About 35 cockroaches found on a counter, pasta chewed by rodents: Restaurant troubles in Florida

Photo byCanva

Let's dive into some not-so-appetizing news that's been making the rounds in South Florida's dining scene. This week, a handful of restaurants from Miami to Palm Beach have found themselves on the dreaded Sick and Shut Down List, and let me tell you, the details are a bit stomach-turning.

First up, we've got China Town in Miami, which had inspectors finding more than just your average kitchen mishaps. Imagine prepping your meal with a dead rodent under the table and a parade of live roaches making their way around the kitchen. Yes, that happened. From live roaches under a kitchen wok to a whopping 11 dead ones under the prep tables, it's a scene straight out of a horror movie. And let's not forget the soiled can opener and food stored right on the floor. Yikes! Somehow, they managed to clean up their act enough to pass inspection the very next day.

Moving on to Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders in Coral Springs, where the sight of 10 live roaches frolicking near the mop sink was enough to shut them down temporarily. Luckily, they too cleaned up quick and were back in business the next day.

Panda Express on Congress Avenue wasn't doing much better. The place was practically a fly and roach party with 35 live roaches taking over the food service counter and flies buzzing around soda boxes. It's definitely not the kind of extra protein you'd want with your meal. They got their act together quickly, though, and reopened after re-inspection.

Then there's Wilton Wings in Fort Lauderdale, which had a bit of a rodent rave going on. Rodent droppings on Oreos and Twinkies? Check. Gnawed pasta bags causing a 'stop sale'? Check. Flies everywhere? Double check. It took them a couple of tries, but they eventually managed to reopen, sans the uninvited critters.

Lastly, Wingstop in Miami made the list with a scene of mold in the ice machine and roaches under the front counter. Not exactly the side order anyone would ask for. But like the others, they cleaned up and were back to serving wings by the next inspection.

So, what’s the takeaway from this week's list? If you're dining out in South Florida, maybe give these spots a little time to prove their clean-up wasn't just for show. And always, always check those inspection reports, because nothing ruins a meal quite like uninvited pests. Stay safe and maybe stick to cooking at home for a bit, huh?