Rodent issues — including one found alive in a sticky trap at an Italian restaurant and more than 40 droppings in a taco spot’s kitchen — were among the violations that led the state to temporarily shut nine South Florida restaurants last week.
The 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 spot 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
The Cooper
4610 PGA Blvd., Suite 100, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: Jan. 30
Why: Four violations (one high-priority), including:
- About 33 live flies landing “on wall and shelves with hot sauce,” “on single-service containers and clean dishes above prep counters and food,” “on coffee machine and on wall above coffee station,” on walls in dining room and “on bar counter and bottles of alcohol” at the indoor bar area.
- Brunch items that are served raw or undercooked — including eggs Benedict and smoked salmon avocado toast, among others — are not identified on the menu.
- “Single-service items stored in dumpster area.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 31 after a second inspection found two intermediate and basic violations, with a follow-up inspection required.
Tacos Al Carbon Bar & Grill
2161 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Jan. 30
Why: Two high-priority violations, including:
- About 40 rodent droppings in kitchen areas such as dry storage, inside electrical closet, under dish machine and next to dry storage shelves on the cook line.
- “Employee handled broom/dust pan while cleaning and then handled clean utensils and bottles without washing hands.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 31 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Bon Gou Cuisine
7459 S. Military Trail, Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: Jan. 30
Why: Eight violations (six high-priority), including:
- 13 live roaches “walking on wall next to mop sink,” on floor “around walk-in cooler” and “in sink base” in kitchen and “walking on floor next to toilet” in customer bathroom.
- Four dead roaches “in kitchen next to reach-in cooler and mop sink.”
- “Employee in kitchen handled raw turkey and, without washing hands, handled clean mixing spoons to stir marinade on table.”
- Stop sale ordered for hot dogs, cooked rice, raw turkey and chicken broth “due to temperature abuse.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 31 after a second visit found no violations.
Wing Wah Express
115 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
Ordered shut: Jan. 30
Why: 11 violations (three high-priority), including:
- 23 live flies “on the lid of the soy sauce bucket stored on the floor next to cook line,” “on the outside wall of walk-in cooler,” “on speed rack next to back door and “on tofu inside reach-in cooler on cook line” (stop sale ordered).
- Time/temperature issue involved clear soup.
- “Stored fried shrimp and spring rolls not covered in reach-in freezer next to microwave at entrance to kitchen.”
- The following areas were soiled with grease and food debris — “rice container on cook line, MSG, sugar and salt containers next to triple sink” and “outside of chest freezer next to hand sink in the back kitchen and gaskets of cooler on cook line.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 31 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Dominic’s II
9834 Glades Road, Boca Raton
Ordered shut: Jan. 28
Why: Five violations (one high-priority), including:
- “Live rodent present on sticky trap placed underneath dry storage near walk-in cooler door.”
- “Spray bottle containing cleaner not labeled at ware-washing area.”
- “Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses throughout kitchen and pizza prep areas.”
Status: Reopened the same day after a second inspection found one intermediate violation.
BROWARD COUNTY
BBQ Toni8ht
1386 S. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach
Ordered shut: Jan. 30
Why: One high-priority violation:
- “Approximately 8 live roaches in kitchen by handwashing sink and on floor by oven.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 3 after a follow-up visit found no violations. The restaurant was previously closed on Jan. 24 with nine violations (two high-priority).
Lucille’s American Cafe
2250 Weston Road, Weston
Ordered shut: Jan. 29
Why: Seven violations (five high-priority), including:
- Four live roaches “on prepping table next to grill in kitchen.”
- Seven flies “landing on shelf in kitchen.”
- “Raw turkey burgers stored over raw pork chops” at reach-in cooler.
- Stop sale ordered for diced tomatoes and boiled eggs, sliced ham, blue cheese and feta cheese “due to temperature abuse.”
Status: Remained closed Jan. 30 when a follow-up inspection found three violations (two high-priority). Reopened later that day after a third visit found one basic violation, but a follow-up inspection is required.
Basilic Vietnamese Grill
218 E. Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Ordered shut: Jan. 29
Why: 27 violations (eight high-priority), including:
- About four live roaches in kitchen on floor, “on flip-top unit at cook line” and on a prep table.
- Approximately 17 dead roaches throughout kitchen “on floor next to water heater,” “on floor in corner next to fire extinguisher at wait station” and “at front counter bar area.”
- “Cooked shrimp thawing in container of standing water” and “raw beef in bucket thawing in standing water.”
- Other time/temperature issues involved cooked noodles, bean sprouts, cut lettuce and cabbage, chicken broth and garlic in oil.
- “Operator portioned raw shrimp in container with gloves and proceeded to grab bowl of ready-to-eat cabbage with the same gloves, without washing hands and changing gloves first.”
- “Prep employee put gloves on without washing hands to portion ready-to-eat bean sprouts for customer’s order.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 30 after a second inspection found nine violations; a follow-up inspection is required.
Fuddruckers
14532 SW Fifth St., Pembroke Pines
Ordered shut: Jan. 27
Why: 11 violations (two high-priority), including:
- Nine roaches crawling around cook-line areas such as “below cold holding unit,” “behind large garbage trunk,” on floor and on prep table “below steam table, behind square garbage can … behind serving baskets.”
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin” in rear kitchen.
- “Loose garbage, plates, straws, cups behind and on both sides of dumpster.”
- “Heavily soiled floor with food debris, and grease in cook line corridor and under cooking equipment.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 28 after a follow-up visit found two basic violations.