Introduction to Restaurant Inspections

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation conducts weekly inspections of restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties. These inspections are crucial in ensuring that restaurants maintain high standards of cleanliness and food safety. Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up inspection.

The Importance of Food Safety

Food safety is a critical aspect of the restaurant industry. Restaurants that fail to maintain proper food safety standards can pose a risk to the health and well-being of their customers. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation takes food safety very seriously and conducts regular inspections to ensure that restaurants are complying with state regulations.

Recent Restaurant Closures

Recently, several restaurants in South Florida were temporarily closed due to high-priority violations. These violations included the presence of live roaches, rodent droppings, and excessive amounts of trash and food debris.

Broward County Closures

In Broward County, several restaurants were ordered shut due to high-priority violations. These restaurants included:

• The Food Republic, located at 1910 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
• Titie Restaurant & Lounge, located at 300 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
• El Rey De La Medialuna, located at 3253 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
• Antonio’s Pizza, located at 4551 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
• Sajna Indian Cuisine, located at 1933 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

Violations in Broward County

The violations found in these restaurants included:

• Live roaches and rodent droppings
• Excessive amounts of trash and food debris
• Improper food storage and handling
• Time/temperature issues with food
• Employee hygiene issues

Palm Beach County Closures

In Palm Beach County, several restaurants were also ordered shut due to high-priority violations. These restaurants included:

• Joy Luck II, located at 5796 Jog Road, Lake Worth
• Deshi Bhoj Home Style Bangladeshi Feast, located at 1709 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach
• Ostine’s Fingers Taste, a food truck located at 4576 Cresthaven Blvd., West Palm Beach

Violations in Palm Beach County

The violations found in these restaurants included:

• Live roaches and rodent droppings
• Excessive amounts of trash and food debris
• Improper food storage and handling
• Time/temperature issues with food
• Employee hygiene issues

Conclusion

Restaurant inspections are an essential part of ensuring food safety and cleanliness in the restaurant industry. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation takes food safety very seriously and conducts regular inspections to ensure that restaurants are complying with state regulations. Restaurants that fail to maintain proper food safety standards can pose a risk to the health and well-being of their customers.

FAQs

• What happens if a restaurant fails a state inspection?
  A restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up inspection.
• How often are restaurant inspections conducted?
  Restaurant inspections are conducted weekly by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
• What are some common violations found in restaurants?
  Common violations found in restaurants include live roaches and rodent droppings, excessive amounts of trash and food debris, improper food storage and handling, time/temperature issues with food, and employee hygiene issues.
• How can I report a possible violation at a restaurant?
  If you spot a possible violation at a restaurant, you can contact the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation to file a complaint.

  Flies landing on open packages of fish, dead roaches behind a fryer, and an employee who touched dirty dishes and a trash can then handled food tongs were among the violations that led the state to temporarily close seven restaurants and one food truck in South Florida last week.
  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

  The Food Republic
  1910 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

  Ordered shut: April 18

  Why: Eight violations (five high-priority), including:

  • About 22 flies landing on “reach-in cooler, cutting board and storage shelves” at cook-line area, “on dry storage shelves near containers of dry food” at dry storage area, and “on wall and shelves with clean glasses” at bar area.
  • “Container of medicine stored over raw shell eggs” at walk-in cooler.
  • “Raw chicken not commercially packaged stored over raw ground beef.”
  • “Employee handled dirty dishes [then] proceeded to handle clean dishes without changing their gloves or washing their hands.”
  • Time/temperature issues involved butter, shredded and sliced cheeses, and gallon milk.

  Status: Reopened April 19 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.

  Titie Restaurant & Lounge
  300 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale

  Ordered shut: April 17

  Why: 19 violations (four high-priority), including:

  • About 25 rodent droppings “underneath two-door, stainless reach-in cooler.”
  • 12 live roaches “in water heater room on door panel,” “in trap in water heater room,” “on cook line next to stove and steam table,” “behind white, reach-in freezer in prep area” and “on wall above grey reach-in freezer.”
  • Seven dead roaches “in trap in water heater room” and “behind fryer.”
  • “Raw chicken over ready-to-eat commercially processed vegetables in reach-in freezer.”
  • Time/temperature issue involved snapper.
  • “Ceiling vent in prep area heavily soiled with dust.”
  • “Kitchen hoods heavily soiled with grease.”
  • “Excessive amounts of trash and food debris behind reach-in freezers.”

  Status: Reopened April 18 after a follow-up inspection found seven intermediate and basic violations.

  El Rey De La Medialuna
  3253 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

  Ordered shut: April 15

  Why: 10 violations (two high-priority), including:

  • About 105 flies landing on “clean wares on shelves above triple sink” and on “boxes in storage area” and “shelving and boxes above prep tables,” as well as “hovering in mop sink area next to triple sink” and at front counter area.
  • About 17 live roaches inside of soap and hand sanitizer dispensers “above hand-wash sink in prep area.”
  • One dead roach “in hand-wash sink in prep area.”
  • “Wall soiled with accumulated dust. Observed at front-counter menu board.”

  Status: Reopened April 17 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.

  Antonio’s Pizza
  4551 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

  Ordered shut: April 15

  Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:

  • Six live roaches “on floor in dry storage area,” “on wall in dishwashing area,” “on wall behind dishwashing machine in kitchen,” “on floor next to white single-door, reach-in freezer in kitchen” and “on floor next to coffee station at entrance of kitchen.”
  • Three dead roaches “in dry storage area in kitchen.”
  • Time/temperature issues involved shredded cheese and marinara sauce.
  • “Employee went outside, returned to work area and started working with cooked, ready-to-eat food and handled a clean plate without removing gloves or washing hands.”
  • “Containers of raw shell eggs stored above containers of sauces and dressings in walk-in cooler.”

  Status: Reopened April 16 after a second inspection found no violations.

  Sajna Indian Cuisine
  1933 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

  Ordered shut: April 15

  Why: 10 violations (two high-priority), including:

  • About 72 live roaches in areas such as “under tape covering scorched electrical outlet behind prep table next to triple sink in kitchen area,” “under milk crate on cardboard-lined shelf directly next to cook line flip-top,” “inside of control device located in back of cook line flip-top,” “on top of dish machine under chemicals and wall behind dish machine