Roaches at Dunkin’ and ‘brownish water’ in Broward on the restaurant filth list
Rodents, roaches, hot water issues and handwashing problems put three restaurants and a food truck on this week’s list of inspection failures.
A reminder that this “Sick and Shut Down List” of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe restaurants shutdowns comes from inspections by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Those inspections are done by rotation and based on customer complaints. The Miami Herald doesn’t do inspections or file complaints.
Restaurants can reopen after passing re-inspection. All the places below passed the following day.
In alphabetical order:
Dunkin’ Donuts, 901 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale
Complaint inspection, six total violations, one High Priority violation
This is the first appearance for a Dunkin’ since April 2023, a vast improvement for a chain that used to have a location on the list every couple of months.
Roaches on the floors behind cookline flip-top coolers — one behind the left, five behind the right — were the main reasons this Dunkin’ broke the streak.
But at least no rodents entered through the “hole in the wall next to the three-compartment sink in the kitchen.”
There was also an “accumulation of dust on the ceiling vents above the front counter.”
READ MORE: Dirty equipment, unsafe chicken and deli meat found at a Miami area Walmart
China Garden Chinese Restaurant, 27100 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami-Dade
Routine inspection, 18 total violations, five High Priority violations
Both back doors had “a gap at the threshold.” No surprise that inside in the kitchen, the inspector counted 12 pieces of rodent poop.
Even with rodents running around, there were “several food containers not covered on the shelves at the walk-in cooler.”
The violation: “Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.” The description: “Cooked ribs and cooked crispy chicken were stored in soiled containers in the standing unit next to the fryer at the cookline.”
On the cookline, a “soiled, dry wiping cloth” was being used when it should have been clean and wet from being kept in sanitizing solution.
An “employee rubbed his hands together for less than 10 to 15 seconds while washing his hands.”
READ MORE: Flies ‘too numerous to count’ among a Miami food facility’s inspection problems
Lakay Mama Restaurant, 5572 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill
Routine inspection, 15 total violations, two High Priority violations
Before we get to the 48 dead roaches, we’ll start with a kitchen problem of “brownish water with food debris backing up through the floor drain under the three-compartment sink.”
Apparently, “when the faucet is turned on, an employee is collecting the dirty water in buckets. The establishment has two three-compartment sinks linked to one pipe. The area cannot be blocked off. The establishment has no dish machine.”
And the water wasn’t hot enough at the triple sinks, just 76 degrees.
That was also a problem for some handwash sinks, which are required to have water that gets up to at least 85 degrees. The kitchen handwash sink got to only 77 degrees and the men’s and women’s restroom could reach only 76.
Now to the roaches, eight of which died in a kitchen corner next to a standing mixer. Two died near the handwash sink. Four were “stuck” on the door of an out-of-service kitchen oven that worked better as a roach trap. Another four died next to cans of sausages, under a kitchen steam table that didn’t work.
And 25 dead roaches were “on a glue stick in the heater room where dry goods are stored.”
The “microwave handle was soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.” The ingredients rack in dry storage was “soiled with food debris.”
The “wall behind triple sink is solid with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust.”
The walk-in cooler’s fan had a “build up of mold.”
Meraki Juice Kitchen, food truck, Riviera Beach
Routine inspection, seven total violations, six High Priority violations
This first violation led to others following, but really could have stood on its own for getting a place shut down.
Meraki was “operating with no potable running water. No potable running water at the handwash sink or triple sink. (Meraki) has an Igloo set up outside the food truck that does not readily provide potable running water.”
So, a manager got cited for washing his hands with only water.
He and an employee touched a trash bag, came into the food truck and began handling a carton of liquid eggs, but without washing their hands.
Another employee “touched his nose, then handled a clean utensil to serve food” without washing hands.
You can’t handle anything, then prepare food if you can’t wash your hands, even if you use gloves (you’re supposed to wash before donning gloves).
Somehow, the blender got cleaned at the three-compartment sink, but wasn’t sanitized.
