Popular Florida Soul Food Restaurant, Angel's, Shut Down After State Inspection

Photo byJennifer Woodard Maderazo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although soul food is considered southern, many Floridians who used to live in northern states enjoy it. Florida has some popular soul food options like Seth's and Happy Soul. Unfortunately, another eatery in this genre, Sanford's Angel's Soul Food was recently shut down after a state inspection.

About Angel's Soul Food: This eatery specializes in popular and traditional soul food dishes like fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and fried catfish.

Sanford patrons and visitors give this eatery on South Sanford Avenue 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google reviews. Many rave about the fried chicken and cornbread. A reviewer named Edmond wrote:

"Some of the best fried chicken I have ever had. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They can get crowded, especially on Sundays, so if you go on Sunday, get there before or after the church crowd. Service is pretty quick - except for when people can’t decide what they want despite seeing the food before their eyes. I drive here from St Pete to eat and it’s worth every miserable mile on I-4."

What Happened At Inspection?: According to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection occurred on July 26, 2024. At that time, 17 violations were found.

Examples of basic violations were a build-up of food and debris on a cooler door handle, the removal of a mop sink, and standing water.

Intermediate violations came because there were no paper towels at the handwash sink and the inside reach of a cooler was soiled with a "mold-like substance or slime."

High-priority violations came because raw chicken was being stored over raw fish and raw sewage was on the ground inside the establishment.

As a result of some of the above violations, the restaurant temporarily closed. A follow-up inspection occurred on July 27, 2024. At that time, six violations remained, but none were considered an immediate threat to the public so the restaurant was free to reopen.

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