08/27/2026
Wow
🍽️ A Lenoir Restaurant Takes the Catawba Valley's Only B Grade of the Week
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 — 6:00 PM
LENOIR, N.C. — Happy Valley Filling Station on N.C. 268 posted an 88 and the only B grade in the Catawba Valley this week, after a Caldwell County inspector spent nearly four hours in the restaurant and logged seven risk-factor violations, two of them repeats. It leads this week's Score on the Door, Catawba Valley News & Weather's weekly look at health inspections across Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, Iredell, Lincoln and McDowell counties. Scores of 90 and up earn an A; 80 to 89.5 is a B.
At Happy Valley, milk was holding at 47 degrees, a produce cooler read 53 degrees ambient, and raw pork bacon, cooked spaghetti, cut lettuce and milk were all thrown out for cold-holding failures. Cured ham dated Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 had passed the seven-day discard window and went in the trash. The inspector also found unwashed mushrooms stored above ready-to-eat food, raw eggs beside raw chicken, and a deli slicer with food residue. A return visit to verify the priority fixes was set for Monday.
The next three lowest scores of the week were all A grades.
Fumiyoshi Express in Lenoir scored a 91.5 after chicken at 52 degrees and noodles at 58 were not cooling fast enough and were moved to the freezer, and cleaning chemicals were found stored next to food spices.
Carolina Steak & Rib in Lincolnton also scored a 91.5. Its warewashing machine — the commercial dishwasher that cleans and sanitizes plates, utensils and cookware — was sanitizing at zero, meaning dishes were coming through with no sanitizer at all. A repair call went in during the inspection, with a recheck ordered within three days. Warm milk and lettuce were discarded, and a fly problem drew its own follow-up visit.
IHOP on Glenway Drive in Statesville scored a 92.5 after sausage at 82 degrees, produce and cheese at up to 62 degrees, and marinara open since July 14 were all discarded. The health department set a Sept. 3 verification visit on a make-top cooler reading 65 degrees ambient.
Catawba County turned in the cleanest sheet of the week — nothing below a 96, and five perfect 100s, including Whataburger on N Center Street in Hickory and Dough Re Mi Artisan Bagels.
Alexander County does not publish inspection results to the state portal. CVNW has a standing public records request with the county and will report those scores when they are provided.
This one's worth keeping handy the next time you're picking a place to eat, and new scores drop every Wednesday on Catawba Valley News & Weather.
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