Two popular national chains, sewage on a kitchen floor and the usual roaches and flies make up some of the standout problems on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List.
So, let’s get to which restaurants in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach got closed after failing state inspection.
Once again, we remind you that we don’t choose which places get inspected nor do we do the inspecting. That’s done by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Complaints about restaurants should be directed to that agency.
In alphabetical order:
Boca BagelWorks, 8177 Glades Rd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County: Complaint inspection, 10 total violations, four High Priority violations.
Cooked onions slept overnight in the walk-in cooler without any covers.
One roach walked on a kitchen prep shelf, two others on the floor. One of them didn’t make it after the manager killed it. Another 20 roaches crawled around inside a reach-in cooler in search of food that wasn’t there.
In the walk-in, food kept overnight still wasn’t cooled lower than 41 degrees. So, Stop Sales rained on yellow cheese, Swiss cheese, cooked onions, hot dogs and butter.
“The Ice scoop handle was in contact with sugar.”
When the inspector returned for the first callback inspection, roaches, one living, one dead, were near the food storage bin of the bagel-making machine. Two live roaches were around the prep table. Two other roaches elsewhere completed the roach-ruining of this re-inspection.
A re-inspection later Friday allowed the bagel bus to roll again on the lucrative Saturday morning line.
The Cheesecake Factory, W. 5530 Glades Rd., Boca Raton: Routine inspection, 15 total violations, seven High Priority violations.
Oh, the Cheesecake Factory corporate gods in Agoura Hills, California, couldn’t have been happy with their Not-So Fabulous Boca Boys and Girls after this inspection.
“Raw fruits/vegetables not washed prior to preparation.”
“At the storage area bread shelf...approximately eight live roaches were crawling on clean containers and the wall.” One roach met hot restaurant death by the manager’s hand (or foot).
Two dented cans of marshmallow creme drew two Stop Sales.
On the cookline, “an employee handled a soiled wiping cloth, then proceeded to remove gloves, wash hands for approximately three seconds, then proceeded to put on a clean glove and plate food for an order.” Three seconds isn’t 10 to 15 seconds, as the rule states.
Sanitizer buckets blocked the salad station handwash sink.
“Non-food grade paper/paper towel used as liner for food container.” In what way? “Ready-to-eat strawberries on paper towels in the reach-in cooler up front where cheesecakes are displayed.”
Speaking of coolers up front, cooked corn, mozzarella, salsa measured 47 to 60 degrees after five hours. Stop Sales on all of them for not being at or under 41 degrees.
“Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried...observed wet nesting at the air drying rack in front of the reach-in cooler.”
The wiping cloth sanitizer solution “exceeds the maximum concentration allowed,” a polite way of saying it was just this side of paste — it measured 1,130 parts per million and had to be diluted to 700 parts per million.
The Factory re-opened after passing inspection the next day.
Chipotle, 18299 NW 27th Ave., Miami Gardens: Routine inspection, seven total violations, two High Priority violations.
The women’s restroom floor had standing water.
“Multiple pans on a shelf in the warehouse washing area were wet nesting.”
Two open boxes of Saran Wrap in the prep area had “old food debris/soil residue inside.” At least they used Saran Wrap, unlike some other restaurants — looking at you, Boca BagelWorks — on this list.
“Clean utensils or equipment stored in a dirty drawer or rack” as in “clean pans and lids on shelves with small flying insects.”
Speaking of flies, the inspector counted or estimated over 25 on shelves with clean pans, over 15 on a shelf and clean lids by the dishwasher, four on a shelf with containers of honey, vinegar and sugar, another four near a front cookline prep table and three others elsewhere.
Chipotle was back asking “bowl, burrito or salad” after the next day’s re-inspection.
Eddie Hills, 134 N. Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach: Complaint inspection, nine total violations, two High Priority violations.
The kitchen ceiling vents with “soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance” were above the problem on the floor only in the physical sense.
“Sewage backing up through floor drains in the entire kitchen. The operator was unable to isolate it. Employees were stepping on gray water. The entire kitchen floor was covered with standing sewage water.”
Whatever the problem was, it got properly Roto-Rooter-ed and the Hills were alive after the following day’s re-inspection.
Little Venice, 911-913 N. Broadwalk, Hollywood: Complaint inspection, 16 total violations, seven High Priority violatons.
You can just wash dishes at home. Restaurants need to sanitize their dishes and cookware. But at Little Venice, the dishwasher dispensed no sanitizer and the dishwasher “is the only means to sanitize dishes. There is no three-compartment sink available inside the establishment.”
Also, there was “no chemical test kit provided” for any of the places sanitizer would be used in the restaurant, such as the dishwasher, the three-compartment sink that doesn’t exist or the wiping cloth solution.
Four flies buzzed the dishwasher and cookline areas, but “no live flying insects landed on food contact surfaces. Operator killed flies during the inspection. No flies observed at the end of the inspection.”
“Water draining into bucket from air conditioning unit at the entrance to the kitchen.”
Meat sauce at the pizza station, still at an unhealthy 46 degrees after cooling for at least six hours, got hit with the Stop Sale.
“Retail shopping bag used to store raw meat in the kitchen.” That’s not a food-grade bag.
Little Venice passed re-inspection the next day.
Miami Kabab, 10422 W. Atlantic Blvd., Coral Springs: Routine inspection, one total violation, one High Priority violation.
Yes, it’s “Kabab” and, yes, this place got shut down solely on live roach content.
There were six in the kitchen, one of which was on a two-door reach-in cooler. Another three crawled on boxes next to the three-compartment sink dish rack.
Things were fine the next day, at least as far as the inspector could see.
Toasted Bagelry & Deli, 3693 SW 22nd Ter., Miami: Routine inspection, 16 total violations, two High Priority violations.
Earlier this week, we told you about the flies and filth problems — “All food storage containers soiled with food debris,” “kitchen and bakery area floor soiled” — at this breakfast and lunch bagel joint across Southwest 37th Avenue from Coral Gables.
READ MORE: A fly on food and ‘soiled’ food containers at a Miami bagel place bordering Coral Gables
The day after Toasted got burned by its inspection woes, it passed re-inspection.
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