A Five Guys, Boston Market, roaches, rodents, flies in restaurants, Miami to Palm Beach
Maybe it was the weather, but while rodents and roaches appear on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List, the flies have it.
Let’s get to whose inspections weren’t up to snuff.
OUR SPACE, OUR RULES: 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 inspection remains closed until passing an 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 sauce.
In alphabetical order...
Boston Market, 9929 S. Military Tr., Boynton Beach: Routine inspection, six total violations, two High Priority violations.
Apparently, the alto-shaam in the front kitchen doubled as The Boston Market Roach Motel, Resort & Mortuary what with seven live roaches and 10 dead roaches underneath it and another dead roach in the threshold. Under the reach-in cooler, the inspector spotted one roach with life and one at the end of the road.
Meanwhile, 10 flies buzzed the front line kitchen garbage can while three pals zipped about the self-serve sweet tea machine.
The Market was open again after re-inspection the next day.
China Sky, 7748 W. Commercial Blvd., Lauderhill: Routine inspection, 22 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
Five dots of rodent poop decorated the floor in dry storage, where you’ve got canned goods, corn starch and flour.
Funny how the places who know they’ve got little Jerrys running around also have violations concerning food uncovered or on the floor. Case in point...
“Displayed food not properly protected from contamination...cooked rice on the bottom shelf of soda rack is not covered. Rice is below a dirty shelf.” A Chinese restaurant not taking care of the rice is like a MickeyD’s not taking care of the meat.
Then, there’s food on the floor, “...sauces and oil on the floor on cookline.”
But worst of all, “Raw fruits/vegetables not washed prior to preparation...cut cabbage and cut broccoli not washed before cooking for service.”
That’s just leaving all kinds of bacteria on the food, relying on the cooking to save your customers from foodborne illnesses.
“Observed all equipment handles throughout soiled with grease and a mold-like substance.”
Oh, but that was just the start.
“Observed equipment, vents, storage food containers in direct contact with food soiled with mold like substance throughout establishment.” and “Food-contact surfaces not sanitized after cleaning, before use.”
Also, the “interior of oven/microwave has an accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. Observed rice cookers, bbq oven built up with heavy grease build up.”
Somehow, the Sky was opened again after a next day re-inspection.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 1818 Cordova Rd., Fort Lauderdale: Complaint inspection, three total violations, one High Priority violation.
Not the Amityville Award Winner of the Week, even though this was all about the flies. There really weren’t that many counted, 25, compared to some places (see below).
But three were landing on a dining area table, another three were landing on stools at the same table and another trio used the front counter/cookline as its Heathrow. Three others lighted on the prep table where the hamburgers were garnished and wrapped. One landed on the lid of a customer’s beverage container. One fly landed on a clean food storage container that got whisked back to the three-compartment sink.
Five Guys passed the next day re-inspection.
Ken & Mike’s Pizza & Pasta & More, 16393 NW 67th Ave., Miami Lakes: Routine inspection, eight total violations, one High Priority violation.
The inspector counted six live roaches, four of which were crawling on a handwash sink.
That handwash sink presumably had hot water. It didn’t have soap or any way to dry the hands run under the presumably hot water without soap.
A container with raw chicken sat on the kitchen floor. Surely no roaches ever got into that, nope, nope, nope.
One Coke, unopened, no smile, no ice. “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
Ken & Mike’s passed re-inspection the next day.
Pinecrest Bakery, 1025 NE 79th St., Miami: Routine inspection, 14 total violations, five High Priority violations.
A dead roach on the front counter. Five ants on the handwashing sink behind the front counter.
Think about that compared to 20 flies at the front counter, “landing on single service items, cutting board, juice machine, and coffee machine.” Or 25 small flies on the kitchen walls and on food storage racks. Or, 25 flies inside the three-compartment sink.
THIS is our Amityville Award Winner of the Week.
The water at the employee handwash sinks at the kitchen area and pizza oven area got to room temperature (room temperature if you run your A/C a lot) and no warmer.
When the inspector returned the next day, the sinks still didn’t have hot water, the ants on the sink were up to seven and the fly count was 40 “landing on clean equipment, cutting board, walls, and hand washing sinks.”
The bakery got its buns in order for the re-re-inspection two days later.
Toojay’s Deli, 2605 S. State Rd. 7, Wellington: Routine inspection, 13 total violations, six High Priority violations.
Our first Stop Sale on bad food for the week, potato pancakes improperly cooled from the previous day. Basura.
The flies swarmed here, too. The dishwasher area had 20 to 25 and the walls near the mop sink had 10 to 15.
You want the tea on the iced tea? “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
The sanitizing solution for the wiping cloths should be at 200 parts per million. It was at zero. So, each cloths was, basically, just water and the dirt wiped from the previous surface.
Toojay’s passed re-inspection on Saturday.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 1:49 PM.
