Mold in the ice machine. Flies, roaches everywhere. Miami metro area restaurant filth
Roaches and flies dominate this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida’s failed restaurant inspections, to the point that the inspector stopped counting the roaches in one place and basically said, “Kill them all or else.”
So, let’s get to it.
What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. These are the restaurants that fail inspection. A restaurant that fails inspection remains closed until passing an inspection.
We don’t do the inspections. We don’t control who gets inspected. We don’t control how strictly the inspector inspects. If restaurants in your part of South Florida are not included, WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. This list is entirely reactive. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. Do not email us with “you should check out...”
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 immediately after the inspector points them out. But in those situations, ask yourself, why did 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 more than a dash of humor (and, possibly, indignation and exasperation).
In alphabetical order:
Chilangos Mexican Grill, 339 S. State Rd. 7, Plantation: Routine inspection, seven total violations, one High Priority violation.
This would be Chilangos’ second appearance on the list, but it had the good luck to stink up their inspection during the December week the list was shut down for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa shopping.
And, the first violation on Chilangos’ inspection, “Accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
As dependable as Rod Carew leading off with a single to left field.
Not sure which is worse, raw beef thawing on a dry storage shelf or cow tripe thawing on a kitchen prep table. But both are at room temperature, providing affordable housing for all sorts of bacteria.
The kitchen reach-in freezer contained three dead roaches. Maybe they were on the wall and lost their grip because the inspector counted 13 live roaches on the wall next to the reach-in freezer.
The next day, five dead roaches under the kitchen reach-in cooler caused Chilangos to fail the first re-inspection. The inspector came back and did one of those Friday same-day get-’em-open-for-the-weekend-business re-re-inspections and Chilangos was back open for the dinner rush.
We’re sure the roaches all moved on up to Broward’s east side.
READ MORE: Running roaches and a state inspector shut down part of a Broward Publix
Saquella Caffe, 410 Via De Palmas, Boca Raton: Routine inspection, eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
When you make the inspector go low, low, low to count “approximately 20 live roaches under the cookline grill,” you’re not passing inspection.
“Handwash sink missing in warewashing or food preparation area.” Apparently, the second floor prep area lacked a handwash sink.
Speaking of handwash sinks, the one at the front counter had an equipment drain line draining into it.
That remained a problem during the same day re-inspection. On the upside, the live roach count at the grill and cookline range was down to five.
“Follow-up inspection required” after a re-re-inspection on Feb. 9 is the last online notation for Saquella.
Sheraton Suites Cypress Creek Hotel Bar, 555 NW 62nd St., Fort Lauderdale: Routine inspection, five total violations, three High Priority violations.
A big open area in the near-tropics? Here come the flies.
Two flew over the strawberries and pancake batter mix. But the 10 that landed on containers of sazon completa, garlic seasoning and grape jelly packages drew the Stop Sale fire from the inspector.
About 20 flies were landing on aprons. Another 16 landed on the wall. At the dining area bar, the inspector counted “approximately 30” flies darting over the beer dispenser, three-compartment sink, ice bin and trash can.
Main kitchen dry storage shelf at three-compartment sink — observed approximately 10 live flying insects flying over and landing on containers of complete seasoning, garlic seasoning and grape jelly packages
The next day, 20 flies landing on containers of black pepper, mustard, red pepper flakes and onion powder got all that seasoning smacked with Stop Sales. The bar fly count, aside from any drunk regulars, moved up to 40. They landed on the bar counter, beer dispenser knob and other places. Elsewhere, five flies landed on a slicer.
The Sheraton bar restaurant passed a third inspection.
Sofra Mediterranean Cuisine, 819 Lake Ave., Lake Worth: Routine inspection, eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
“Chicken thawing at room temperature on a rolling cart outside the walk-in cooler.” Some people like a chicken-flavored expectorant...
A dead roach behind a dining room booth? Not optimal, but it happens. No excuse for an inspector to find one on the floor next to the three-compartment sink, two at the kitchen entry door, two on the floor in font of the oven or four in the handwashing sink at the end of the cookline. Come on, somebody, grab a broom, a little bit of underpaid pride.
The inspector counted only five live roaches, one of which was under the rice warmers.
What the inspector couldn’t find was hot water at the handwashing sink near the ice machine or a way to dry hands at another handwashing sink.
For the Saturday re-inspection, the dead roach count was 26, almost half of them under a front counter steam table and a fryer. Two were under a dining room table. One live roach survived under a prep table.
“No probe thermometer provided to measure temperature of food products. Time extended until next Routine.” Time extended? It’s a probe thermometer, a basic of restaurant cooking. Available in all manner of stores.
For Tuesday’s re-re-inspection, there was no roach count. Only the statement “The operator of any establishment licensed under this chapter shall take effective measures to protect the establishment against the entrance and the breeding on the premises of all vermin. Any room in such an establishment infested with such vermin shall be fumigated, disinfected, renovated, or other corrective action taken until the vermin are exterminated.”
Sofra came correct Thursday.
Yakitori Sake, 271 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton: Routine inspection, 14 total violations, six High Priority violations.
Standing water that’s 80 degrees sounds really warm, but it’s a tick warmer than room temperature. The rice paddles were stored in that on the cook line.
Flies at the bar had a good ol’ time, landing on plates, a sushi boat, bottles, the glasses hanging over the bar. About 20 kept landing on the sushi bar lights.
Hope the people who washed their hands at the cookline handwash sink didn’t let them drip dry onto the food, seeing as how there were no paper towels or hot air blower.
“Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Wontons stored in to go bags at walk in freezer.” Don’t be cheap, folks.
Yakitori passed re-inspection the next day.
