Rodents in a food truck. Roaches killed during inspection. Inspection failures.
The Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed inspections during the abbreviated Thanksgiving Week is short but thicker than a Snickers with violations.
Also, we know many of you disconnected early for the holiday and missed last week’s list. For that, click the link below.
What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections. If you see a problem at a restaurant that needs inspecting, don’t email us, but, rather, click here and file a complaint. We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. We report without passion or prejudice, but with a doggie bag of humor.
In alphabetical order:
Don Carlin Restaurant, 11447 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise: “Observed one live roach on steam table then fall to floor. Roach killed...one live roach on wall behind cookline. Roach killed...one live roach crawling on stove door. Roach killed...”
Five other live roaches would be spotted, but it was already garbage time on this inspection. Don Carlin could’ve just taken the L right there. The rest of this counted just as gathering information for the re-inspection.
Again, operators, if you see roaches running while you’re with the inspector, don’t stomp or smack them to death. Sweep them into a dustpan, pitch them into the trash and take out the trash. It’s as if the killing the roaches gives inspectors the idea they need to do the same to your business for the day.
Live roaches don’t automatically mean a failed inspection. But live roaches that get killed in front of the inspector seems a guaranteed fail.
Stop Sales came down on the cooked rice and beans, which didn’t cool enough overnight after being stacked on top of each other.
There wasn’t a way to dry hands after washing them in the men’s restroom. A roll of Bounty prevents this violation.
And get some Pine-Sol and a mop or at least a Swiffer. “Grease accumulated on kitchen floor and/or under cooking equipment.”
On the Tuesday re-inspection, the outside doors still weren’t self-closing. And the roach count was six alive (one on a knife in the kitchen) and eight dead (four by a reach-in freezer). When the inspector came back for a re-re-inspection on Tuesday — looks like somebody wanted Wednesday off badly — four live roaches were spotted.
Don Carlin hid the bugs well enough to pass Wednesday’s re-re-re-inspection.
La Primera, 3540 NW 103rd St., North Miami-Dade: We know this food truck just over the bridge from Hialeah has watermelon, cheese, cooked beef, raw pork, cooked chicken and chicken wings on the menu because they all got smashed with Stop Sales for being way too warm — each by at least 21 degrees, except the chicken wings — despite being kept in a reach-in cooler overnight.
Conversely, the pulled pork, cooked pork and tamales on the cookline were under the required 135 degrees by 15, six and 27 degrees, respectively.
We also know rodents rode in the truck from 13 pieces of rodent dung the inspector found, three of which were on a shelf next to pots and two of which were near to-go containers. How did they get into the truck?
Could it be “Mobile unit has a hole on the floor?” Hmmm, could be...
Here’s a new violation for the Sick and Shut Down List. La Primera’s license says it’s a mobile business. The inspector found it a little too tethered to the spot.
“Mobile food dispensing vehicle connected to utilities on more than a temporary basis...permanent plumbing, to the floor of the parking lot. Electric pipes attached to the existing grocery store’s structure. Food truck has a siding attached by the wheels and the back area and tow hitch is located next to the building in a not accessible area which makes it not mobile. There is a solid ceiling attached to the mobile unit.”
Despite this, there was no hot water at the employee handwashing sink or the three-compartment sink. Which makes us wonder when the Grocery La Primera had its last inspection (April 12. Passed).
“Soda gun soiled.” “Slicer blade soiled with old food debris.” “Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable.” And, “nonfood-grade basting brush used in food.” The inspector didn’t say what the brush was, unlike the toothbrush situation at an Orlando Chai Thai or the paint brush at Key West’s Waterfront Brewery.
Bags of bread, boxes of plantains and potatoes were stored outside.
On Tuesday’s follow-up inspection, nothing looks as if it was fixed.
Monday morning, neither the handwashing sink nor the three-compartment sink, used for washing and sanitizing, had water. The cutting boards were still stained/soiled (you can get cutting boards at Big Lots. Or Publix. Some bodegas. Come on, people...). Also, there was still a hole in the floor.
Yet, La Primera was back open.
