Dead rodent among violations in 22 Keys, Miami, Broward, Palm Beach restaurants
There are rodents and roaches pooping and dying all over the place in 22 South Florida restaurants on the largest Sick and Shut Down List ever.
Everybody’s represented — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Monroe (a record number from the Keys), chains, Independents, a mall food court, two places adjacent to malls, food trucks and a generous variety of cuisines.
Before we start our restaurant odyssey, reminders that we don’t do the inspecting nor do we decide who gets inspected. Both are done by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, sometimes after customer complaints about a place. Unless otherwise noted, these places reopened after passing re-inspection, usually the next day.
“Triple sink” and “three-compartment sink” are the same thing. That’s a setup for manual washing, rinsing and sanitizing by hand.
In alphabetical order...
Adypizza Criolla Cubana, 6230 Pembroke Rd., Miramar
Routine inspection, seven total violations, two High Priority violations.
Five dead roaches in the soap dispenser above the employees’ kitchen handwash sink and 12 live roaches in and around said soap dispenser.
“No soap provided at the handwash sink in the kitchen.”
As for other live roaches, six were behind the kitchen sign reminding employees to was their hands. Three were on a wall behind a rack with clean dishes and utensils. Five were near a kitchen baseboard. Two were under the three-compartment sink.
This inspection was July 18. No re-inspection has been posted.
Albertes Restaurants, 4595 Hypoluxo Rd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Routine inspection, 10 total violations, six High Priority violations.
One of the live roaches sashayed across a table where dough preparation was taking place. There were about “11 live roaches on the floor at dough making station, crawling on walls around dough mixer and dry product storage.” There were 11 roaches counted in the rest of the kitchen and dishwashing areas.
About 22 of their dead cousins dotted the floor in the dishwashing area, another six in kitchen dry storage.
“Employee handled a soiled cloth from the floor and, without washing hands, handled a knife to begin cutting watermelon.”
Not sure if that’s the same person who “handled visibly soiled dishes in the sink, touched rim of a trash can and, without washing hands, handled cleaned and sanitized dishes.”
Of course, perhaps that worker got deterred by the “handwash sink at the dishwashing station was blocked by garbage cans.” Also, there were no paper towels.
In the reach-in cooler, where food needs to be at or under 41 degrees, cooked turkey measured 52 degrees and “chopped cow foot” measured 75 degrees after four hours. And, we all know nobody wants to put a bad hoof in their mouth. Stop Sales hit both.
The first callback inspection got ruined by roaches, both dead (eight, including four next to a dough mixer and dough rolling machine) and alive (five, one of which was on the lid of a salt bin, another hiding under dry seasoning bins).
Callback inspection No. 2 got the place back open for last week’s weekend business rush.
Bea-Licious Grill, food truck, Marathon
Routine inspection, 11 total violations, zero High Priority violations.
Rare for anyplace, even a food truck, to make this list without a High Priority violation. It’s like winning your March Madness office pool with zero Final Four teams.
Bea-licious managed this through the magic of no water.
The food truck could’ve gotten away even with the abomination of “In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment,” a basic, but extremely disgusting violation. But, you have to have water.
“No potable running water for the MFDV. Faucets have no water supply dispersing water at either the handwash sink or the three-compartment sink.
“The water holding tank is empty. The water tank was refilled during the inspection, but no water is coming out of the faucet for the handwash sink.”
Maybe that’s why the handwash sink was covered by a sandwich press.
“Raw beef thawing at room temperature” invites bacteria breeding.
Danny’s Sub & Pizza at Southland Mall, 20505 S. Dixie Hwy., Cutler Bay
Routine inspection, seven total violations, three High Priority violations
Another Dry House operation.
“Establishment operating with no potable running water. As per employee, the establishment has no running water since previous night.”
So, of course, nobody is washing their hands because no water. Nothing’s getting properly cleaned or sanitized because, at the three-compartment sink, no water.
El Bayu De Wela Sara, 1917 B Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Routine inspection, six total violations, two High Priority violations.
An obviously ticked-off inspector took the time to count 43 live roaches in the gasket of an unused reach-in freezer. Under a cookline table, 11 roaches held a family reunion. Two live roaches were on a wait station wall, next to the ice machine. Seven roaches existed elsewhere.
Dead roaches numbered seven, five of them on top of a cookline electrical outlet lid.
Under the kitchen equipment, the “floor is soiled/has an accumulation of debris.”
An unlucky seven live roaches rolled around the restaurant, and El Bayu went bust on the second inspection.
Third time the charm? Si.
First Watch Restaurant, 2335 S. State Rd. 7, Wellington
Complaint inspection, eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
Above the kitchen dishwasher, the “ceiling tile accumulated mold-like substance.”
Underfoot in that area, there were “large puddles of water.”
“Server wiped face with a hand and, without washing hands, handled customers plate of food.”
Now, to the bugs.
Two dead roaches were found “above a food prep table, on an insect control device.” One roach died at soda syrup dispenser on the floor, another met his end next to the milk fridge, a third by the mop sink.
Of the 13 live roaches counted, the manager killed at least five, including the “one live roach in the kitchen on the cookline, crawling on the operator’s T-shirt.” Six roaches “were crawling on shelves with clean and sanitized dishes and walls.”
Re-inspections don’t come with margins for error. One fly landing on the wall above the dishwasher, and a roach crawling on the wall under the dishwasher kept First Watch closed, though the manager “eliminated” both.
Later that day, First Watch passed a re-re-inspection.
Green House, 721 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach
Routine inspection, eight total violations, five High Priority violations
“Operator sprayed pesticide labeled ‘for residential use only’ on live roach crawling out of fryer oil box at the kitchen cookline.” There’s about three violations rolled into one right there.
Three other live roaches were spotted in the kitchen. Five roach corpses were on the kitchen floor. A fly kept “landing on unwrapped single service articles.”
“Employee sprayed pesticide, touched a garbage can, broom and dust pan, handled clean equipment and utensils to prepare food for customers,” all without washing hands.
Harat’s Irish Pub aka Harat’s By the Sea, 100 Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Routine inspection, 21 total violations, three High Priority violations.
Five live roaches were spotted, four of them on the cookline floor next to a rack that stores wooden food boards. An exterminator was in the house during this inspection.
“Insect control device is installed over the clean drink cups at bar area.”
Food contact surfaces with notable yuckiness included a prep area can opener soiled with built up food residue, a prep area slicer soiled with food debris and bar area soda gun nozzles.
“Accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dishmachine.”
“Floor area(s) covered with standing water...by the three-door reach in freeze, kitchen exit door, upper level walk-in cooler.” and standing water in the bottom two reach-in cookline coolers.
Containers of dry pasta and raw chicken wings stored on floors.
“Commercially processed reduced oxygen-packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use is no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package in the middle of the reach-in cooler.”
“Frozen fish thawing in a food container on the prep counter.”
“No soap at the handwash sink.”
La Dona, 1800 Sawgrass Mills Cir., Sunrise
Routine inspection, 19 total violations, nine High Priority violations.
La Dona’s been on the Sick and Shut Down List within the last year, a November inspection with what we called an “Orange Bowl Parade of Stop Sales.”
So, let’s see if they’ve learned how to keep food properly cooled or warmed.
Stop Sales for temperature abuse — keeping cooled food above 41 degrees — crashed down on tomato salsa (56 degrees); cooked rice (57); pico de gallo with tomatoes (57); diced tomatoes (54); cheese shredded cheese (52 and 58); queso fresco (58); cooked chorizo (52).
About 10 flies landed on clean dishes and utensils at the dishwasher. Five flies in the storage area planed on pots and pans. Another five landed on single service items and walls. Five more were coming down on “open containers of spices.”
“Observed on cookline, several cutting boards with soiled cloths underneath.” Those are supposed to be in a sanitizing solution.
But, a sanitizing solution measuring 100 parts per million. This measured 300 ppm.
“Employee left through back door and, upon arrival, began handling clean dishes.”
A cookline employee “handled soiled cloth then proceeded to handle clean plates for an order without washing hands.”
“Non-food grade paper/paper towel used as liner for food container” as in “cookline non-food grade paper towels in direct contact with cilantro.” Some of us do that at home. As several parents have said, home isn’t a restaurant.
No soap at the dishwashing area handwash sink.
On the callback, La Dona failed on 13 flies doing flying about as they pleased.
A same-day, third inspection got La Dona back open.
Madame Erick Kitchen, 6047 Miramar Pkwy., Miramar
Routine inspection, nine total violations, two High Priority violations
Water problems drown restaurants.
During Monday’s inspection, standing water covered the floor in the employee restroom, in front of the employee restroom, and under the three-compartment sink in the kitchen, where a faucet leaked.
The “employees’ restroom toilet was leaking water...when flushed, water came out from under the toilet.”
“Water from the employees’ toilet backing up through the floor causing standing water in front of the exit door next to the kitchen water heater. The area cannot be isolated from the kitchen. Employees are dragging wastewater through the kitchen. There are no other restrooms available for employees use.”
Meanwhile, an “employee washed hands with no soap and proceeded to cut tomatoes.”
Miami Grill, 600 NE 167th St., North Miami Beach
Routine inspection, 11 total violations, three High Priority violations.
Passing a Miami Grill, formerly Miami Subs, brings nostalgia lightning strikes on South Floridians who remember flattops, Cross Colours pants and Color Me Badd.
Alas, nobody adores the roach and fly problems we told you about earlier this week.
READ MORE: Was your Miami Grill the one with roaches crawling out of a rice cooker?
Miami Grill got shut down for a few hours and there’s one more addition to the Wretched Restaurant Row that runs on 167th Street/163rd Street from I-95 to Biscayne Boulevard.
Mike’s Wings & Seafood, 2968 S. Jog Rd., Greenacres
Routine inspection, nine total violations, five High Priority violations.
Operator handled visibly soiled cloth and without washing hands operator handled container of cooked chicken wings.
At least, there weren’t 50 rodent-chewed ketchup packets or over pieces of rodent dung as there were when Mike’s failed inspection in March. Some progress needs context.
But, it’s not a good sign when there’s “multiple ceiling tiles with holes throughout establishment” when the inspector looks up and a “food contract surface soiled, a table with rodent droppings” when the inspector looks down.
Sure enough, there were “22 rodent droppings on the floor throughout the kitchen.” One dropping on a kitchen chair. Eight on a sauce shelf. Five on top of reach-in coolers. Three on the bottom of a prep table.
Out where the people buy and eat, “15 droppings on the customer dining room floor next to the bathroom” as well as two “on paper towels in front of the bathroom.” The front counter cabinets had 11.
The next day, the rodents left greetings for the inspector on the floor behind a soda cooler in the customer lobby (15); in a cardboard box on a table next to the deep fryer (five); on the floor next to soda storage (five); and on the table next to soda cases (one).
Maybe the rodents’ movers arrived late — did they use Next Door Relocation or Absolute Relocation Service? — because by the second re-inspection, later on Friday, July 18, the rodents were gone (or asleep — they were pooped or pooped out). And, Mike’s reopened for all that weekend business.
Ocean Grill, 1075 Duval St., Key West
Routine inspection, 22 total violations, five High Priority violations.
Once again, it took a while, but here’s old reliable “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
“Accumulation of debris inside and outside the warewashing machine.”
Under the prep kitchen three-compartment sink, the inspector counted 18 pieces of rodent doo-doo.
In the same room, two roaches crawled on the prep table and one roach squatted on a wall. Two more roaches could’ve been casing the cookline hot holding unit.
Five flies landed on top of drink straws. Another 13 flies covered the bar area air near the ice bin and handwash sink.
Someone “dried their hands with a soiled, wet cloth and then proceeded to put on gloves without proper hand washing.”
That goes along with, throughout the cookline area, the wet wiping cloths weren’t being stored in sanitizing solution when not being used.
“Can opener blade soiled.”
Papa John’s, 12798 SW Eighth St., West Miami-Dade
Routine inspection, six total violations, three High Priority violations.
Shaq’s not going to like this: “Observed dead rodent behind front counter.”
Maybe he pooped himself to death. Not so far fetched if he’s solely responsible for the more than 56 pieces of rodent regularity counted by the inspector. That’s under a pizza dough prep table, under pizza boxes, behind a front counter, under the kitchen handwash sink and under cases of single serve napkins in storage.
Ten flies were “standing on a lemon sauce pouch, on a storage rack...” Just standing? What do they want?
No sanitizer in the sanitizing part of the three-compartment sink.
Pollo & Steak Tropical Grill, 490 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, two High Priority violations.
“Clean utensils stored between equipment and wall” as in “Four cleaned spatulas stored between sink and wall at the kitchen triple sink.”
“Single serve food containers stored on the floor in the dry storage hallway.” The only thing that should be on the floor are feet.
The kitchen handwash sink faucet leaked.
Oh, and there were about 75 flies, about 20 of which took flying breaks on onions in the food prep area.
The Rock Irish Pub, 614 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
Routine inspection, 12 total violations, six High Priority violations.
The inspector saw more than 20 pieces of rodent poo on top of the dishwasher and 15 more pieces at a storage closet.
Poop was on the dishwasher, but no sanitizer in the dishwasher.
The chicken kabobs in the walk-in cooler were dated July 13. This inspection, was on Monday the 21st. Exceeding the seven-day limit in refrigeration puts restaurant food out of specifications eight days a week (it’s a good policy for home refrigerator leftovers, too).
Smoothie Spot, 13810 SW Eighth St., West Miami-Dade
Complaint inspection, 13 total violations, four High Priority violations.
“Observed two ceiling tiles missing over the cookline.” and “ Observed lower walls in the hallway leading to the restroom in disrepair.”
If you’ve been reading closely, you know what the inspector observed next. That’s right, more than 57 rodent droppings throughout the restaurant, including one in the women’s restroom.
The inspector fired a Stop Sale at butter cups sitting at 78 degrees when they needed to be under 41.
Not hot enough water at the triple sink and employee handwash sinks, two of which didn’t have towels, either. No hot water at mop sink.
At the re-inspection, was the water hot enough at the handwash sink? Nope. Three-compartment sink? Nope. Mop sink? Nope.
Rodent droppings? Over 20, five in a hallway.
Third callback inspection got the job done.
Taqueria Uxmal, food truck, West Palm Beach
Complaint inspection, three total violations, two High Priority violations.
Think about the cramped inside of a food truck. Now think about 20 roaches being spotted there behind the triple sink and the handwash sink and three more “crawling on cutting boards.”
If there’s anything in the handwash sink, even a sponge, a fork, it’s a violation as being “not accessible for employee use.” This handwash sink was being used for “storage of multiple items.”
When the inspector returned, 10 roaches remained and Uxmal remained closed.
Inspection, Day 3, and Uxmal passed.
Thai Island Restaurant, 711 Eisenhower Dr., Key West
Complaint inspection, 20 total violations, four High Priority violations.
“Water is dripping from the ceiling in the downstairs ice machine and storage area with food storage including dry goods and freezers.”
Now, to the rodents, who left eight little nuggets on top of the dishwasher and three in dry storage.
Also on the dry storage floor lay four dead roaches.
“Food stored in a location that is exposed to splash/dust.” What do you mean? “An open pitcher of water for drinks sits next to the handwash sink at the wait station.”
Who keeps the ice bucket sitting on the floor?
No hot water at the downstairs ice machine handwash sink.
The wiping cloth sanitizer solution got a little gummy, measuring 200 ppm when it needs to be only 100 ppm.
Steak Shop & Deli, 1801 W. Sample Rd., Pompano Beach
Routine inspection, nine total violations, three High Priority violations.
“Accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine in prep area.”
One dead roach under that machine. Two dead roaches under a prep table. Six live roaches, including one “running across the kitchen floor” and another “going in and out of the wall next to the prep area refrigerator.”
The manager called the exterminator during the inspection.
“Ceiling tiles and vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance through the kitchen and dining areas.”
“Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food” as in “bread at the front counter stored in can liners.”
Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1851 Cordova Rd., Fort Lauderdale
Routine inspection, 13 total violations, three High Priority violations.
“Accumulation of yellow/ green mold like substance inside the kitchen ice machine.”
One dead roach under a cookline prep sink. Three live roaches behind the handwash sink sign reminding employees to wash their hands.
The triple sink sanitizer? Zero point zero. “Per employee, no other sanitizer is available in the establishment at this time. Only use single-service items to serve food to customers until sanitizer is available.”
A case of acai bowls were stored on the kitchen floor.
During the callback inspection, one live roach appeared on a paper towel dispenser above the kitchen handwash sink and another on the floor under the handwash sink.
The manager killed them, but they still counted, so it took a third inspection to get this joint back open.
Tropical Vibes Caribbean Restaurant, 6033 Miramar Pkwy., Miramar
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, four High Priority violations.
An “employee wearing no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation.”
No hair restraint? Violation. No water? Termination of operation.
“Establishment operating with no potable running water. No water in the entire establishment. The water was turned off by the city.”
That means no running water at the three-compartment sink. No running water at the mop sink.
Strangely, the inspection didn’t mention lack of water at the handwash sinks, but did note there was no way to dry your hands at the handwash sink.
Apparently, the water got turned on again later Monday.
Temperature abuse brought the Stop Sale lightning down on cooked white rice, cooked rice and beans, cooked spinach and meat and pikliz.
U Sushi Japanese & Thai, 610 N. University Dr., Pembroke Pines
Complaint inspection, 13 total violations, four High Priority violations.
A dozen of the 19 dead roaches spotted were on the floor around a chest freezer in the back prep area.
Of the five live roaches spotted, two were in the same chest freezer area.
All those roaches and they kept “multiple sauce buckets on the back prep area floor?”
The “floor area around cookline fryers have a buildup of food debris” and, the “floor area along the wall under and to the left of the dish machine has food debris buildup.”
“Non-food grade paper/paper towel used as liner for food container.” In this case, raw and cooked foods in the sushi case and sushi cooler sat on plates lined with standard white and brown paper towels. That’s a wax paper job.
Weston Diner, 4484 Weston Rd., Davie
Complaint inspection, eight total violations, five High Priority violations.
One dead roach near a kitchen drain and five roaches crawling on “the kitchen wall, oven and floor” got this Davie place shut down.
“The menu does not identify which items contain raw or undercooked animal foods covered by the consumer advisory.” That notification should’ve been made for the nova and onions.
Saturday’s re-inspection failed on one roach crawling on the kitchen floor, so the Weston didn’t reopen until passing Monday’s third inspection.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM.
