Mold in food containers among 15 worst restaurant inspections in South Florida
Roaches and rodents who insist on staying, literal hole-in-the-wall restaurants and various repeated violations fill this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of the 15 Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach restaurants that racently failed inspection.
Of the 15, several needed more than two tries to pass and get back open.
We don’t do the inspections — that’s done by Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation inspectors. We don’t choose who gets inspected — that’s the agency for routine inspections and you, the public, for inspections spurred by a customer complaint.
In alphabetical order:
Another Broken Egg Cafe, 508 Via de Palmas, Boca Raton
Routine inspection, 11 total violations, four High Priority violations.
A familiar problem at failing restaurants: “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
One live roach was in front of a wall. Two roaches died in reach-in cooler drawers, one with shell eggs and another with cinnamon rolls. Another roach breathed last on the floor in front of those drawers. Three other dead roaches lay elsewhere.
“Unclean, standing water in cracked floor tiles at the dish machine.”
Meanwhile, two buckets meant to hold sanitizing solution and wiping cloths between uses held water but no sanitizer — zero parts per million.
“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at the handwash sink.”
The living roaches must have been asleep or out enjoying Boca during the first inspection because, during the callback inspection, three roaches were chilling in reach-in cooler drawers, seven roaches were in reach-in cooler gaskets and one was on the wall behind cookline equipment. One roach died on the cookline floor.
The Broken Egg passed re-inspection on Wednesday.
Aroma Indian Cuisine, 731 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach
Routine inspection, seven total violations, three High Priority violations.
About 100 flies clogged the kitchen air, “flying around landing on unwashed potatoes and onions.”
About 20 live roaches climbed the kitchen wall next to a dishwasher. Another 10 crawled on kitchen shelves over a prep table.
No soap and no way to dry your hands at the cookline and exposition line handwash sinks.
During the re-inspection, about five live roaches and two flies were spotted in the kitchen.
MORE: Ancient meat, mold on food and equipment at a Miami-Dade Presidente Supermarket
Burger King, 9090 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Shores
Routine inspection, 20 total violations, three High Priority violations.
We told you Tuesday morning about the water problems standing on the floor and leaking from the ceiling as well as the olfactory violations in the sitting area.
MORE: Did your Miami Burger King ‘smell like sewage’ in the seating area?
Christine Lee’s at The Village at Gulfstream Park, 801 Silks Run Rd., Hallandale Beach
Complaint inspection, 10 total violations, six High Priority violations.
“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
The “ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents were soiled with accumulated grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”
Three of the eight dead roaches counted lay under a rack in the secondary kitchen.
The 20 live roaches were scattered about the kitchens and back area. Six were under and behind a fish tank. Five were on the floor between a mop sink and water heater. Four were under a rack of glasses in the dishwasher area while another two sat under a kitchen rack with glasses.
Six flies landed on a dry storage wall.
After wiping his face, an employee washed hands without using soap.
Containers of cooked ribs were stored on the walk-in cooler floor.
Christine Lee’s remained closed for two days before passing re-inspection on Wednesday.
Krazy Chicken Plus, 15030 NE Sixth Ave., North Miami-Dade
Routine inspection, 14 total violations, two High Priority violations.
Four dead roaches were on shelves above a kitchen reach-in freezer.
Three live roaches were under a prep table. Another one was on a kitchen reach-in cooler gasket.
The hole in the wall above the reach-in freezer wasn’t the rodent route it was for other places on this list.
A wet wiping cloth sat on top of the prep table getting dirtier instead of in sanitizing solution, where it’s supposed to be during down time.
La Placita Taco Grill, 7400 SW 57th Ave., South Miami
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, three High Priority violations.
Holes marred at least one bathroom wall and a wall behind a food rack. That’s a violation because all kinds of things can come through those holes, such as things that leave four rodent droppings at the three-compartment sink and three droppings in the reach-in freezer insulation.
Speaking of the three-compartment sink, three dead roaches were under it, one dead roach was in it and a live roach was on the wall behind it. Another live roach rolled across a prep table cutting board in dry storage.
“Observed 10 live flies in the dry food area, surrounding the produce.”
Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment on the dry food and dish racks.
“Soiled shelves on dry food racks.”
“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust.” Where? “Observed throughout the establishment.”
The kitchen “ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents were soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”
Line Caribbean Restaurant, 214 SE Second St., Delray Beach
Routine inspection, 14 total violations, four High Priority violations.
“Objectionable odors in kitchen of the establishment.” That’s a Basic class violation, but it might as well be inspection cyanide.
Combine “Hole in or other damage to the wall in the kitchen behind the cooking equipment” with a torn door screen on a broken door that’s left open anyway and you can predict...
“Approximately 100 rodent droppings on the floor, underneath the reach-in freezer, and shelving in the kitchen dry food storage area. ... Approximately 60 rodent droppings on the kitchen floor underneath the reach-in freezer, reach-in cooler, three-compartment sink and cooking equipment in kitchen.”
There were also “nine rodent droppings on a flour container lid” and “four rodent droppings on a rice container lid ... two droppings on a food container lid at the kitchen dry storage area ... approximately 15 droppings on cleaned container in the kitchen.”
But those weren’t the containers that brought the wrath of Stop Sales. “Heavy mold buildup inside a container with marinated dressing for meat at dry storage and tomato paste in the reach-in cooler.”
Nine flies flitted about the place, three of which flew around utensils in kitchen storage.
“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at the handwash sink.”
“Plumbing system in disrepair ... broken handwash sink in the kitchen.”
Mike’s Wings & Seafood, 2968 S. Jog Rd., Greenacres
Complaint inspection, seven total violations, three High Priority violations.
The one dead roach in the kitchen wasn’t as problematic as the “one live rodent on the glue trap under the kitchen shelf used for single service to-go containers.” The trap’s still-living victim got tossed in the outdoor dumpster.
Back inside, “in the kitchen, approximately seven rodent droppings were on a chair. In the customer lobby, approximately 30 rodent droppings were under a table used to store single-service items and soda. In the kitchen, approximately four rodent droppings were under the front counter.”
“Rodent bait wasn’t contained in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station. Throughout the restaurant, green rodent bait balls were on the floor, under shelves, tables and counter tops.”
The kitchen prep table next to a deep fryer was “heavily soiled with grease build up and food debris.”
During the re-inspection, later Monday, the rodent regularity displayed itself with 20 droppings in the customer lobby; three droppings on top of a kitchen refrigerator; four under a prep table and two on the floor by the back door. And the staff left the green rodent bait balls under shelves, tables and counter tops.
During Tuesday’s re-re-inspection, the most prominent of the 19 rodent poop pieces counted were the five under a kitchen prep table. Clearly, the message about the apparently ineffective rodent bait wasn’t internalized as “rodent bait exposed under a single service storage rack.” Also, around the dumpster, the inspector saw “a full trash bag and debris on ground.”
Wednesday’s re-re-re-inspection featured 11 rodent droppings, one on a ledge in a dining room next to unwrapped single service articles. Also, exposed in a kitchen corner: rodent bait.
Re-re-re-re-inspection, Wednesday again: Passed.
The Original Pancake House, 2851 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale
Routine inspection, five total violations, one High Priority violation.
Five roaches died under a flip-top cooler.
Three live roaches were behind another flip-top cooler. One live roach was under a freezer.
“Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.”
Palomino Gardens Retirement, 9885 Palomino Dr., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Routine inspection, two total violations, two High Priority violations.
At this independent living retirement community, the flies also lived independently, especially in the kitchen.
Two flies were on a dough mixer. Three were on a bread rack. Eleven were in the clean linen storage room, and 13 packed the dry storage room. About 20 in the dishwashing area landed on clean and sanitized dishes. One was landing on “clean” utensils hanging from the prep table. Another 60 mobbed the mop sink and chemical storage room.
Also, an employee wiped face with a hand and, without washing hands, handled clean dishes.
At the callback inspection, the inspector counted eight flies, two of which landed on clean and sanitized dishes.
Pate Creol, 12997 W. Dixie Hwy., North Miami
Routine inspection, 11 total violations, one High Priority violation.
“Ceiling in disrepair.”
About 12 of the 17 live roaches seemed to have a thing for the top of a gas tank in dry storage.
“Food debris on the floor throughout the kitchen” as well as a kichen wall.
“Interior of microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”
No soap at one of the handwash sinks or any way to dry your hands at either handwash sink.
Inspection No. 2: Three live roaches and, in the kitchen area, 10 dead roaches ruined the initial callback inspection.
Inspection No. 3: The second inspection went down on six live roaches, one of which was in a restroom, and no paper towels at either kitchen handwash sink.
Inspection No. 4: Passed in time for weekend business.
Sabor de Cuba Restaurant, 11710 NW South River Dr., Medley
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, two High Priority violations.
Two dead roaches went to their reward from under a kitchen steam table. Another eight died behind a reach-in beer cooler.
Eight living roaches crawled on that cooler. A conga line of five roaches were on the kitchen floor near a door. One roach crawled on styrofoam up on the shelf. Another “crawled on the floor at the front food service counter.”
With all those roaches running around the kitchen, the inspector saw “containers of uncooked rice and uncooked beans under the preparation table not covered.”
The kitchen air conditioning vent was “soiled with debris,” and, more problematic being a food contact surface, so was the kitchen area slicer.
“A green cutting board in the kitchen area is grooved and not easily cleaned.”
Three roaches died at the front counter, but, along with the live roach on a kitchen wall, killed the callback inspection.
Sabor, like others on this week’s list, needed three inspections to get it right.
Sugar Bae, 8253 Sunset Strip, Sunrise
Complaint inspection, 10 total violations, three High Priority violations.
The bar floor was covered with standing water. The kitchen floor had plantains, uncovered and directly on the floor.
“Observed an accumulation of black substances built up on the kitchen cutting board.”
“Observed operator touch precooked turkey with bare hands.”
Eight live roaches were on a dishwashing machine. Another two were on a wall behind an oven. One stayed behind a water fountain.
Tarka Karahi and Kebab, 7881 W. Sample Rd., Coral Springs
Complaint inspection, 12 total violations, two High Priority violations.
The dishwasher area was a “floor area(s) covered with standing water.”
“Hole in wall by the kitchen cooking equipment,” so, if you’ve been paying attention, you know what’s coming is just a matter of where and how much.
The answers are “under dry storage shelves” and five rodent droppings; “by cookline equipment” and three droppings: and “by a kitchen refrigerator” and two droppings.
With the rodents running about, they probably shouldn’t leave “cooked foods in the walk-in cooler not covered.”
No soap at the kitchen handwash sink.
Tradicion Michoacana, 4556 Cresthaven Blvd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Complaint inspection, four total violations, one High Priority violation.
“In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit.” Much less — the tongs sat in water that measured 74 degrees, or room temperature.
So warm up the water and call the exterminator because the inspector also counted 14 rodent pellets, including six under an ice cream machine and two between a freezer and ice cream topping unit.
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 6:25 AM.
