Over 140 rodent droppings in a Domino’s and roaches in a Subway among inspection failures
Let’s just say that wasn’t spilled sausage on the floor of the Domino’s Pizza.
This week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants failing state inspections includes names familiar not just in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe, but around the world.
What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections. We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. If you have a complaint and want a restaurant inspected, don’t email us. Click here and file a complaint. We report without passion or prejudice, but with a side dish of humor.
And, we go in alphabetical order:
Domino’s Pizza, 1012 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach: This week’s Wayne Gretzky Award winner for the hat trick of rodents, roaches and flies, also managed a threesome of failed inspections.
Before we get to the invading insects and mammals, let’s mention “Observed pizza delivery drivers/employees entered establishment from the back door, handling boxed, cooked pizza, no hand wash.”
Let’s just pass The Rona on the left hand side, shall we?
On Wednesday, the rodents most broadly marked their territory with more than 100 rodent droppings behind the pizza dough station, more than 30 pieces of poo in the storage room and another 10 pellets in the dining area.
The live roaches lay low, one on the floor by pizza box station, and two behind a reach-in cooler with food. Another three played dead elsewhere.
But it was a fly that brought down a Stop Sale, pizza dough being thrown out after being used as a soft landing strip.
Water leaked from the ceiling in the back of the kitchen and by the dining room bathroom.
“Accumulation of food debris/soil residue on paper towel and/or soap dispenser,” says that’s not used often.
“Dumpster overflowing garbage.” “Ventilation system inadequate as evidenced by condensation on walls/ceiling.”
On Thursday’s return, with only one day for rodent regularity to take effect, the fresh rodent poo count was down to “10-plus” behind the soda storage area; over four in the storage room; and “three-plus” in the kitchen areas. Just one live roach crawling on dining area tiles. But 12 flying insects, most of them in the kitchen and prep room.
The inspector came back twice Friday, giving this place two swings of the fly swatter at getting back open for the Friday night pizza rush.
Just missed it the first time — three flies and one live roach. Even closer, one roach on the front counter area floor, but still no go the second time.
This Domino’s finally fell properly Saturday.
El Habitat Cafe, 3105 NW 27th Ave., Miami: In this take out/delivery world, you really don’t want to see “five live roaches crawling on to-go containers,” “three dead roaches next to to-go container” or “25 roach droppings around to-go containers” on a kitchen shelf, but you can’t unsee it.
There was another live roach inside a white cooler and another 10 dead roaches in various places, including a bag with to-go cups.
One of the handwashing sinks had no soap or paper towels, but did have a microwave plate, garbage and an electrical cable. Guessing that’s about as little used as the “front counter hand wash sink with accumulated stain and soil.”
Another handwashing sink wasn’t working.
“Broken tiles on kitchen floor.”
We don’t see a report of a passed re-inspection.
Subway, 261 S. Federal Hwy., Deerfield Beach: All about the bugs, baby.
“Four live roaches under the hot holding unit at the closed end of sandwich line on a shelf with sheet trays. Ten live roaches under a cold holding unit on a sandwich line on a shelf with large, reusable salad bowls.”
Of the 15 dead roaches, 10 were “under a cold holding unit on a sandwich line on a shelf with large reusable salad bowls.”
The inspector took care to note, “Roaches isolated to sandwich make line.”
Considering sandwiches are Subway’s bread and butter, how much better does that make you feel?
The roaches remained hidden during Wednesday’s re-inspection.
Venise Caribbean Cuisine, 6120-22 SW Seventh St., Margate: “Mold like substance on drink dispenser nozzle in service area.”
Aside from moldy soda pop, this place also seemed to have a problem with keeping food at a temperature that prevents the growth of unwanted add-ons.
Stop Sales for temperature abuse got dropped on cooked chicken drumsticks, cooked pork, raw snapper, cooked cow feet, cooked turkey and soup.
And 10 live roaches hung out on a wall behind storage shelves where cooked bananas, plantains, and sweet potatoes are kept in kitchen area.
“Pot with uncovered cooked plantains near hand wash sink without splash guard.”
“No paper towels in employee hand wash sink in kitchen and service area.”
All the cutting boards were soiled as was the interior of a True flip top cooler. The cooler also had standing water.
On the comeback, the inspector saw a live roach on the door separating the dining room and kitchen and found cooked pork, raw snapper, cooked cow feet, cooked turkey, cooked beans and soup at bad temperatures.
They got it together for Tuesday’s second re-inspection.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 1:10 PM.
