Rodents at McDonald’s, Checkers among worst South Florida restaurant inspections
Rodents and national chains dominate the 17 restaurants that failed inspection this week in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Unless noted, the places on the Sick and Shut Down list reopened after passing re-inspection the next day.
In alphabetical order:
Barceloneta, 1400 20th St., Miami Beach
Routine inspection, eight total violations, one High Priority violation.
This week’s list starts with the rarity of a restaurant from the Sunset Harbour area of South Beach, but with a familiar violation: “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
Five roaches hid behind a reach-in cooler while one sat out in the open on the wall across from that reach-in cooler.
The handwash sink has one job, and it’s a violation to deploy it for anything else. So the red bucket and cleaning pads in the ware washing area handwash sink counts as a no-no.
The outside dumpster lid sat open.
Bonefish Grill, 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
Routine inspection, six total violations, four High Priority violations.
A cook began working with food, handling clean pans and utensils after entering the kitchen, having breakfast in the dining room, without first washing hands.
One live roach was crawling on the top rim of the steak drawer, disappearing inside the cooler drawer door on the cook line. Two live roaches were on the floor the under steam table at cook line next to the steak drawer.
In-use wet wiping cloth/towel used under a cutting board on the cook line.
Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Mac ‘n’ cheese sauce 48 degrees, tomato cream sauce 47, Diablo cream sauce 49, seafood stuffing 48-50, and left overnight in the cooler at the far north end of the cook line. Foods had not been prepared or cooked the same day.
Casa Banchero, 2500 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach
Routine inspection, eight total violations, three High Priority violations.
“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
Six flies in a garbage can in the kitchen and one roach near a water heater come off as, well, shrug, compared to “12 rodent droppings on the floor by that water heater in the kitchen.”
With such inconsiderate rodents running around, staff probably shouldn’t have left cases of fries on the walk-in freezer floor.
The kitchen ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents were “soiled with accumulated grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”
A same-day inspection got Banchero back open for Friday, Aug. 14, and the start of weekend business.
Checkers, 400 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Complaint inspection, six total violations, two High Priority violations.
Imagine working in a cramped Checkers, the Fotomat booth of fast food, with enough rodents running around to leave 80 poop pieces.
Apparently, the rodents take the high ground when marking territory — 10 droppings on top of a French fry dispensing machine near the drive-thru window, 20 on shelves over the customer order window “with packages of single service straws” and about 50 on shelves over the handwash sink area and dry storage shelves with ready-to-eat sauces.
Three roaches died under the packages of single service straws. Five flies lived on the shelves with the 50 poop pieces.
On the cookline hood sat “a half used cigarette butt and ashes/debris.”
The re-inspection lasted only as long as it took the inspector to see five dead roaches spread around the food booth.
A third inspection got the job done.
Chow Thai Cuisine, 23034 Sandalfoot Plaza Dr., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Routine inspection, nine total violations, four High Priority violations.
The difference between a Basic and High Priority violation? Basic violation: An “accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dishmachine.” High Priority violation: 10 rodent droppings on top of the dishwasher and 20 on a kitchen storage shelf above the dishwashing area.
Two dead roaches underneath the cookline. One live roach on the kitchen prep floor.
The cookline, kitchen prep tables and reach in cooler areas all were “heavily soiled with an accumulation of food debris and grease underneath.”
El Criollo Cuban Foods, food truck, Miami
Routine inspection, 10 total violations, four High Priority violations.
After “establishment operating with no potable running water,” the rest of the inspection is just running up the score.
That means “no running water at the handwash sink.”
Ten flies filled the food truck. Three flies died in the horchata drink mix. The Stop Sale on the drink mix came too late for the flies.
“Observed soiled red cutting board in use.”
After missing the weekend, the food truck passed a re-inspection Monday.
Flavor Of India, 1516 N. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth Beach
Routine inspection, five total violations, two High Priority violations.
Two roaches ran on a shelf with clean pots, another two did the same on a cookline storage rack, and four decided to play on a kitchen dry storage shelf.
“In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees.” Kitchen utensils on the job sat in standing water that measured only 90 degrees.
The Grill at the Grove, 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Routine inspection, nine total violations, five High Priority violations.
“The dry storage room is adjacent to the kitchen cookline and the prep area.” That matters and got noted because 25 rodent doo-doo dots sat on the floor in the dry storage room and five were on a dry storage room shelf next to cleaning chemicals.
The sanitizing solution wiping cloths should sit in between uses only water with sanitizer measuring zero.
No soap for you at the cookline handwash sink.
Stop Sales for temperature abuse — in this case not being at or under 41 degrees — crashed down on hot dogs, sour cream, salsa and cooked shrimp (which was 70 degrees). All had been prepared the previous day.
Joy’s Roti Delight, 1205 NW 40th Ave., Lauderhill
Complaint inspection, 13 total violations, eight High Priority violations.
Three dead roaches were spotted, one under the kitchen prep table. Three live roaches crawled around a four-drawer cooler; whole one roach hung out by the bathroom doors.
“In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment.” And where was this knife shoved? “Knife stored in between a hot rail and a prep table.”
Raw beef thawing in the sink without water running over it.
“Wall soiled with food debris.” “Floor soiled with grease.”
The inspector fired Stop Sales because of temperature abuse (not being at or under 41 degrees) at cooked ox, cooked goat, cooked beef and chicken. Staff claimed all had been in the apparently ineffective cold holding unit overnight.
Kelly’s Cajun Grill at Southland Mall, 20505 S. Dixie Hwy., Cutler Bay
Routine inspection, 26 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
We told you earlier this week about the rodent and food safety issues at the mall food court home of bourbon chicken and blackened fish.
READ MORE: Rodent dung, unsafe food gets Miami mall food court staple closed by inspector
King’s Super Buffet, 7101 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
King’s rodents used the kitchen shelves and a window ledge as toilets. Cans of food on a kitchen shelf were dotted with 30 droppings and another 10 were on a kitchen window ledge.
Rodents in the house and buckets of sauce on the walk-in cooler floor.
A live roach sat on on a kitchen wall.
A can opener was “soiled with grease.”
A dented can of cheddar cheese on a kitchen storage rack got hit with a Stop Sale. Why do dented cans of food bring out inspectors’ Stop Sale hammers?
“If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat,” the USDA says. “Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can.”
Lakay Food Spot, 12325 NE Sixth St., North Miami
Complaint inspection, nine total violations, one High Priority violation.
Three roaches died in the kitchen. Eight roaches were living and sharing a shelf with single-service items. One roach crawled up a wall near the three-compartment sink.
Also near the triple sink, the paper towel dispenser at the handwash sink didn’t dispense paper towels.
“Food debris on the floor throughout the kitchen.”
The inspector was nice enough to come back for a Saturday callback inspection, but five live roaches also came back. That left Lakay closed through the weekend until Monday’s second callback inspection.
McDonald’s, 100 State Road 7, Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Complaint inspection, three total violations, three High Priority violations.
The old McDonald’s slogan “You deserve a break today” works here if you want to say the inspector put this Mickey D’s crew and management on break for the rest of the day after this inspection.
After an employee used a hand to do a face wipe, “without washing hands, the employee handled clean and sanitized dishes.”
What took this McDonald’s out of the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder business were the 52 pieces of rodent regularity — 20 under a rolling storage rack with boxes of dishes, 25 on the floor under the employee lockers, five along a wall by the door in the employee break room, one on the floor in front of a soda dispenser and one on the floor of dry storage.
Pura Vida Miami, 6022 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami
Routine inspection, nine total violations, three High Priority violations.
Another “accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
Another accumulation was “debris on the exterior of the warewashing machine.”
But the flies killed Pura Vida. Five of them buzzed the front counter smoothie station, three zipped about under the front counter service window, two flew under a prep table and another two over a prep table. The inspector counted another seven flies elsewhere.
Five flies ruined the first callback inspection. A second callback inspection got Pura Vida open again.
Restaurant El Trovador, 1657 NE Eighth St., Homestead
Complaint inspection, 16 total violations, six High Priority violations.
One roach died and two roaches lived on cookline shelves. Another three dead roaches lay under kitchen area shelves. A live roach strolled at dry storage while six flies patrolled the air overhead.
“Observed a hole on the wall at kitchen area by the entrance door.”
The wiping cloth chlorine sanitizing solution came in at 10 parts per million, about 20% of acceptable strength. So, wiping cloths weren’t being sanitized, but sitting in ever dirtier water.
“No lid on the ice machine equipment at front counter ... the establishment was using a bag to cover ice.”
“Observed soiled food containers with cooked pork, cheese and cooked beans on shelves at the walk-in cooler.”
Saigon Tokyo, 2902 Jog Rd., Greenacres
Complaint inspection, 15 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
The rodents dropped four little gifts on a back hallway floor near kitchen dry storage.
Roach traps behind a cookline reach-in freezer and under kitchen dry storage shelves killed 10 roaches each. Now, if only the staff remembered to throw the traps out, the inspector wouldn’t have cited the restaurant.
“Employee preparing sushi with no hair restraint.”
“Employee handled raw beef with gloves on, then plated food for order without changing their gloves and washing their hands.”
At the flip-top cooler, bean sprouts that need to be at or under 41 degrees measured 54 degrees. Management tossed the bean sprouts before the inspector could drop a Stop Sale.
“Floor soiled with accumulation of debris ... throughout the kitchen area, underneath prep tables, dry storage shelves and cook line area.”
Subway, 12853 SW 42nd St., West Miami-Dade
Routine inspection, 18 total violations, six High Priority violations.
One fly landed on the mayonnaise squeeze bottle while another 10 swarmed the mop sink in dry storage. Five flies were counted elsewhere.
An employee wore no hair restraint while preparing food.
Then came the handwashing problems.
“One employee began working with food without washing her hands first.”
Someone “failed to wash hands after entering the kitchen coming from the dining area” and “touched several surfaces, including the kitchen door entrance before she started to prepare food.”
“Observed employee touch her nose then engage in food preparation after failing to wash her hands.”
Meanwhile, the “person in charge was unable to answer basic Food Code questions pertaining to safe operation of establishment,” including proper “thermometer calibration or cold holding temperature.”
Which explains why a front counter reach-in cooler measured 50 degrees, or at least nine degrees warmer than it needs to keep food.
Flies ruined the re-inspection. The third inspection got this Subway rolling again.
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 11:40 AM.
