weekly roundup of restaurant sanitation scores.

In each inspection, restaurants start with a score of 100%, but points are deducted with violations of the state’s Food Code.

In 2025, the majority of Triangle food establishments passed with A and B letter grades, which are at least 80%. But some scored lower than that.

Of the thousands of restaurants inspected, here’s which ones in the area received C grades this year and grades they received upon reinspection.

Worst Triangle sanitation scores

Urban Turban Indian Grill and Bar at 1125 W. N.C. 54, Suite 301 in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 74.5% on Wednesday, Nov. 19 and was in violation of 21 standards.
• Violations included food splatter on walls in multiple areas, cleaning needed on the floors throughout the entire kitchen and multiple foods without dates.
• The restaurant previously scored 88% in August 2025 and 96.5% in May 2025.
• Follow-up: It received a 88.5% after it was reinspected Tuesday, Dec. 23.

Dimsum Asian Bistro at 5410 N.C. 55 Y in Durham

• The restaurant received a score of 77% during an inspection on Friday, Feb. 28 and was in violation of 21 standards.
• Violations included multiple knives stored as clean with visible debris on blade, some gnats throughout the kitchen and raw meat stored above dumplings in flip top single door and raw meat stored above ice-cream out of original packing in two-door freezer.
• The restaurant previously scored 90% in June 2024 and January 2024.
• Follow-up: It received a 97.5% when it was reinspected Friday, March 28 and a 92% on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Ni Armor Hawaiian BBQ at 517 West St. in Pittsboro

• The restaurant received a score of 78% during an inspection on Wednesday, Sept. 3 and was in violation of 19 standards.
• Violations included multiple dirty food pans, utensils, utensil bins and fly strips touching clean food pans, mouse droppings observed inside of clean food bins and numerous flies observed near a three-comp sink.
• The restaurant previously scored 93% in January 2025 and April 2025.
• Follow-up: It received a 96% when it was reinspected Thursday, Oct. 9.

There were not any food establishments in Wake, Orange or Johnston counties that received C grades in 2025.