State Inspectors Close Florida IHOP – Here’s What They Found

Photo byGoogle reviews

If you’re a fan of all-day breakfast, you might be surprised to hear that a popular IHOP in Tampa recently faced some serious trouble. The IHOP at 11111 N Dale Mabry Highway was temporarily shut down after a recent state inspection uncovered a range of health violations, and it wasn’t pretty!

For those who might not know, IHOP – formerly known as the International House of Pancakes – has been serving up breakfast classics since the 1950s and has more than 150 locations across Florida. While many people love the idea of pancakes any time of day, this Tampa location had a few cleanliness issues that just couldn’t be ignored. According to some customer reviews on Google, the restaurant had already been getting mixed feedback before the inspection.

Then came the inspection on September 10, 2024, when Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation took a closer look. They found a total of 13 violations, including some pretty concerning discoveries: a mold-like substance in the ice machine, wet equipment not being dried properly, and dirty surfaces in key areas like the microwave and cooler. They even found maggots in a kitchen prep sink and flying insects in the kitchen – definitely not what you want to hear about your favorite breakfast spot!

On top of that, inspectors noticed issues with food storage, such as raw chicken being stored over raw beef in the freezer, and hot foods like sausage weren’t kept at the right temperature to be safe. Because of these violations, the restaurant had to shut down immediately to sort out the problems.

Fortunately, IHOP was quick to clean up its act, and during a follow-up inspection later that same day, they managed to get the green light to reopen after addressing the most serious concerns. Though a few minor issues remained, none of them posed a threat to public health, so the doors were open for customers again.

So, next time you’re in the mood for a short stack, you might want to take a peek at recent reviews or even consider another location until you’re confident things have improved!