South Florida Restaurants Shut Down

Introduction to Restaurant Inspections

The state temporarily ordered shut six South Florida restaurants last week, with violations ranging from crawling roaches and rodent droppings to a sticky floor and a water-damaged ceiling.

The Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We cull through inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for “high-priority violations,” such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.

Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spot a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR. (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)

Broward County Restaurant Closures

Rice N’ Wings

4042 Pembroke Road, Hollywood

Ordered Shut

March 20

Reasons for Closure

Five violations (two high-priority), including:

• 21 rodent droppings “under large chest freezer in preparation area,” “on bottom shelf in dry storage area” and “behind flip-top in kitchen.”
• Bags of raw chicken stored above “bag of raw pork in one of the chest freezers in preparation area” and “cases of raw shrimp in chest freezer.”
  

  Status

  Reopened March 21 after a follow-up inspection found two basic violations.

Alamod Caribbean Restaurant

3942B Pembroke Road, Hollywood

Ordered Shut

March 20

Reasons for Closure

Five violations (two high-priority), including:

• “Approximately 10 rodent droppings in box on rack next to clean containers in kitchen.”
• Six live roaches in the kitchen “on wall above handwashing sink,” “in unplugged reach-in cooler” and “on shelf above employee handwashing sink.”
  

  Status

  Reopened March 21 after a follow-up visit found two intermediate and basic violations, with a follow-up inspection required.

Sprinkles & Scoops Ice Cream Shop

241 N. Ocean Drive A, Deerfield Beach

Ordered Shut

March 20

Reasons for Closure

10 violations (two high-priority), including:

• About 21 live flies “flying and resting on ceiling” in warewashing area and in front-counter areas such as “on shelf below TV screen” and “on food packaging and food storage shelving.”
• “Observed broken glass on interior reach-in beverage cooler door in storage area.”
• “Shoes stick to floor at the front counter.”
  

  Status

  A follow-up inspection was pending at press time.

Kosher De Brazil

1710 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd, Hallandale Beach

Ordered Shut

March 19

Reasons for Closure

Five violations (three high-priority), including:

• 11 live roaches in the kitchen “on top of dishwashing machine,” “behind tubes on wall behind triple sink” and “on shelf above triple sink.”
• Employed walked into “cooler and started working with food without washing hands.”
  

  Status

  Closed on March 24 after a follow-up inspection found two high-priority violations, but reopened later that day after a third visit found one high-priority violation. A follow-up inspection was required.

Palm Beach County Restaurant Closures

Rhum Shak

802 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach

Ordered Shut

March 19

Reasons for Closure

18 violations (seven high-priority), including:

• Two rodent droppings “on the floor in the corner of back room (produce cooler area)” and “on the floor by bag-in-box cabinet in produce cooler room.”
• Four live flies “around by bar three-compartment sink.”
• Four dead roaches “by bag-in-box closet,” “under not-in-use, three-compartment sink by produce cooler,” “in not-in-use, three-compartment sink by produce cooler” and “on floor next to produce cooler.”
• “Employee drinking from an unenclosed beverage container in a food preparation/clean dishware area and the container does not have a dispensing mechanism to prevent hand contact with lip contact area of drink container. Foam cup of dark beverage without lid on prep table.”
• Stop sale ordered for wahoo salad for not being “used within seven days of preparation; was never frozen.”
• Stop sale ordered for peel-and-eat shrimp due to “time/temperature control” issue.
• Other time/temperature issues involved pulled pork, yellow rice and spinach dip.
  

  Status

  Reopened March 20 after a second visit found one basic violation.

Roxy’s Pub

309 Clematis St., West Palm Beach

Ordered Shut

March 18

Reasons for Closure

15 violations (seven high-priority), including:

• “Observed one live roach at wall between cook line and expo in downstairs kitchen.”
• “Ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair due to water leaking from ceiling tile at cook line.”
• Stop sale ordered for cooked chicken wings, chicken, sliced meat, raw chicken, cooked fries, dairy and raw beef “due to temperature abuse.”
• “Observed raw beef above cooked chicken wing in walk-in refrigerator.”
  

  Status

  Reopened March 19 after a follow-up inspection found one high-priority violation, with a follow-up inspection required.
  

  Conclusion

  The temporary closure of these six South Florida restaurants highlights the importance of maintaining high standards of cleanliness and food safety in the food service industry. It is crucial for restaurants to adhere to the regulations set by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to ensure the health and safety of their customers.

FAQs

Q: What happens when a restaurant fails a state inspection?

A: Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up inspection.

Q: How can I file a complaint about a possible violation?

A: If you spot a possible violation, you can file a complaint by contacting the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).

Q: What are high-priority violations?

A: High-priority violations include issues such as improper food temperatures, dead cockroaches, and other serious health and safety concerns.

Q: How often are restaurant inspections conducted?

A: Restaurant inspections are conducted weekly by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Q: Can I contact the Sun Sentinel to report a possible violation?

A: No, the Sun Sentinel does not inspect restaurants and cannot accept complaints. You should contact the Florida DBPR instead.
Originally Published: March 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT