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Mecklenburg County Health Dept
Public Health Inspections
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Premises Information

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NameZAPATAS CANTINA
Address19905 WEST CATAWBA AV
UNIT 102
City/State/ZIP
CORNELIUS NC 28031
Premise Type1 - Restaurant
CountyMecklenburg
Inspection Date 2/20/2026
Final Score @ Grade
95 A
General CommentsMenu contains a consumer advisory with missing disclosure. All items are fully cooked, including skirt steak for Carne Asada. Inspection completed with EHS-Intern Nicholas Suhocki

Violations

 
CDI=Corrected During Inspection  R=Repeat Violation  VR=Verification Required 
Violation Item Demerits Violation Description CDIRVRComments
8 0 Hands clean & properly washed Yes No No 2-301.14 (E) Wash hands after handling soiled equipment or utensils. -P Observed an employee use a soiled wiping cloth to wipe down counters and then continue to prepare food without washing hands. CDI - Emloyee was stopped, educated and they washed hands.
10 0 Handwashing sinks supplied & accessible Yes No No 5-205.11 (A) A handwashing sink shall be maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee use Pf. Observed equipment blocking the hand sink next to the back door. CDI - Items were removed.
13 0 Food in good condition, safe & unadulterated Yes No No 3-202.15 Food packaging must be in good condition, intact and protect the food inside. Pf Observed two dented cans in dry storage. CDI - Items were removed to be returned to the supplier.
15 1.50 Food separated & protected Yes Yes No REPEAT 3-302.11(A)(1) Separate raw animal foods from ready-to-eat foods and washed/unwashed fruits and vegetables. -P 3-302.11(A)(8) Separate unwashed produce from ready-to-eat foods. Observed raw beef stored above cucumbers in the walk-in cooler. CDI - Items were moved to the correct order. Improvements made on storage order from previous inspection. Observed unwashed produce stored above shredded lettuce in the walk-in cooler.
20 0 Proper cooling time & temperatures Yes No No 3-501.14(A) Quickly cool cooked foods within 2 hours from 135F to 70F; and within a total of 6 hours from 135F to 41F. -P. Observed salsa cool 1 degree after 45 minutes. CDI - Salsa was moved to a thin metal pan to rapidly cool.
23 0 Proper date marking & disposition Yes No No 3-501.17 (A) or (B) Date mark/label all TCS foods that are ready-to-eat once opened or prepared and are to be held for more than 24 hours. -Pf. Establish a date marking system consistent with 3-501.17 (A) or (B). Additional date marking system options are found in 3-501.17 (D). Observed chopped lettuce, shredded chicken and rice from yesterday with no date marks. CDI - Items were labeled with the date of preparation during inspection.
28 1 Toxic substances properly identified stored & used Yes Yes No REPEAT 7-201.11 Store toxic materials to avoid contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, and single-service/use items. -P Observed two bottles of rubbing alcohol on top of the first aid kit, exposing them to the 2-compartment prep sink. CDI - Items were removed. Improvements made on chemical storage from previous inspection.
33 1 Proper cooling methods used; adequate equipment for temperature control Yes Yes No REPEAT 3-501.15 Quickly cool foods. Use methods such as open/vented shallow pans, large ice baths and active stirring. Cold air must flow around product to remove the heat. -Pf Observed salsa attempting to cool in a 5-gallon plastic bucket. CDI - Item was moved to thin metal pan to rapidly cool.
35 0 Approved thawing methods used No No No 3-501.13 (E) Reduced oxygen packaged fish, required to be kept frozen until time of use per labeling, shall be removed from the reduced oxygen environment prior to thawing under refrigeration or upon completion of thawing using running water. Observed intact packages of ROP fish thawing in a prep cooler. Product label states that they must be opened during thawing.
37 0 Food properly labeled: original container No No No 3-302.12 Label all working containers of food (oils, spices, salts, flour, sugar) except food that is easy to identify such as dry pasta. Observed one large container of salt or sugar without a label.
41 0.50 Wiping cloths: properly used & stored No Yes No REPEAT 3-304.14(B) Hold in-use wiping cloths in properly concentrated sanitizer between uses. Observed several employees storing soiled wiping cloths on their aprons.
47 0.50 Equipment, food & non-food contact surfaces approved, cleanable, properly designed, constructed & used No Yes No REPEAT 4-501.11 Maintain equipment in good repair. 4-501.12 Resurface or replace cutting surfaces that can no longer be effectively cleaned and sanitized. Observed a cutting board with deep stains next to the prep coolers. Observed rusting shelves for dry storage and spices in the prep room. Observed a broken door handle on the right side walk-in cooler. Observed tape holding together the brackets of the ice machine lid.
51 0 Plumbing installed; proper backflow devices No No No 5-205.15 Maintain a plumbing system in good repair. Observed a leak coming from underneath the 2-compartment prep sink.
55 0.50 Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean No Yes No REPEAT 6-501.11 Floors, walls, and ceilings including the attachments such as soap and towel dispensers; light fixtures; and heat/ac vents shall be maintained in good repair. Observed cracked tiles at the entrance to the right side walk-in cooler.