Charlotte Pho restaurant hit with more than 20 violations during health inspection
A popular Charlotte Pho restaurant received a “B” grade from the Mecklenburg County Health Department for more than 20 health violations, undercooked food and employees not washing their hands.
Pho Real, 440 E. McCullough Dr., received a score of 82.5 during its March 17 inspection.
Health department inspectors cited the restaurant after raw shrimp was found thawing in the same sink as ready-to-eat spring rolls and “employees handling raw meats then going to do other things without switching gloves,” both of which were repeat violations, documents show.
The restaurant was also dinged for undercooked items when inspectors found shrimp only prepared to 128 degrees in fried rice, according to health department documents.
Other violations the restaurant was cited for include:
Cups and a knife stored in a hand-washing sink
Prepped vegetables stored in a “heavily soiled” container
Slicer, can opener and plates contaminated with old food and debris
Sanitizer spray bottles stored with food items
Unlabeled food containers
Sauces and food item containers stored on the floor
Employees not wearing hair restraints
Dishes stored on dirty cardboard
Reusing single-use containers
Fryers, racks, tables, freezers, fans, shelving, carts, floor and walls in need of cleaning
This is the restaurant’s first “B” grade since September 2019.
According to state law, permits are immediately revoked if a restaurant receives a score of less than 70 percent.
The Charlotte Observer contacted the restaurant for comment regarding its score prior to publication.
