FL Chicken Joint Closed Via Inspection With Rats, Roaches Called The State's "Best" Hole In The Wall

Photo byarnold inuyaki, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After writing about Florida restaurants for some time, I've learned that Floridians don't necessarily seek out well-known chain restaurants all of the time.

Instead, many greatly value the "hidden gems," the "hole in the wall" joints, or those that are "off the beaten path."

Unfortunately, one of these joints that was mentioned in a national publication was shut down by a state inspection and one of the noted violations was for rodents.

About Dixie Chicken: On the restaurant's sparse website, it indicates that it serves "some of the best fried chicken you will ever eat." The restaurant says that it offers "unbeatable prices" and never reheats food.

Unfortunately, the restaurant does not have a social media presence for me to share photos, but I can share what Belle Glade patrons have to say.

Words that Yelpers use to describe Dixie fried chicken are "hole in the wall" and "old school." However, most praised the food.

Cheapism called Dixie Chicken the "best hole in the wall" chicken joint in Florida in an article that was updated in January of 2024.

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on February 7, 2024. At that time, 12 violations were found.

Among the basic violations were a deceased roach and food being stored on the floor.

High-priority violations came because of the observation of a live roach, rodent droppings, and raw animal food being stored over produce.

As a result of some of the above, the restaurant was temporarily closed.

A follow-up inspection occurred on February 7th and 9th, but violations remained so the restaurant remained closed.

On an inspection on the 9th, violations remained, but none to do with rodents or roaches, so the restaurant reopened, although a follow-up is still required.

This is not the first time that the facility has been temporarily closed after inspection. It was also closed in June of 2021.

There are chicken restaurants throughout Florida that have "Dixie" in the title, but the above is applicable to Dixie Fried Chicken in Belle Glade, with which the author is not affiliated.

Please note that an inspection is one glimpse in time and not necessarily indicative of how a restaurant conducts itself every day.