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Mecklenburg County Health Dept
Public Health Inspections
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Premises Information

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NameNAKATO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE
Address8500 PINEVILLE-MATTHEWS RD
 
City/State/ZIP
CHARLOTTE NC 28226
Premise Type1 - Restaurant
CountyMecklenburg
Inspection Date 9/20/2026
Final Score @ Grade
96.50 A
General CommentsEHS will inquire about current permit requirement of both sushi station sinks as hand sinks, to see if permit can be amended to convert one into use as dump sink. The two hand sinks are approximately 10ft away, and one is near a non-prep area.

Violations

 
CDI=Corrected During Inspection  R=Repeat Violation  VR=Verification Required 
Violation Item Demerits Violation Description CDIRVRComments
15 1.50 Food separated & protected Yes No No 3-302.11(A)(1) Separate raw animal foods from ready-to-eat foods and washed/unwashed fruits and vegetables. -P Observed open carton of raw shell eggs above washed produce in WIC. CDI- Eggs moved to bottom rack with other cartons. EHS advises permanently changing the order of raw and produce racks on front, left side of WIC, so eggs at front can be stored as desired and remain in compliance. (-1.5) 3-302.11(A)(8) Separate unwashed produce from ready-to-eat foods. Observed unwashed avocados with stickers remaining stored inside the same container as washed cucumbers and citrus fruits in sushi lowboy. EHS advised sushi Chef to re-wash container of produce and not mix storage of washed and unwashed produce, as washed produce is RTE.
16 0 Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized No No No 4-602.11 (E )Clean the equipment and utensils used with nonTCS foods as required to avoid contamination. Observed large ice machine at side corridor with black residue inside, which comes off when alcohol wipes are applied. Increase cleaning frequency and efficacy. (-0)
24 1.50 Time as a Public Health Control; procedures & records Yes No No 3-501.19 (A) (1) Written procedures for Time as a Public Health Control shall be prepared in advance, maintained in the establishment, and made available for the Health Department upon request. Written TPHC procedures must specify methods of compliance with 3-501.19 (B) or (C). -Pf. Observed no TPHC written procedures for RTE foods (noodles, shrimp sauce, butter) of TPHC during lunch and dinner services. EHS credits correct TPHC process with PIC and Head Chefs. CDI- Form provided here: https://mecknc.widen.net/s/pvtc855zds/tphc-template-english 3-501.19(B)(3) Follow written procedures for foods held using Time as a Public Health Control (TPHC) for 4 hours. Food shall be marked to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control. Pf Observed shrimp sauce, cooked pasta, and butter on prep table held at room temperature for 4 hours, according to staff, without time labels. CDI- Items labeled for time, starting at 2pm. EHS verified proper cold holding inside the equipment where RTE items were previously stored until use on time. (-1.5)
43 0 In-use utensils: properly stored No No No 3-304.12 (A) In-use utensils in TCS food, must be stored with handles above the food and top of the food container. Observed unhandled bowl submerged in large container of shrimp sauce as dispensing utensil. EHS advises use of a ladle or other handled utensil so hands do not touch the product, and utensil does not become entirely submerged in the product. (-0)
44 0 Utensils, equipment & linens: properly stored, dried & handled Yes No No 4-903.11(B)(1) Clean equipment and utensils shall be stored in a self-draining position that allows for air drying. Observed stacks of wet dishes stored as clean near chemical dish machine. CDI- Dishes spread out for drying. (-0)
47 0.50 Equipment, food & non-food contact surfaces approved, cleanable, properly designed, constructed & used No No No 4-501.12 Resurface or replace cutting surfaces that can no longer be effectively cleaned and sanitized. Observed several cutting boards stored as clean on rack and one in use at prep table with deep scoring, no longer cleanable. Replace. (-0.5)