Sewage in the kitchen, bugs in flour: 24 South Florida restaurants and their filth
Sorry about it being a fortnight since the last Sick and Shut Down List. We’re working on the reasons behind that because you deserve to know in a timely manner where kitchen employees are slogging through backed up sewage to serve you microwaved food cooked two days ago.
READ THE RULES AND SAVE US ALL SOME TIME: What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. A restaurant that fails state inspection remains closed until passing re-inspection.
If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. Do not call us. Do not email us. We don’t control who gets inspected nor how strictly the inspector inspects. Let us say that again — we do not control who gets inspected.
We don’t include all violations, just the most moving, whether internally or literally moving (because it’s alive or once was alive). Some violations get corrected after the inspector points them out. But, you have to ask, why do the violations exist in the first place? And how long would they have remained if not for the inspection?
We report without passion or prejudice but with humor seasoning.
In alphabetical order...
Blue Fish Sushi Thai, 3601 W. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: 12 total violations, two High Priority violations.
One fish, two fish, Blue Fish, 10 dead roaches under a wooden prep table. There was also “a dead roach on the glue trap behind the microwave on the shelf where clean plates are stored close to the cookline.”
Six live roaches included one on a prep area floor next to the kitchen. The other five hung out in the door and gaskets of a cookline flip top cooler.
The inside of an ice bucket had “a mold-like substance.”
Boom Thai & Sushi, 2470 Sheridan St., Hollywood: 10 total violations, six High Priority violations.
The inspector spotted “10 rodent droppings on the floor on either side of a shelf in a dry storage area outside of the walk-in freezer. The shelf contained single use items and spices.”
The butt doing the dropping might’ve belonged to the “dead rodent present on the floor in the corner outside the walk-in freezer” and next to the aforementioned spice shelf.
Also dropping were Stop Sales. First, the inspector hit some ice because he saw an “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Observed on the ice making mechanism with water running over it and into the mechanism.”
Somebody needed to turn down or flat out replace the walk-in cooler, which should keep food under 41 degrees. The walk-in measured 48-50 degrees, great football weather, but unsafely warm were beef; chicken; cooked rice; butter; cream cheese; shell eggs; and tofu. All of it got tossed.
Boom popped properly at its second re-inspection two days later.
Chez Ti Doc, 229 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach: 10 total violations, three High Priority violations.
The Hole-in-the-Wall with an actual hole in the wall.
“Wall located in the dry storage room outside the bathroom has a hole in wall and (you’re) able to see light from the outside.”
Maybe that’s where the insects entered before they got in the flour that got hit with a Stop Sale.
And then, there were rodent droppings “mixed in with almond shavings and in peanut butter packages that appear to be bitten apart.”
That’s aside from the “10 rodent droppings observed on right side of the drink cooler located at the front counter,” the “15 rodent droppings located in the dry storage room throughout multiple shelves” and the “approximately 10 rodent droppings observed in the back left corner under a wooden pallet.”
When the inspector returned the next day for re-inspection, the result was “follow up inspection required.” No online notification that this place every “Met Inspection Standards.”
China Lakes Restaurant, 19589 NW 57th Ave., North Miami-Dade: 12 total violations, two High Priority violations.
More than 10 rodent droppings under shelves near a bathroom door would make it hard for us to relax in the Reading Room but more than 10 rodent droppings on the dry storage floor near bags of rice would make it hard for us to trust many dishes out of this joint.
And, like so many of these places that have rodents, China Lakes stored food or ingredients on the floor. “Observed oil liquid container on kitchen floor, across the stove.”
The Lakes were back open after passing a next day re-inspection.
Cuisine Lakay and Bar, 6010 NE Second Ave., Miami: 10 total violations, two High Priority violations.
No soap or way to dry your hands at the handwash sink. A bag of beans and “an accumulation of debris” on the floor.
Also on the kitchen floor were about 100 rodent droppings. Those rodents didn’t just have the run of the kitchen — they seemed to run the kitchen.
Another 12 pieces of rodent poop were “on a shelf next to single service cups.” Three were “on top of clean equipment stored on a wire rack inside the kitchen.” Ten were on top of a case of coconut milk. Two on top of a chest freezer. All this inside the kitchen.
And if the air was filled with love, it shared the space with 14 flies landing on the walls and a cutting board.
The Sept. 15 re-inspection ended with “Follow up inspection required.” No online notification that Lakay ever “Met inspection standards.”
Dr. Limon Ceviche Bar Weston, 4446 Weston Rd., Davie: Eight total violations, two High Priority violations.
There was some moisture on the floor.
“Sewage/wastewater backing up through floor drains. Observed gray sewage water on the floor throughout the prep area where employees are walking back and forth to prep food. Observed gray sewage water on and under the cookline. Observed gray sewage water the in women’s restroom.”
And, our old favorite, “Observed a mold-like substance in ice machine.”
The Doctor was back in after one of those Broward Friday same-day re-inspections.
Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant, 4200 NW 12th St., Lauderhill: 23 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
The inspector counted 28 live roaches and 19 dead ones, including eight roaches playing where the mop sink used to be. No mop sink (yes, those are required in restaurants), the handwash sink drained slowly (at least they were using it) and the three-compartment sink drained onto the floor.
Six pans of macaroni and cheese got tossed for being too warm after overnight cooling. And in the “food from an unapproved source” category, some stuff marked as being from Nic’s Pastries — 27 Gizzardas, 11 Peanut Cakes, nine Coconut Drops, seven Rock Cakes and 23 Greater Cakes — got hit with Stop Sales.
On the main kitchen cook line dry storage shelf, there were “shelves soiled with slime dust and debris.”
Donna’s passed re-inspection the next day.
Dune Deck Cafe, 100 N. Ocean Blvd., Lantana: Six total violations, four High Priority violations
The upside is they had over 34 pieces of rodent regularity, many fewer than the 115 an inspector counted when they made The Sick and Shut Down List in December.
Downside is Pixie and Dixie still seemed to play hop-and-poop-scotch in places you don’t want them to do so. Such as over 20 droppings “on lids of rice, flour grits and waffle mix containers” and four on a kitchen prep table. Another one was on a container with menus. Three more on the floor with six on top of the dishwasher.
Dune was playing again after passing re-inspection the next day. We’re sure the rambling rodents took their act elsewhere.
El Rey De La Medialuna, 3253 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood: 13 total violations, four High Priority violations.
This joint failed inspection back on Sept. 14 with standing water, flies, and a Stop Sale caused by “over 10 dead small insects in a self-service display case containing packaged chorizo, cream cheese, and packaged prepared sandwiches.”
Also, the inspector saw a “kitchen employee touch the soiled trash container and bag and then begin working with dough” without washing hands.
After a failed re-inspection, El Rey got it together and passed the third inspection. So, they were in the clear...until somebody filed a complaint.
And the inspector darkened the door on Wednesday, as cold as that unlit half of the moon.
The meat slicer on the front counter had a “food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.”
The light over the bakery prep area contained seven dead roaches.
Counting the five flies in a fly trap on the counter, there were 54 flies in the house. Yet employees still left a box of shortening uncovered.
Fit Food Express, 302 NE Fourth St., Delray Beach: Three total violations, two High Priority violations.
“Containers of medicine located on rack containing spices and wares.” Grind the pepper, not the Percocet.
One dead rodent and his rodent droppings were found.
Fit was it again after a same-day re-inspection.
Grecian Delight, 3291 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: Eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
Among the 20 rodent droppings were 15 behind shelves in the dry storage area, which also had a chest freezer that stored five dead roaches.
Not only did Grecian Delight have the formula to pass re-inspection the following day but also a complaint inspection on Thursday. Opa!
HBK Burger, 5650 Stirling Rd., Hollywood: 13 total violations, five High Priority violations.
Damaged or missing ceiling tiles in dry storage don’t look good, but this inspection’s about what the inspector saw from the flies.
Such as over 20 landing on packaged and canned food in dry storage and another 20 on a bucket with soiled wiping cloths next to the three-compartment sink. Also, “several small flies” buzzed about and landed on sauce cups stored on top of the beer keg refrigerator with tap handles.
No way to dry wet hands at the kitchen handwashing sink.
After whiffing on re-inspection the next day, HBK was A-OK on a second re-inspection.
Hook, Fish & Chicken, 160 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach: 15 total violations, four High Priority violations.
Yes, we want to know why the handwash sink didn’t have any soap or way to dry your hands — so, no way to actually wash your hands — until the inspector pointed it out.
And we know the dead fly wasn’t swimming in the mayonnaise jar in the cookline reach-in cooler (mayo is a killer, very fatty). We know the trio of dead flies on six slices of cheese in the same reach-in earned that cooler its second Stop Sale of the inspection.
But how the heck are those Basic violations and not High Priority? Not even intermediate?
In other fly news, there was one on a bag of tostadas, six on a seasoning container, 10 on beer cases and 20 on top of a 50-pound bag of onions.
This place passed a second re-inspection on Sept. 23.
Ivory’s Take Out, 2270 W. Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale: 14 total violations, five High Priority violations.
“Lack of toilet and paper towels tissue at each toilet.”
Flies zipping around the three-compartment sink were killed by the manager in front of the inspector. Sliced cheese got hit with a Stop Sale for being too warm.
And, in the kitchen, the handwash sink had only water — no soap or way to dry your hands other than flap.
Ivory passed re-inspection the next day.
Las Carnitas Latin Cuisine, 3305 N. Federal Hwy., Pompano Beach: Six total violations, three High Priority violations.
Of the 38 flies counted, about 20 just hung out on a wall over the front counter steam table. That feels a little “Birds” like, no?
“Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food” in the white rice storage container. This is a common violation that initially might make you shrug, but consider that it can easily put the scooper’s hands — which might or might not be washed — in direct contact with the food.
They passed re-inspection on Sept. 17 and, Wednesday, an inspection off a complaint.
La Villa Taqueria Mexiciana, 6146 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth: Eight total violations, four High Priority.
On this food truck, the “serving window has no screens, or any means of closing when operating. Flies in unit.”
This isn’t how you want to start the inspection. “Cook began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands.”
But the most common problem in food trucks that fail inspection is “no potable running water, no hot or cold water, at hand washing sink and triple sink.”
They got that problem handled by the next day’s re-inspection.
Notico, 3725 Lake Worth Rd., Palm Springs: Five total violations, one High Priority violation.
Eight live roaches running around in coolers that weren’t being used and two roach corpses on wiping cloths.
“Cooked food thawed at room temperature.” That’s a no-no at home and a serious no-no for a restaurant.
The kitchen was too dark, so Notico got dinged for too little light “at a food working surface or where safety is a factor.”
Notico passed re-inspection two days later.
Panda Express, 4190 N. State Rd. 7, Coral Springs: Six total violations, two High Priority violations.
The air crackled with Stop Sale lightning once the inspector realized those were live flies inside a container with crushed chili.
Outside the container, five flies hopped from there to a bag of salt. Over at the drink machine, 10 flies landed on cup lids and the soda dispenser.
There was standing water next to the walk-in freezer. Standing water...so quiet, so still, so ucky.
Panda Express passed re-inspection the next day.
Peking House, 899 N. Homestead Blvd., Homestead: 21 total violations, four High Priority violations.
“Dirty, wet towels” were touching raw chicken. Stop Sale.
There were three dead roaches and three live roaches were in the house. But it was the live ones, making their way across the floor, that the inspector noted “Operator picked up the roaches.”
“Picked up.” Not “killed,” but “picked up.” Then again, considering how inspectors react to seeing managers kill bugs...
Oh, there was a roach in the roach hotel underneath a kitchen shelf.
“No hot running water at three-compartment sink,” kind of a problem for sanitizing that cookware you wash by hand.
And, if there’s a true bete noire at The Sick and Shut Down List, it’s this violation: “In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Observed knife stored between equipment at preparation area.”
After failing a re-inspection, the House took a couple of days and passed a second re-inspection.
Pizza Palace, 1962 Lake Worth Rd., Lake Worth: 12 total violations, two High Priority violations.
Six dead roaches and one live roach, but the worst number is zero — the number of working handwash sinks out of the two in the restaurant.
“Sewage/wastewater backing up through floor drains. Observed when hand sink is on, the water comes up from drain. The sink is located at the entrance of the kitchen. Water is staying in between the floor tiles.”
That dearth of handwashing sinks means getting hit with the same bowl scoop violation that Las Carnitas means just a little more ew.
The Palace passed re-inspection the next day.
Rhum Shak, 802 Lake Ave., Lake Worth: Five total violations, two High Priority violations.
Rodents ruined the day for Rhum Shak, which is spelled “Rhum Shack” to the DBPR and was when it failed an inspection last December partially because of a dead rodent next to rodent poop.
This time, there was only the poop, eight pieces of it.
The Shak passed re-inspection the next day.
Sabine Caribbean Restaurant, 209 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach: Seven total violations, three High Priority violations.
“Can liners used to cover cooking rice.” Come on, people, stop by your local store where half the inventory fell off the back of the truck on the way to Target and Home Depot and drop a few bucks.
The inspector gave us a little Pat Summarall play-by-play on the 25 live roaches found in the air conditioner closet.
“A/C closet directly across from dry storage. Operator sprayed aerosol can in area and roaches scattered toward dry storage shelving and into walls/cove molding.”
Seven other live roaches were on or under dry storage racks. One dead roach was legs up next to a drink cooler.
Sabine passed re-inspection two days later.
Sahara Cafe Miami, 19597 NW 57th Ave., North Miami-Dade: 14 total violations, six High Priority.
Which is worse? The over 30 dead roaches on the kitchen floor? Or the beef soup in the walk-in cooler with “mold-like growth” that got hit with a Stop Sale? And did the roaches get into the soup?
Speaking of Stop Sales, the inspector was dealing those like Teofilo Stevenson right hands on cooked white rice, cooked pasta, raw beef, raw pork and raw shrimp. All too warm for safe keeping. Basura.
No soap or paper towels at the handwashing sink next to the three-compartment sink. That’s just lazy. Don’t want to be called lazy? Don’t be lazy.
Sahara failed re-inpsection the next day and their most recent inspection, Sept. 18, says “Follow-up inspection required.”
Wings N Things, 150 SW Sixth St., Pompano Beach: 13 total violations, two High Priority.
Like most place, flies and filth carried Wings N Things to failure.
Such as the 15 to 20 flies “at the prep area being used to cut and prepare potatoes” along with “flies landing on the potato slicer and the prep shelf.” Another 28 to 35 flies zipped about the restaurant.
Then, there were the live insects of “species undetermined.” Seriously, just read.
“Approximately eight to 10 live insects “species undetermined” on a prep table shelf under soiled damp boxes and mop heads. Approximately six to eight live insects “species undetermined” in a bus tub with soiled debris on same shelf.”
Otherwise, this place looks like somebody needs to pick up the 409 and start firing away.
“All kitchen floors in prep and cooking area are greasy and soiled with food debris. Walk-in and freezer floors soiled.”
“Walls at prep area, kitchen cook line and storage area are soiled.”
“Dining room carpets soiled under tables.”
Wings flew through the next day’s re-inspection and a complaint inspection on Wednesday.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 11:33 AM.
