Pork that needed to be trashed among 34 violations at an El Palacio de los Jugos
Dangerous pork, ice machine mold and an apparent inability to stop by a Restaurant Depot caused some of the 34 violations a state inspector found at El Palacio de los Jugos last week.
The only upside to the inspection at the 9095 Bird Rd.: All those violations didn’t add up to a shutdown.
Perhaps the lack of living or once-living violations — flies, rodents, roaches, dead roaches — spared this West Miami-Dade location the indignity and profit loss of being closed by inspection.
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Here are some of the 34 violations, 10 of which were High Priority, the inspectors found:
“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
After being in the walk-in cooler since 7 the previous night, pork that needed to be at or under 41 degrees for proper food safety measured 68 degrees. The inspector dropped a Stop Sale on the pork.
But while the pork was basura, inspectors didn’t do the same to all this food in hot storage, which should have been at 135 degrees: beef steak (126 degrees); barbecue ribs (120); cooked vegetables (105); cooked liver (105); tamales (101); fries (90); and chicken (77).
With the above violations, it follows that “several employees were not able to answer basic cooking or cooling temperature questions.”
A “Non food grade basting brush” was used in food, specifically to spread butter at the sandwich station. The inspection didn’t name the brush’s usual function.
In the walk-in cooler, several “non food grade containers were used for food storage.” Food grade equipment and containers are available at stores from Restaurant Depot to Burlington.
“Shredded beef being thawed at room temperature located right next to the cook line.” That’s the way to build a bacteria battleship.
The lobby area ceiling vents were “soiled” as were ceiling tiles near the back cookline.
The floor near the cookline was “soiled/has an accumulation of debris.”
“No container installed for catching grease from hood drip tray” in the back prep area cookline.
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 3:32 PM.
