Flies in black beans and in Checkers’ onions and cheese: South Florida restaurant filth
Some weeks, the rodents run wild on the Sick and Shut Down List, some weeks, it’s the roaches. This week, a flurry of flies hit chains and independent restaurants alike.
So, let’s get to it.
THIS IS THE PROCESS. WE TRUST THIS PROCESS: 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 a glaze of humor.
In alphabetical order:
Checkers, 5400 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill: Five total violations, two High Priority violations.
The layout of every Checkers makes them vulnerable to flies if people linger with the window open. But, you can’t have three flies landing in the onions, sliced cheese and mayo on the service line or four flies landing in the strawberry topping at the ice cream machine.
Stop Sales landed on that food with the flies. Another trio of flies flew over cooked chicken nuggets and fries (NOT THE FRIES! PROTECT THE FRIES!). Two others kept landing on the soda machine (have a Coke and a smile and some fly poop).
The main kitchen handwashing sink didn’t have any way to dry hands, which is kind of ew.
Checkers was back burger-slinging after passing re-inspection the next day.
Green House, 721 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach: Eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
About 40 flies were landing on boxes with dragon fruits in the dining room, 30 made bagged bread and plastic bags around the kitchen prep table their runway and 10 hung out at the handwashing sink on the cookline. That doesn’t say much for the handwashing traffic there.
A case of flour and two bags of sugar were stored on the floor in the prep area and dry storage.
“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. On cook line.” Grab a rag, somebody.
Green House felt warmer after the next day’s inspection.
Jersey Mike’s Subs, 931 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach: Nine total violations, two High Priority violations.
Think about how numerous just 10 flies are. At that density, you don’t have to be Mr. Miyagi to snag one with chopsticks.
Now, consider the 80 or so flies the inspector counted, 20 each landing on a menu board on the front counter; landing on cans on a dry storage shelf; landing elsewhere in dry storage; and landing on a garbage can by the three-compartment sink.
There were six live roaches hiding behind the flat top grill, survivors of whatever killed the 20 dead roaches under the slicer machine, the 20 dead roaches under the front counter computer and the 20 dead roaches around the wall shared with the restaurant next door.
There was a hole in the dining room ceiling.
Another place that had no way to dry hands at a handwash sink, this sink around the front counter area.
The failed re-inspection included a description of “around 10 live small flying insects on dining room area, landing on sign, on the walls and around cabinets under the soda machine. Operator removed a plastic bucket with dirty water stored inside cabinets and sprayed the signs.”
The inspector had a problem with that. So, Jersey Mike’s didn’t pass inspection until the third try.
Ms. Dixie, 21000 W. Dixie Hwy., Miami: 20 total violations, four High Priority violations.
The inspector watched the cook “serve a customer then walk to the unapproved outside kitchen and begin to fry food without washing his hands.”
Ms. Dixie apparently was a little light on the construction, like Georgia after Sherman’s visit.
“Observed area behind the building next to the A/C unit set up as a prep kitchen...Chef cooking chicken in the unapproved outside kitchen at time of inspection. Area contains no hand washing sink, an in-use reach-in cooler containing raw chicken, an in-use oven and an in-use deep fryer. Area was built using plywood, has a wood roof, has no side walls, and is not protected from environmental contamination.”
That accounted for five violations, one fourth the total violations.
They thought it was cool to thaw raw beef at room temperature and on the floor and to thaw raw chicken on top of the outside reach-in cooler. It isn’t. That’s inviting your diners to hug their toilets for the evening.
“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
The Oct. 22 re-inspection got a “Follow Up Inspection Required.” No inspection has posted that says “Met Inspection Standards.”
Nara, 851 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach: Seven total violations, three High Priority violations.
Here, the roaches rolled with 50 of them “crawling all over on a shelf in the sushi bar area where clean plates are stored.” Another 40 were “crawling behind the reach-in cooler on the cookline.”
As for the “clean” plates, well, the dishmachine sanitizer strength measured zero, so they needed to be rewashed anyway after that problem got rectified.
Above the cookline, “Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”
Nara passed re-inspection two days later.
Toreros Mexican Restaurant, 911 Village Blvd, West Palm Beach: Routine inspection, 27 total violations, eight High Priority violations.
Stop Sales rained on flour, sugar and black beans because the inspector saw “40 live small flying insects landing on flour, sugar, black beans and several clean utensils.”
A container with raw beef and another with hot dogs were stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer.
“Floor area(s) covered with standing water in front of the walk-in cooler.”
You certainly hope if someone comes to work riddled with salmonella or listeria, the manager would know. Alas, “Certified Food Manager or person in charge lacks knowledge of foodborne illnesses and symptoms of illness that would prevent an employee from working with food, clean equipment and utensils, and single-service items.”
Toreros passed re-inspection.
