How Grading Works in Wake County.

Start with the Local Scale

Wake County (Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest and more) follows North Carolina's scoring system: restaurants start at 100 and lose points for violations, so a HIGHER score is better. 90 and above earns an A, 80–89.5 a B, and 70–79.5 a C.

A Score is Not Universal

Never compare results between cities. Some departments add points for violations, others use pass/fail, and a lower score can mean a better result.

Read Beyond the Latest Result

Check the inspection date, each recorded violation, and any follow-up inspection. Closures and re-inspections are labeled in each restaurant’s history.

What's Covered Here

This page covers restaurants and other food-service businesses inspected under Wake County Environmental Services's restaurant program. Small markets, bodegas, and corner stores that sell food are usually inspected under a separate retail food program, which most areas don't publish as open records. If a store you're looking for doesn't turn up in search, that's the most common reason — it may be a real, licensed business that simply isn't part of this particular inspection program.