Introduction to Restaurant Inspections
A total of eight South Florida restaurants were temporarily shut last week after state inspectors found violations including dozens of rodent droppings, live flies and ants. Issues with food temperatures and employees not washing their hands also were cited.
How Restaurant Inspections Work
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.
Filing Complaints
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
Dr. Limón Ceviche Bar
801 N. Federal Highway, Unit 107, Hallandale Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 21
Why: Five violations (two high-priority), including:
- About nine live roaches in kitchen “under stove” and “crawling in unused oven.”
- Time/temperature issues involved raw calamari and raw seafood mix.
- “Bowl with no handle used to dispense sugar.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 22 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.
The Grill At The Grove
3109 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: Aug. 18
Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:
- About 30 rodent droppings “on dry storage room shelf containing cleaning chemicals” and “on floor in corner of dry storage room next to cleaning chemicals.”
- Stop sale ordered for hot dogs, sour cream, salsa and cooked shrimp “due to temperature abuse.”
- Other time/temperature issues involved a ham sandwich, cheese, pico de gallo, cooked onions and watermelon.
- “No soap provided at handwash sink.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 19 after a second visit found no violations.
Palm Beach County Restaurant Closures
Great Wall
5014 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Loxahatchee
Ordered shut: Aug. 21
Why: 20 violations (13 high-priority), including:
- 10 flies seen “landing on cut cabbage, raw chicken, broccoli, cutting boards used for raw chicken [and] flip-top cooler.”
- About 30 dead flies found in insect control device above triple sink in kitchen.
- About 60 ants in kitchen “crawling on flip-top cooler, shelves above cooler, on single-service, to-go containers and lid to rice warmer.”
- Stop sale ordered for cut cabbage, raw chicken and broccoli because of fly activity.
- Stop sale also ordered for cooked shrimp because “employee used bare hands to test temperature” while it was cooling on table.
- Time/temperature issues also involved cooked rice (stop sale), pork egg rolls and fried chicken, as well as cooked chicken, shrimp and pork wontons.
- “Raw pork stored directly above cooked pasta, and raw shrimp stored above buckets of sauce” in walk-in cooler.
- “Employee handled raw chicken and, without washing hands, handled container of cooked pasta.”
- “Employee handled trash can and, without washing hands, employee handled container of sauce.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 22 after a follow-up visit found one high-priority violation.
Gators Shack
5088 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Loxahatchee
Ordered shut: Aug. 21
Why: 10 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 57 flies seen “landing on single-service, to-go containers, open boxes of straws, sealed bottles of juice and walls” in kitchen at server expo station, on walls of hallway “between bathrooms and kitchen” and “flying around flip-top cooler” in kitchen.
- “Raw hamburger meat stored above cooked wings” in walk-in cooler.
- Time/temperature issues involved chili and cooked wings.
- Oven hood vents in kitchen “soiled with accumulated dust/mold-like substance.”
- “Employee entered kitchen from customer dining room and, without washing hands, employee handled clean and sanitized spatula to turn burger on grill.”
Status: Closed Aug. 22 after a second visit found two violations (one high-priority). Reopened later that day after a third inspection found one basic violation.
Mr. Mack Island Grill
2400 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 20
Why: Two violations (one high-priority), including:
- About four roaches “in kitchen crawling on wall behind cooking equipment at cook line.”
Status: Reopened the same day after a second visit found one intermediate violation; a follow-up inspection was required.
Hurricane Grill & Wings
4075 State Road 7, Suite A1, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: Aug. 19
Why: 12 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About three roaches seen crawling around kitchen “on shelf and sealed box above food prep sink where employee [was] preparing food,” “on floor behind ice machine” and “behind oven on floor.”
- Nine dead roaches in kitchen on “shelf above food preparation sink,” “on floor in dry storage room” and “on floor by grease collector in between walk-in cooler door and walk-in beer cooler.”
- About 55 live flies in kitchen “landing on mop and mop bucket next to entrance to walk-in cooler,” “on trash can and soda dispenser rack in front of walk-in cooler” and “flying in and around floor drain at server expo station under soda machine.”
- Stop sale ordered “due to temperature abuse” because four packages of “commercially processed, reduced-oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use” was “no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package.”
- “Employee in kitchen eating pasta while preparing bacon.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 20 after a follow-up visit found three basic violations.
Dunkin’
6594 Lantana Road, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: Aug. 19
Why: Five violations (three high-priority), including:
- About two roaches in kitchen seen crawling “on wall above mop sink next to oven in food preparation area” and “on floor next to stack of empty milk crates next to oven in food preparation area.”
- About two dead roaches in kitchen “under counter where hot holding unit is located.”
- About three flies in kitchen “landing on donut storage rack” and “on counter next to hand-washing sink by coffee brewer.”
- “Employee wiped face with hand and after, without washing hands, employee put on gloves to handle customer donuts.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 20 after a reinspection found no violations.
McDonald’s
100 State Road 7, West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 18
Why: Three high-priority violations, including:
- About 52 rodent droppings in employee break room “on floor under employee locker,” “under rolling storage rack with boxes of dishes” and “along wall by door,” and in kitchen “on floor in front of soda dispenser storage rack” and “on floor in dry storage.”
- Time/temperature issues involved cut lettuce and shredded cheese.
- “Employee wiped face with hand and after, without washing hands, employee handled clean and sanitized dishes.”
Status: Reopened later that day after a second inspection found no violations.
Conclusion
The closure of these restaurants due to various health and safety violations serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining high standards in food preparation and service. Regular inspections and adherence to regulations are crucial in preventing the spread of illnesses and ensuring a safe dining experience for customers.
FAQs
Q: What happens when a restaurant fails a state inspection?
A: The restaurant must stay closed until it passes a follow-up inspection.
Q: How can I file a complaint about a restaurant?
A: Contact 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: Can employees eat while preparing food?
A: No, employees should not eat while preparing food to prevent cross-contamination and maintain a clean environment.
Q: How often are restaurant inspections conducted?
A: Restaurant inspections are conducted weekly by the Florida DBPR.
