Restaurant · Wake County, NC

Olive Garden

Name: Olive Garden
Address: 1809 Walnut St, Wake County, NC

1809 Walnut St

Last inspected Feb 5, 2026 · View Map ↗ · Compare ↗

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Score 98.5

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ImprovingThe latest inspection recorded fewer violations than the one before it. Review the dated records below.

The full inspection history

6 inspections

1 - Inspection

Feb 5, 2026

Score 98.5

Official score: 98.5 · Understand this area’s scale

3 recorded violations

notedCode 3-305.11 Salad Refrigerator is not clean. There is a visible textured residue coating the left side of the salad refrigerator both inside and out. Store food in a cleanContamination

Official wording

Contamination prevented during food preparation; storage & display

Inspector’s notes

3-305.11 Salad Refrigerator is not clean. There is a visible textured residue coating the left side of the salad refrigerator both inside and out. Store food in a clean; dry location; not exposed to contamination. Very importantly; ready-to-eat salad ingredients shall only touch clean and sanitized surfaces. Extensive cleaning of the surfaces associated with salad refrigeration and storage is needed. Assure pan used for lettuce is clean and cleanable (current pan has textured; baked-on plastic). Remove black build-up from gap; seem above stored pans of lettuce and salad ingredients. If the salad refrigerator can no longer be effectively cleaned; replace it.

In plain English

Food was stored or handled in a way that could let germs or other material get into it, such as raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food or uncovered food. Cross-contamination is a common cause of foodborne illness.

More about food not protected from contamination

notedCode 4-601.11 (B) and (C) EquipmentCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11 (B) and (C) Equipment; Food-Contact Surfaces; Nonfood Contact Surfaces (C) Blue Shelving components inside the walk-in cooler are not clean with black build-up. Remove shelving components for detailed cleaning. . . Fan Covers inside the walk in cooler are dusty; not clean. . . Sign above the handwashing sink is not clean; damaged. Sign detailing produce washing stored above the prep table is dusty; not clean. Maintain signs clean. Discussed cleaning today and replacement of signs.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

notedCode —Facility maintenance

Official wording

Meets ventilation & lighting requirements; designated areas used

Inspector’s notes

6-303.11 Lighting is low over the 3-compartment sink. Provide required lighting intensity.

In plain English

Floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, ventilation, or garbage areas needed repair or cleaning. These are usually less urgent than food-handling problems but still need to be fixed.

More about building upkeep issues

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, Feb 5, 2026 · Original Source

1 - Inspection

Jun 11, 2025

Score 98

Official score: 98 · Understand this area’s scale

4 recorded violations

notedCode 3-305.11 Store food in a cleanContamination

Official wording

Contamination prevented during food preparation; storage & display

Inspector’s notes

3-305.11 Store food in a clean; dry location; not exposed to contamination. Surface; under-side of the shelf directly above the salad ingredients/refrigerator is heavily soiled. Extensive cleaning of the surfaces above the salad refrigerator is needed.

In plain English

More about food not protected from contamination

notedCode —Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Wiping cloths: properly used & stored

Inspector’s notes

3-304.14(B) Several wiping cloths are stored on the surfaces and the cutting board. Hold in-use wiping cloths in properly concentrated sanitizer between uses.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

notedCode 4-501.14 Warewashing EquipmentCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Warewashing facilities: installed; maintained & used; test strips

Inspector’s notes

4-501.14 Warewashing Equipment; Cleaning Frequency (C) 3-compartment sink is not clean with a rough build up coating the interior sink basins. Use detergent and scrub pad to clean the sink at least daily.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

notedCode 4-602.13 Nonfood Contact Surfaces (C) Interior of the walk in cooler needs cleaningCleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector’s notes

4-602.13 Nonfood Contact Surfaces (C) Interior of the walk in cooler needs cleaning; notably door; doorway; white temperature alarm; entrance. Clean the sticker station and knife box. Recommend removing the unused microphone. Window-area needs detailed cleaning.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, Jun 11, 2025 · Original Source

1 - Inspection

Apr 16, 2025

Score 98

Official score: 98 · Understand this area’s scale

2 recorded violations

notedCode 4-601.11 (A)Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11 (A); Priority Foundation; Several metal containers and white plates stacked on clean shelf with food debris and sticker residue along containers and food portion of plates. Equipment food contact surfaces and utensils shall be clean to sight and touch. Items moved to dish area to be cleaned. Not as many soiled dishes as previous inspection; ensure dishes are cleaned before storing on clean dish shelf.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

notedCode 3-501.15Food temperature

Official wording

Proper cooling methods used; adequate equipment for temperature control

Inspector’s notes

3-501.15; Priority Foundation; Cooling Methods; Prepared salad boxes stored in reach-in cooler near front salad station at 43-44F. Salads are prepared daily; and manager informed a later start on the salad prep today; and items were placed into the cooler after making. Educated about properly cooling to 41F in a larger cooler such as the walk-in cooler to ensure food is at 41F within the 4 hours after prep. Salads moved to walk-in cooler during inspection. Lids also removed. Cooling shall be accomplished by using one or more of the following methods; placing the food into shallow; thin portions; in rapid cooling equipment such as walk-in cooler or freezer and if protected from overhead contamination uncovered or loosely covered foods in these coolers. Managers educated and discussed new process for preparing smaller portion of salads at a time and moving to walk-in cooler before moving to this front cooler.

In plain English

Food was not kept cold enough, hot enough, cooled fast enough, or cooked or reheated to the right temperature. Bacteria grow quickly in the "danger zone" between 41°F and 135°F, which makes this one of the most important food-safety checks.

More about food kept at an unsafe temperature

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, Apr 16, 2025 · Original Source

1 - Inspection

Oct 9, 2024

Score 98.5

Official score: 98.5 · Understand this area’s scale

2 recorded violations

notedCode 4-903.11 (A)Equipment and utensils

Official wording

Utensils; equipment & linens: properly stored; dried & handled

Inspector’s notes

4-903.11 (A); (B); and (D) Equipment; Utensils; Linens and Single-Service and Single-Use Articles Storing; Core; Several metal containers stacked wet nested on clean dish shelf. Cleaned equipment ad utensils shall be stored in a self-draining position that allows air drying. Items moved to dish area during inspection.

In plain English

Equipment, utensils, thermometers, cutting boards, or single-use items were not in good condition, not the right type, or not stored properly.

More about equipment or utensil issues

minorCode 4-601.11(B) and (C)Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11(B) and (C); Core; Walk-in cooler speed racks; and sides of equipment on make line heavily soiled. Floor and bottom shelves of dry storage room with single-service items needs to be cleaned. Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of a buildup of dust; dirt; food residue and other debris. Clean these areas more frequently.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, Oct 9, 2024 · Original Source

1 - Inspection

May 29, 2024

Score 97

Official score: 97 · Understand this area’s scale

4 recorded violations

majorCode 4-601.11 (A)Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11 (A); Priority Foundation; Several metal containers stacked on clean shelf with plastic wrap and food debris along containers. A few lids hanging on clean dish if dish machine with food splatter along the lids. Equipment food contact surfaces and utensils shall be clean to sight and touch. Items moved to dish area to be cleaned.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

minorCode 3-304.14Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Wiping cloths: properly used & stored

Inspector’s notes

3-304.14; Core; Several wiping cloth buckets throughout kitchen with 0ppm quaternary solution. After checking dispensers; the dispenser at three compartment sink is do dispensing any solution; but the dispenser at the mop sink is at 200ppm. Buckets changed and dispensed from mop sink dispenser. Ecolab called for service for dispenser during inspection.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

minorCode 4-501.14Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Warewashing facilities: installed; maintained & used; test strips

Inspector’s notes

4-501.14; Core; Dish machine clean side of drainboard heavily soiled with residue and food debris. A Warewashing machine; the compartments of sinks; basins; drainboards or other receptacles used for washing and rinsing equipment shall be cleaned before use; at least every 24 hours and at a frequency necessary to prevent recontamination. Clean the drainboards more frequently.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

minorCode 4-601.11(B) and (C)Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11(B) and (C); Core; Several items throughout the facility is soiled with food splatter and residue buildup. Walk-in cooler speed racks; and sides of equipment on make line heavily soiled. Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of a buildup of dust; dirt; food residue and other debris. Clean these areas more frequently.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, May 29, 2024 · Original Source

1 - Inspection

Jan 30, 2024

Score 98.5

Official score: 98.5 · Understand this area’s scale

4 recorded violations

criticalCode 8-103.12Other

Official wording

Compliance with variance; specialized process; reduced oxygen packaging criteria or HACCP plan

Inspector’s notes

8-103.12; Priority; HACCP plan has been changed company wide/Darden brands and was officially rolled out yesterday. Cooling and cold holding of ROP / reduced oxygen packaging is approved at 38 degrees F. Revised plan for ROP HACCP specifies cooling to and holding at 41 degrees F. Specific approval for the modified plan is required by the NC Variance committee. Today I sent some information to Jennifer Moore; REHS Environmental Health Regional Specialist. Observations I made during today's inspection comply with the approved plan that has been place for several years in NC.

In plain English

An issue that does not fit the common categories. Check the official wording for details.

More about other finding

minorCode 3-304.12Equipment and utensils

Official wording

In-use utensils: properly stored

Inspector’s notes

3-304.12; Core; Utensils in the cooking area are stored in water that is 94 degrees F and another that is cooler. Utensils should be stored in water that is 135F and hotter (or clean and dry). Steam table unit was set-up upon request.

In plain English

Equipment, utensils, thermometers, cutting boards, or single-use items were not in good condition, not the right type, or not stored properly.

More about equipment or utensil issues

minorCode 4-501.14Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Warewashing facilities: installed; maintained & used; test strips

Inspector’s notes

4-501.14; Core; 3-compartment sink has unclean build-up. The cart under the drainboard is also not clean. Use detergent to the clean the sink every day.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

minorCode 4-601.11(B) and (C)Cleaning and sanitizing

Official wording

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector’s notes

4-601.11(B) and (C); Core; Speed Racks inside the walk-in cooler are heavily soiled. Remove the rolling racks for detailed cleaning.

In plain English

Dishes, equipment, or surfaces that touch food were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized, or sanitizer was not at the right strength. Clean surfaces help stop germs from spreading to food.

More about cleaning or sanitizing problems

Official record from Wake County Environmental Services, Jan 30, 2024 · Original Source