Introduction to Restaurant Inspections

The South Florida 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.)

Overview of Shut Down Restaurants

Below, see which five South Florida restaurants were temporarily ordered shut last week.

Broward County

Dragon Village Asian Café
5569 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill

Ordered shut: June 13
Why: 15 violations (five high-priority), including:

• About 2 live roaches “in kitchen crawling on floor under cooking equipment.”
• About six dead roaches “in kitchen area under cooking equipment and storage shelves” and “in triple sink.”
• Stop sale ordered for broccoli because of one live fly in the container.
• Raw chicken stored “over cooked shrimp in walk-in cooler” and “over raw beef in walk-in freezer.”
• “Raw chicken, broccoli and raw shrimp [stored] in walk-in cooler uncovered.”
• Walls and hood filters “soiled with grease at cook line.”
  Status: Reopened June 14 after a follow-up inspection found six basic violations.

Palm Beach County

Sicilian Oven
10610 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Ordered shut: June 12
Why: Six violations (five high-priority), including:

• About 16 live flies in areas such as around the cook line “landing on cooked sausage and cooked chicken in make table kept open at pizza station” and “on the inside of clean pans with cheese and pizza sauce” at pizza station, “in prep area at the backend of kitchen landing inside open trash can,” and at dining area “landing on lid of bottle at bar area.”
• Stop sale ordered for “cooked sausage and cooked chicken in make table at pizza station” because of the flies.
• “Observed [an employee] handle dirty dishes then clean dishes from dishwasher” without washing hands.
• Time/temperature issues involved sliced salami, Bolognese sauce and cooked meatballs.
  Status: Reopened June 13 after a second visit found no violations.

Rocket Cafe
7030 Charleston Shores Blvd., Lake Worth
Ordered shut: June 13
Why: Six violations (three high-priority), including:

• About 100 live roaches in the kitchen — “inspector moved box of glassware on floor next to flip-top cooler and roaches began to crawl out of hole in wall and cardboard box, crawling on wall, shelf of clean and sanitized plates, sealed containers of dry seasoning, floor, flip-top cooler.” There were also about three roaches “crawling on floor in front of coolers.”
• About 70 dead roaches in the kitchen “on floor in front of reach-in coolers,” “under reach-in cooler,” “behind flip-top cooler,” “in dry storage room” and “along wall by back door.”
• “In dry storage area of kitchen, containers of medications stored above containers of sweet peppers.”
• “In dry storage area, tube of roach pesticide gel stored above clean and sanitized dishes.”
  Status: As of the publication of this article, a follow-up inspection was required before reopening.

Seasons 52
11611 Ellison Wilson Road, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: June 11
Why: Eight violations (four high-priority), including:

• About 25 flies “at the bar landing on garnishes like fruits and herbs and bottles of juices.”
• “Raw meatballs stored above cut lemons on the speed rack in walk-in cooler.”
• Time/temperature issues involved lobster tail, shrimp and scallops.
• “Heavy presence of mold-like substance on cutting boards at cook line.”
• At the bar, floor was “sticky” and “covered with standing water.”
  Status: Reopened June 12 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.

El Valle Hondumex Restaurant
4992 10th Ave. N., Greenacres
Ordered shut: June 11
Why: 14 violations (nine high-priority), including:

• About 30 live roaches “inside nonworking walk-in cooler crawling on food debris on floor, shelves used to store clean and sanitized dishes, and walls of walk-in cooler.”
• One dead roach on chair at bar area.
• One live fly “landing on bar top and tip jar.”
• “Employee wearing gloves handling raw fish did not wash hands and change gloves before handling cut avocados.”
• Stop sale ordered for cooked bean soup “due to temperature abuse.”
• “In kitchen, hand-washing sink used to store tray of clean and sanitized utensils.”
• “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
• At three-compartment sink, “chlorine tablets stored directly with clean and sanitized dishes” and “bucket containing soap water stored directly next to raw fish.”
• “In walk-in cooler, pesticide tracking powder stored directly next to and with clean and sanitized dishes.”
  Status: Reopened June 12 after a second visit found no violations.

Conclusion

Restaurant inspections are crucial in ensuring the health and safety of consumers. The temporary shutdown of these five restaurants in South Florida due to high-priority violations, including the presence of roaches, flies, and sticky floors, highlights the importance of maintaining cleanliness and adhering to proper food handling practices.

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 possible violation?
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 conditions that pose a significant risk to consumer health.
Q: Can I check the inspection status of a restaurant?
A: Yes, you can check the inspection status of a restaurant by contacting the Florida DBPR or checking their website.