A food truck with mysterious water among worst Miami restaurant inspections
Roaches and a wretched food truck inspection lowlight this week’s list of South Florida restaurants shut down by state inspection.
The list covers the restaurant inspection failures from the Keys to the Palm Beaches. Miami-Dade and Broward restaurants make up this week’s list.
We don’t choose who gets inspected, but you can. You can complain to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
In alphabetical order:
Artie’s Sportsman Lounge, 2218 N. Federal Hwy., Hollywood
Complaint inspection, eight total violations, one High Priority violation.
Look down and see the five little roach corpses and six live roaches on the ground in the bar and the other three on the ground in kitchen storage. Other live roaches were spotted inside water inlets on top of the water heater (five), inside a drip pan on the floor near the water heater (another five) and under a reach-in cooler (seven).
Along with no soap or way to dry your hands at the kitchen sink, that was enough to get Artie’s closed for a day.
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Asahi Restaurant, 9240 W. Commercial Blvd., Sunrise
Complaint inspection, six total violations, one High Priority violation.
Asahi lost two days of business to roaches.
On the initial inspection, the inspector saw two dead roaches under a dishwasher and another one under crates of drinks. The live roaches numbered six — two under a clean ware washing area, two between a cooler and a cookline table, one over the three-compartment sink next to cleaned dishes and one on the dining area floor.
There was also a “can opener blade soiled with a mold-like substance.”
When the inspector swung by the next day for a callback inspection, one live roach under the ware washing area was enough to keep Asahi closed.
Another inspection got them back open.
Frank’s Fresh Fruits Mini Market Corp, food truck, 5291 SW 127th Ave., Southwest Miami-Dade
Routine inspection, 40 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
First, the inspector noticed that for a mobile food dispensing vehicle (MFDV), this seemed a pretty immobile food truck.
“The mobile food dispensing vehicle was connected to utilities on more than a temporary basis ... water, electricity, and natural gas connected permanently to MFDV.”
“The mobile food dispensing vehicle is not self-propelled or otherwise movable from place to place ... the vehicle is propped by cinder blocks.”
Clean pots, pans and the prep table were stored outside the food truck.
“Clean utensils or equipment were stored in a dirty drawer or rack.”
“Clean utensils were stored between equipment and wall.”
The five flies inside the food truck weren’t the only airborne problem. “Wild bird present inside the establishment ... one bird flew inside the MFDV and exited the MFDV.”
Bread sat uncovered at the prep area.
“Meats used in food preparation were stored outside of the vehicle.”
Both those make sense, as the inspector also noticed, “food preparation taking place outside the mobile unit.”
“Drinking water not obtained from an approved source.” As in the inspector was “unable to determine where the water is coming from. The staff does not know the source. The building is not connected to city water and sewage.”
“The establishment is operating without an approved sewage system.”
The food truck used “a commissary that does not have sewer approval.”
The cutting board was a “food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.”
The food truck didn’t dispose of liquid waste improperly. The inspector saw “waste water dripping onto the ground under the MFDV.”
“Well water testing report/documentation is not available upon request.”
You couldn’t dry your hands at the sink.
Frank’s food truck passed re-inspection Tuesday, five days after the original inspection.
Pikliz Resto and Bar, 8267 Sunset Strip, Sunrise
Complaint inspection, 12 total violations, two High Priority violations.
A roach ran on and around the front counter where two dead roaches lay. One roach sashayed from the front counter into the kitchen. Another roach breathed his last under the three-compartment sink.
The restaurant lacked a probe thermometer to measure food temperature to make sure they cooked the foodborne illness out of what they served.
The wooden knife block was an “uncleanable knife block” used to store knives.
