Pork stored in a Glad quick-tie bag, a live roach on “wooden chicken-pounding prep table,” an employee returning from the bathroom who took food from the reach-in cooler without washing their hands, and more than 100 dead roaches inside a walk-in cooler with food were among issues that temporarily closed a dozen restaurants in South Florida last week.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We cull through inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for “high-priority violations,” such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.
Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR . (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Casa Santiago Latin Cuisine
11150 Okeechobee Blvd., Suite E, Royal Palm Beach
Ordered shut : July 18, 19; reopened July 20
Why : 10 violations ( seven high-priority ), including about 50 live roaches found “inside walk-in cooler with food stored” and two live flies “in kitchen, flying around/landing on cutting boards.”
Inspectors also spotted more than 120 dead roaches in areas such as inside the “walk-in cooler with food stored” and “in kitchen next to flip-top cooler outside of walk-in cooler.”
The state also cited the restaurant for “cold-holding equipment not maintained in good repair” and food temperature abuse on Swiss cheese, cooked rice, raw beef and chicken, and cut lettuce and tomatoes, along with a stop sale ordered on raw shell eggs.
Casa Santiago remained closed the next day after a follow-up inspection found five violations (four high-priority and one basic). The restaurant was allowed to reopen after a third visit found only one basic violation.
It’s All Greek
9704 Clint Moore Road, A-102, Boca Raton
Ordered shut : July 18; reopened July 19
Why : Nine violations ( three high-priority ), including about 11 live roaches in the kitchen “going into left-side wall under hand wash sink on front cook line,” “inside of gap between triple sink in ware washing area,” “inside of wheel of glass slide-top reach-in freezer in prep area,” “on ground under glass slide-top reach-in freezer in prep area,” and “on control device located on ground under glass slide-top reach-in freezer in prep area.”
They also found about 21 dead roaches “on control device located on ground under glass slide-top reach-in freezer in prep area” and “in kitchen on wall in ware washing area.”
The state reported temperature abuse on lemon chicken and lentil soups.
Other issues included “multiple items in walk-in cooler stored uncovered” and a wall behind equipment “soiled with accumulated grease, food debris and/or dust.”
The restaurant reopened the next day after a follow-up inspection found one intermediate violation.
Rhum Shack
802 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut : July 18; reopened July 19
Why : Nine violations ( four high-priority ), including about 34 rodent droppings “on top of the hot water heater (in small mop sink room without the door in the kitchen)” and “on floor under dishwasher area.”
Inspectors also spotted more than 10 live flies “flying around at the bar in dining room.”
Food temperature issues that prompted violations include a stop sale ordered on chili and two bags of shrimp improperly thawing in a stainless steel container on the prep table.
They also reported brisket not properly date marked.
The state also cited the restaurant for a “cook preparing food without any hair restraint for loose head hair.”
Rhum Shack reopened the next day when a follow-up visit found no violations.
Solo BBQ & Seafood
1561 S. Congress Ave., Delray Beach
Ordered shut : July 18, 22
Why : 14 violations ( four high-priority ), including about 61 rodent droppings found on “top of the water heater,” “around water heater on the floor,” “by the microwave” and “behind/underneath reach-in cooler, shelvings throughout establishment.”
About 69 live roaches were seen by inspectors “in and underneath salt box on the prep table at kitchen,” “inside reach-in cooler and reach-in cooler gasket at kitchen,” “inside three-compartment sink,” “underneath three compartment sink at kitchen,” “underneath microwave at kitchen” and “behind chase freezer.”
About five dead roaches were found inside and underneath the three-compartment sink.
Inspectors reported that they saw an employee return from bathroom and then remove food from the reach-in cooler without washing their hands.
The barbecue joint also was cited for temperature abuse on plantains and sautéed onions.
Other issues included “interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris,” “reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues” and “objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment at kitchen.”
The restaurant remained closed as of July 22 after a follow-up inspection found four violations (two high-priority, one intermediate and one basic).
Villa Rosano
9858 Clint Moore Road, #118, Boca Raton
Ordered shut : July 17; reopened July 18
Why : Seven violations ( two high-priority ), including about 19 live roaches “inside of wheel of pasta water boiler on cook line in kitchen,” inside of drip pan area of right side cook line flip top in kitchen,” “inside of wheel of oven on cook line in kitchen,” “inside of wheel of prep table directly in front of cook line in kitchen,” “on wooden chicken-pounding prep table directly in front of cook line in kitchen,” and “inside of drip pan area of pizza line flip-top cooler at front line.”
One dead roach was spotted “inside of lip of metal shelving above cook line in kitchen.”
Villa Rosano was cited for storing raw beef above raw salmon in the walk-in cooler.
The restaurant reopened the next day after a follow-up visit found two intermediate violations. Another inspection is pending.
Banh Cuon Tan Dinh
2845 N. Military Trail, Suite 2, West Palm Beach
Ordered shut : July 15; reopened July 17
Why : Six violations ( five high-priority ), including about seven rodent droppings “on floor under front counter,” “in kitchen inside cabinet next to low boy reach-in cooler,” “on canned food shelves next to triple sink” and “on floor in dry storage area.”
About 36 live flies were spotted “at front counter, flying around/landing on unwashed longan fruit stored behind counter in non-working steam table,” “in kitchen at triple sink, flying around/landing on clean dishes/shelves above sink,” “in kitchen prep area flying around/landing on packaged food” and “in dining room flying around/landing on unwashed longan fruit.”
About 40 dead roaches were spotted “in kitchen on floor under equipment” and “in dry storage on floor under shelves.”
Stop sales were ordered on cooked pork and fresh garlic in oil for temperature abuse.
Inspectors also cited the restaurant for “portioned raw beef stored over cooked shrimp.”
Banh Cuon Tan Dinh was allowed to reopen two days later when a follow-up visit found no violations.
BROWARD COUNTY
Latin American Grill
12638 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines
Ordered shut : July 18; reopened July 19
Why : 18 violations ( three high-priority ), including about five live flies seen flying around “ice cream cooler by front counter between coffee and deli station,” and “prep station” and “dry good storage area” in the rear kitchen.
Inspectors also watched an employee, who came from outside, “wear gloves to continue preparing food without washing hands” on the rear cook line.
Among food storage issues cited were:
- day-old cream and caramel puddings not date marked
- open bags of rice and sugar in the dry goods storage area
- a plastic cup inside a container of mojo sauce in the walk-in cooler
- a plastic container inside a bag of sugar
- several boxes and containers of food sitting on the floor inside a walk-in freezer
- an “enclosed cooler with washed vegetables, cans and gallons of food” stored next to the dumpster outside
The state also reported several sanitizing problems throughout the restaurant, including the “three-compartment sink removed from dishwasher area,” resulting in “no dishwashing facilities of any kind provided”; no water supply for the hand wash sink in the rear kitchen; and “standing water or very slow draining water in “prep sink in cook line.”
The restaurant was able to reopen the next day after a follow-up visit found three violations (two intermediate and one basic). However, another follow-up inspection is pending.
Tarka Karahi and Kabab House
7881 W. Sample Road, Suite C, Coral Springs
Ordered shut : July 17; reopened July 18
Why : 17 violations ( three high-priority ), including 17 rodent droppings “under small hand sink by floor mixer in far corner of kitchen farthest from cook line and dry storage.”
Inspectors reported that an “employee left cook line to mop floor area and move items to cooler and returned to cook line without washing hands before putting on gloves” while multiple employees in the kitchen were not wearing hair restraints.
Food storage issues included “cases of raw shell eggs above buckets of housemade sauces and cases of raw chicken above open case of cut okra” and “employee water bottles on shelf next to spices at cook line and on shelf next to plates.”
The state also cited the restaurant for a “container of fish thawing on back prep table at room temperature” and “standing water on floor under hand sink and triple sink at far end of kitchen.”
Tarka Karahi was allowed to reopen the next day after a reinspection found five basic violations.
Sbarro
9411 W. Atlantic Blvd., Coral Springs
Ordered shut : July 15, 16, 17; reopened July 17
Why : Seven violations ( three high-priority ), including about seven live roaches “next to hand sink in front counter area,” “in back prep area,” “on floor next to drain” and “on floor next to office area.”
About three dead roaches were found “in front of walk-in cooler” and “under table behind bulk room container in prep area.”
A stop sale was ordered on pasta salad, garbanzo bean salad with cut tomatoes and cucumber tomato salad for temperature abuse.
The pizza place, which was also closed after reinspections on July 16 and 17 , was able to reopen later on July 17 when a fourth inspection found one intermediate violation.
La Gourmandize Island Restaurant
7108 Pembroke Road, Miramar
Ordered shut : July 16; reopened July 17
Why : 10 violations ( four high-priority ), including 20 rodent droppings under vegetables in the reach-in cooler in the storage room away from the kitchen.
Three live roaches were found in the “reach-in cooler entrance of storage area next to kitchen.”
A stop sale was ordered on vegetables and cooked chicken for temperature abuse.
Food storage issues mentioned in the inspection included:
- a bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense flour
- cases of soda stored on the floor at the front counter
- unlabeled working containers of flour removed from their original container
La Gourmandize reopened the next day after a follow-up inspection found three basic violations.
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
12100 Pines Blvd., Suite C-1, Pembroke Pines
Ordered shut : July 17; reopened July 17
Why : Six violations ( one high-priority ), including about seven rodent droppings “behind linen cabinet next to mop sink,” “underneath table in dishwashing area” and “at service station next to cookline.”
Inspectors also cited the restaurant for accumulation of “brown-like substance buildup inside ice machine,” “old food residue buildup on double-door refrigerator at cook line” and “old food residue buildup on walls at prep stations.”
A cutting board with cut marks at the cook line was deemed “no longer cleanable” by the state.
BJ’s was able to reopen the same day after a follow-up inspection found three basic violations.
Express Caribbean Restaurant
1401 S. State Road 7, Suite A1, North Lauderdale
Ordered shut : July 16; reopened July 17
Why : 20 violations ( seven high-priority ), including about 12 rodent droppings “next to freezer chest in dry store room next to kitchen,” “on floor underneath to-go racks in storage area next to kitchen and “behind Argus reach-in cooler located in the kitchen.”
Inspectors watched an “employee talking on cell phone and then engaged in food preparation without washing hands.”
Food storage violations included “pork being stored in contact with Glad quick-tie bag,” raw fish stored over cooked chicken wings in reach-in cooler, raw shell eggs over raw fish in the reach-in cooler, plastic water bottles stored on the floor at the front counter and a “bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense rice, dried beans and corn meal.”
The state ordered stop sales on cut tomatoes and iceberg lettuce along with citing the restaurant for “no probe thermometer provided to measure temperature of food products.”
After a follow-up inspection the next day, Express reopened with six violations (one intermediate and five basic).
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