IHOP rodents, Little Caesars maggots: 18 South Florida restaurants fail inspection
A variety of violations (rodents, roaches, flies, maggots, weevils) spread across a diversity of restaurants, making a filthy dish of this week’s Sick and Shut Down List.
Eighteen restaurants failed inspection in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
The list reports state inspection violations. We don’t decide who gets inspected and we don’t do the inspecting. That’s done by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. You can file a complaint about a restaurant with the agency.
Restaurants reopen after passing a callback inspection, a re-inspection that usually occurs the next day. Failed callback inspections are noted.
In alphabetical order:
Areito Bar & Restaurant, 2022 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Routine inspection, 20 total violations, five High Priority violations
First violation on the first inspection: “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
One of the seven spotted dead roaches was inside a cookline fryer’s door. Two others were on the ground, one in front of that fryer and one at the kitchen handwash sink.
A roach motel under the handwash sink contained four dead roaches inside and three live roaches on top. Nine roaches were trying to live their best life on the cookline floor and under a cooler in the kitchen.
The inspector “observed an employee handling soiled wares with gloved hands then proceed to handle a clean knife without removing the gloves and washing hands.”
Cooked pork sitting in a flip-top cooler for more than four hours got tossed, hit with a Stop Sale for measuring 58 degrees when it needed to be at or under 41 degrees.
“The soda gun at the bar is soiled”
“The plumbing to the handwash sink drain is in disrepair. Water is draining onto the floor.”
Employees couldn’t wash their hands at the bar handwash sink — no soap. Worse, “an employee states there was no soap available to refill.”
MORE: Publix recalls ice cream after a possibly ‘serious or life-threatening’ mistake
Aroma Indian Cuisine, 731 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach
Routine inspection, 14 total violations, 11 High Priority violations
Here we have a recidivist restaurant that failed inspection in August with 100 flies and 30 live roaches.
While the live roach count was reduced by 93.3% to two, one of which was “in kitchen, crawling on shelves storing clean/sanitized cooking/food service utensils,” the other was “in the kitchen crawling inside sugar container.”
Stop Sale on the sugar.
“Approximately six live weevils were crawling inside the flour storage container.”
Stop Sale on the flour.
Cooked rice measured 53 degrees — or 12 degrees into bad food safety — after over six hours in the walk-in cooler.
Stop Sale on the cooked rice.
Melted butter sitting on the stove for more than two hours measured 93 degrees but needed to be 135 degrees.
Stop Sale on the melted butter.
Flies were down 70% from August, with a still-swarm level 30 “flying around, landing on prep tables, cutting boards, clean dishes and utensils.”
Someone “entered the kitchen from the dining room and began preparing food for customers without washing hands.”
Another employee “touched soiled containers or trash while throwing trash into dumpster then handled clean equipment, clean utensils and began to prepare food for customers without washing hands.”
If either employee wanted to wash their hands at the cookline handwash sink, they’d have had to drip dry as “no paper towels or mechanical hand drying device was provided.”
MORE: Maggots on decaying rodents, gnawed bags of food at Miami restaurant supplier
Bay 13 Brewery & Kitchen, 65 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables
Routine inspection, 22 total violations, four High Priority violations
A lot of flies, a lot of food getting hit with Stop Sales from “temperature abuse,” and ice machine mold helped this favorite gathering spot become yet another Coral Gables area place to flop on its inspection.
MORE: Unsafe food and 65 flies at a popular Coral Gables restaurant, inspection says
Burger King, 4175 Okeechobee Rd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Food-licensing inspection, 12 total violations, eight High Priority violations
This BK Lounge proved you can get flame-broiled at the handwash sinks.
“Sewage/wastewater backed up through the only handwash sink in the kitchen ... wastewater overflows onto the kitchen floor if hands are washed properly.”
So, “an employee switched from cooking raw hamburger to preparing ready-to-eat breakfast sandwiches without washing hands” because “the only handwash sink in kitchen was overflowing onto the floor.”
Another employee “took multiple orders, handled customer payment, order entry system, headset and hair, exited and reentered establishment multiple times, then prepared and packaged food and drinks for customers without ever washing her hands.” Then again, she “was unable to wash her hands properly due to only handwash sink in the kitchen overflowing wastewater onto the kitchen floor.”
Also, the paper towel dispenser at that handwash sink didn’t work.
“No soap at the handwash sink in the men’s restroom.” That’s why some folks carry antibacterial wipes, a good dollar aisle pickup when grocery shopping.
China Village, 7909 NW Second St., Miami
Routine inspection, 10 total violations, second High Priority violations
One dead roach on the dry storage area floor, a minor thing compared to three rodent droppings under the shelves in dry storage and eight rodent droppings under a cookline steam table.
Rodents and roaches, yet still China Village had containers of “cooked pork and cooked chicken in the reach-in cooler, not covered after cooling.”
And the “interior of microwave has an accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”
Dave & Busters, 3000 Oakwood Blvd., Hollywood
Routine inspection, five total violations, one High Priority violations
Roaches caused a brief flatline at the Oakwood Plaza Dave & Busters.
Let’s start with some of the 27 dead roaches, a full third of which (that’s nine) were in two roach traps inside a reach-in cooler at the kitchen expo line, where your food is staged before being brought to you. Another three were in traps under a kitchen handwash sink. Three died under the three-compartment sink in a prep area behind the cookline. Two died under a prep table in that area.
The dead outnumbered the 12 living roaches. Two of them were on the doors of a reach-in cooler on the expo line and were grabbed by the manager. Four roaches were seen on the kitchen floor. Three roaches were spotted on walls.
A Friday same-day re-inspection got Dave & Buster’s back open for business by Saturday, a day of college football viewing and kids’ birthday parties.
Emilio’s Trattoria, 1088 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor Islands
Routine inspection, 10 total violations, one High Priority violation
The walk-in cooler’s shelves were “soiled with old food debris and a mold-like substance.”
The “interior of the ice machine was soiled with a black, mold-like substance.”
The kitchen “ceiling tiles and vents were soiled with old food debris and dust debris.”
That didn’t bother the 51 flies counted in the kitchen area. A dozen of them were “landing on containers and clean dishes on a shelf near the ice machine.” Another dozen zipped about the dishwasher area. Nine kept “landing on a box of powdered sugar and boxes of pasta” on another shelf near the ice machine. Eight were “on posters near the cookline handwash sink.” Three kept landing on a cutting board.
One of the handwash sinks lacked paper towels.
Express Caribbean Restaurant, 1401 S. State Rd. 7, North Lauderdale
Routine inspection, two total violations, both High Priority violations
“Three live rodents on the glue trap near the handwash sink.”
Golden Rose Ice Cream Bar, 2733 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Routine inspection, two total violations, one High Priority violation
Establishment operating with no potable running water. No water at front line hand washing sink, and triple sink.
Here’s something you don’t see every day: “Living/sleeping quarters that open directly into a public food service establishment without complete partitioning and/or self-closing doors.”
Habanos on the Creek, 90800 Overseas Hwy., Tavernier
Routine inspection, eight total violations, four High Priority violations
This restaurant in the Florida Keys had “floor area(s) covered with standing water.”
Also on the floor were containers of oil.
None of this seemed to bother the local rodents, who left 15 pieces of poop on food storage shelves and nine pieces on top of the dishwasher.
“The slicer blade is soiled with food debris.”
Ichimi, 3250 NE First Ave. (118 Buena Vista Blvd.), Miami
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, four High Priority violations
At least the rodent squatters just used this ramen restaurant as a bathroom in 2025, not as a full-on residential-commercial space, as inspectors found early in 2024.
MORE: Rodents made a living space inside a Miami restaurant under $1 million Midtown condos
Over 85 pieces of rodent regularity dotted Ichimi, at least 30 of which were “under the dry storage shelves in the kitchen.” Another five or more were “on top of kitchen towels” in dry storage. The rodents left 25 poop markers “behind a small, reach-in freezer” in the kitchen” and another 15 behind a stand-up freezer. At least 10 sat on stop of containers under the dishwasher, also in the kitchen.
Wiping cloths are supposed to sit in sanitizing solution when not in use. Instead, at Ichimi, “multiple towels were stored on top of prep tables.”
The kitchen floors under the fryers, flip-top reach-in cooler and reach-in freezer, in dry storage all were “soiled.” The floor in the beer storage room was “heavily soiled.”
“Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment” described the surface of a kitchen prep table.
Stop Sales for temperature abuse came down on bean sprouts, pig ear, pork belly and boiled eggs, none of which were at 41 degree or under despite their overnight sleepover in the walk-in cooler.
During the re-inspection, more pork belly and pig ear, as well as pork broth and cooked chicken got slapped with Stop Sales for the same reason.
But the rodents ruined the re-inspection anyway, by dumping “on top of the bar, where silverware and napkins are stored; on a bar area shelf; on top of sauce containers (which were in the women’s restroom for some reason); in the beer storage room; under the kitchen dishwasher; and behind a kitchen reach-in freezer.
IHOP, 1101 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach
Complaint inspection, nine total violations, three High Priority violations
Leave it to a big chain to join Miami-Dade’s Wretched Restaurant Row, Northwest/Northeast 167th Street and Northeast 163rd Street between U.S. 1 and the Golden Glades Interchange, with an off the chain inspection.
Like many of the other eight places on the strip, the International House of Pancakes — yes, this location is listed that way in state records — couldn’t evict its small, four-legged, furry friends.
Rodents left dung pieces in the bun storage area (over 25); dry storage shelves (over 10); the front counter cabinet where the soda machine equipment is (over 10); and behind the air conditioning unit on the second floor (over 20).
Along with one dead roach, the dining room floors had “accumulated, old food debris.” The floor under the bun rack was “heavily soiled.”
The inspector hit French toast batter (53 degrees) and liquid egg (52 degrees) with Stop Sales for temperature abuse. They needed to be at or under 41 degrees.
Little Caesars Pizza, 3335 W. 80th St., Hialeah
Complaint inspection, 14 total violations, two High Priority violation
No one swept up the “approximately 35-plus dead maggots on the floor inside the kitchen by the exit door.”
No one took down “approximately 30-plus dead flies on a sticky tape hanging by the mop sink?”
There was also “one live maggot crawling on the floor by the exit door.”
The mop sink was the popular place with the flies, as shown by 30 of them gathering there. Eight flies shot through the air around and over a prep table and pizza dough.
Three people working on pizzas and other food weren’t wearing hair restraints.
A “mold-like substance” decorated kitchen ceiling vents.
A plastic cove molding stood in “disrepair with standing water and a mold-like substance.”
My Little Captain Gourmet, 18400 NW 75th Pl., Country Club of Miami
Routine inspection, three total violations, one High Priority violations
Three live roaches in the kitchen area.
The “walk-in freezer shelves have an accumulation of soil residues.”
The wet wiping cloth solution, where wiping cloths live when not being put to work, was only wet. The chlorine sanitation solution measured zero parts per million.
Pack Supermarket & Cafeteria, 8275 NE Second Ave., Miami
Complaint inspection, 25 total violations, seven High Priority violations
If this were an actual supermarket and cafeteria, it would fall under the inspection governance of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
A rodent corpse lay in a storage area under a counter with boxes of napkins and spoons.
No other rodents were seen, but it’s doubtful that this one late rodent dropped all of the 120-plus poop pellets counted. About 50 were near the dead rodent. At least 20 were under the front counter with plastic plates and sanitizer spray. Behind the front counter reach-in cooler with drinks were at least 30. On cardboard, near storage with boxes of plastic bottles of water and boxes of coffee, sat at least 20 more rodent droppings.
The dead roach count reached seven.
“Observed employee begin to put new gloves on without washing hands.”
“Observed an employee washing hands with no soap.”
Then again, there was no soap at the handwash sink by the three-compartment sink. The handwash sink was removed from the restroom, and the inspector said it has to be re-installed.
In the kitchen, prep area and dining area, the “ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents were soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”
Supermachi Grill & Bar, 7925 NW Second St., Miami
Routine inspection, 18 total violations, two High Priority violations
Another case on this list of “accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
A glue trap in the dry storage room next to the kitchen held three dead rodents, with one live rodent on the trap.
There were at least 10 rodent droppings “all over” that dry storage room.
There was an “accumulation of debris” inside and outside the warewashing machine.
“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents were soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance throughout the kitchen area.”
A cookline cutting board had cut marks to the point where it couldn’t be properly cleaned.
Tortilleria Fritanga Gonzalez, 153 W. 21st St., Hialeah
Routine inspection, 23 total violations, eight High Priority violations
A rodent did a one-piece drop-and-go on top of a container of flour, which sat on the rack next to the microwave. Five pieces were left under a kitchen prep table. Three were left under the three-compartment sink, also in the kitchen.
Despite a rodent problem, they still left “carrots and onion bags stored on walk-in cooler floor.”
We don’t usually list food storage violations, High Priority though they are, because they usually involve two things in separate containers or packaging. But “raw chicken breast and raw beef stored in the same container” can’t be ignored.
A kitchen cutting board was “soiled.”
There was no invoice showing the origin of the 10 sweet merengues at the front counter. Stop Sale on the sweet merengues.
A drizzle of Stop Sales came down on food in a walk-in cooler worth less than a wet Kleenex. Instead of being at or under 41 degrees, measuring 63 to 70 degrees were cooked beans, yucca, cooked steak, marinated steak, raw chicken breast and raw churrasco.
“Single use” gloves mean use them to do one thing, then change and discard the gloves. Three people “engaged in food preparation without changing gloves after changing tasks.”
Tradicion Michoacana, 4556 Cresthaven Blvd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Routine inspection, four total violations, three High Priority violations
Rodents and an inspection closed this place in August. Those who do not learn history — or the number for a good exterminator — are doomed to repeat it.
At least the rodent dropping count dropped from 14 to 8, half of which were “behind the front counter ice cream display cooler.” Three were under or behind kitchen freezers. One was under the three-compartment sink.
Speaking of the three-compartment sink, an “employee washed hands with no soap ... after handling a soiled container and before handling clean equipment and food service utensils.”
Also, someone washed and rinsed a food storage container, then put it to dry without using the third part of the three-compartment sink to sanitize.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM.
