Citrus County's Pho 84 Vietnamese restaurant in Crystal River, FL, shut down due to 13 violations

Pho 84 Vietnamese CuisinePhoto byW Liz Crowley/Google Reviews

Pho 84 Vietnamese restaurant in Crystal River, Florida, recently faced a closure order from the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. The restaurant, located at 374 N Suncoast Blvd, was cited for a series of infractions, including the presence of live and dead roaches, wrong food storage, and a lack of adequate handwashing facilities.

These violations, deemed high-priority by the inspector, led to the Citrus County restaurant's temporary closure.

Following the initial inspection, a follow-up inspection was conducted on the same day. This inspection resulted in a six-violation count, requiring another follow-up review.

The inspection, conducted on August 12, 2024, revealed a total of 13 violations, categorized as four high-priority, four intermediate, and five basic.

Among the high-priority violations were the discovery of live roaches in various locations, including the handwashing sink area, the reach-in cooler, and the three-compartment sink.

The inspector also noted the unsuitable separation of raw animal foods in the freezer, with raw chicken stored over raw pork. Additionally, the use of non-food-grade bags for food storage and an employee touching soiled clothing before handling clean equipment without washing hands were cited as high-priority violations.

Intermediate violations included the lack of a handwashing sink accessible for employee use, the absence of a cleaning test kit for disinfectant, and the lack of paper towels or a mechanical hand-drying device at the handwashing sink.

Basic violations included the presence of dead roaches on the premises, food stored on the floor, the reuse of single-service items, and improper thawing of food.

Despite these setbacks, Pho 84 Vietnamese Restaurant holds a 4.2-star rating from 151 Google reviews, indicating a generally positive reception from patrons.

Located in Crystal River Plaza, the restaurant is known for its authentic Vietnamese and Asian cuisine, including vegetarian options.