Flies landing on open packages of fish, dead roaches behind a fryer, and an employee who touched dirty dishes and a trash can then handled food tongs were among the violations that led the state to temporarily close seven restaurants and one food truck in South Florida 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.)
BROWARD COUNTY
The Food Republic
1910 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: April 18
Why: Eight violations (five high-priority), including:
- About 22 flies landing on “reach-in cooler, cutting board and storage shelves” at cook-line area, “on dry storage shelves near containers of dry food” at dry storage area, and “on wall and shelves with clean glasses” at bar area.
- “Container of medicine stored over raw shell eggs” at walk-in cooler.
- “Raw chicken not commercially packaged stored over raw ground beef.”
- “Employee handled dirty dishes [then] proceeded to handle clean dishes without changing their gloves or washing their hands.”
- Time/temperature issues involved butter, shredded and sliced cheeses, and gallon milk.
Status: Reopened April 19 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.
Titie Restaurant & Lounge
300 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: April 17
Why: 19 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 25 rodent droppings “underneath two-door, stainless reach-in cooler.”
- 12 live roaches “in water heater room on door panel,” “in trap in water heater room,” “on cook line next to stove and steam table,” “behind white, reach-in freezer in prep area” and “on wall above grey reach-in freezer.”
- Seven dead roaches “in trap in water heater room” and “behind fryer.”
- “Raw chicken over ready-to-eat commercially processed vegetables in reach-in freezer.”
- Time/temperature issue involved snapper.
- “Ceiling vent in prep area heavily soiled with dust.”
- “Kitchen hoods heavily soiled with grease.”
- “Excessive amounts of trash and food debris behind reach-in freezers.”
Status: Reopened April 18 after a follow-up inspection found seven intermediate and basic violations.
El Rey De La Medialuna
3253 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ordered shut: April 15
Why: 10 violations (two high-priority), including:
- About 105 flies landing on “clean wares on shelves above triple sink” and on “boxes in storage area” and “shelving and boxes above prep tables,” as well as “hovering in mop sink area next to triple sink” and at front counter area.
- About 17 live roaches inside of soap and hand sanitizer dispensers “above hand-wash sink in prep area.”
- One dead roach “in hand-wash sink in prep area.”
- “Wall soiled with accumulated dust. Observed at front-counter menu board.”
Status: Reopened April 17 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Antonio’s Pizza
4551 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ordered shut: April 15
Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:
- Six live roaches “on floor in dry storage area,” “on wall in dishwashing area,” “on wall behind dishwashing machine in kitchen,” “on floor next to white single-door, reach-in freezer in kitchen” and “on floor next to coffee station at entrance of kitchen.”
- Three dead roaches “in dry storage area in kitchen.”
- Time/temperature issues involved shredded cheese and marinara sauce.
- “Employee went outside, returned to work area and started working with cooked, ready-to-eat food and handled a clean plate without removing gloves or washing hands.”
- “Containers of raw shell eggs stored above containers of sauces and dressings in walk-in cooler.”
Status: Reopened April 16 after a second inspection found no violations.
Sajna Indian Cuisine
1933 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ordered shut: April 15
Why: 10 violations (two high-priority), including:
- About 72 live roaches in areas such as “under tape covering scorched electrical outlet behind prep table next to triple sink in kitchen area,” “under milk crate on cardboard-lined shelf directly next to cook line flip-top,” “inside of control device located in back of cook line flip-top,” “on top of dish machine under chemicals and wall behind dish machine in kitchen area,” “inside of middle hinge of chest freezer behind cook line flip-top” and “inside of triple sink.”
- About 28 dead roaches “under tape covering scorched electrical outlet behind prep table next to triple sink in kitchen area,” “in control device located in back of cook line flip-top” and “on top of dish machine in kitchen.”
- “Raw chicken stored above bottled drink in three-door, reach-in cooler.”
- “Cardboard used to line food-contact shelves.”
- “Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”
Status: Reopened April 16 after another visit found four intermediate and basic violations, with a follow-up inspection required.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Joy Luck II
5796 Jog Road, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: April 17
Why: Eight violations (five high-priority), including:
- About 11 live roaches “on food preparation table under plastic bins used to store bulk sugar, flour” and “inside of refrigerator” with no food products stored inside.
- About 10 dead roaches in kitchen “under three-compartment sink on floor,” “inside of three-compartment sink,” “on floor under food preparation table” and “on shelf under food preparation table.”
- “Employee handled dirty dishes in sink and touched rim of trash can and, without washing hands, employee began to handle tongs to portion veggies into a pot to cook.”
- Time/temperature issues involved an unopened bag of uncooked lo mein noodles containing eggs and cream cheese-filled wontons.
Status: Reopened April 18 after a second visit found no violations.
Deshi Bhoj Home Style Bangladeshi Feast
1709 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: April 14
Why: Five violations (one high-priority), including:
- About 68 rodent droppings in kitchen areas such as “on shelf over prep table next to food/equipment,” “on floor under [and] behind cooktop/stove,” “on top of pizza oven,” “on prep table,” as well as “on floor in dining room/front counter” and “in dry storage closets.”
- “Hand-wash sink in kitchen not accessible for employee use at all times (blocked by storage of multiple items).”
- “Employee eating in a food preparation (in kitchen on cook line) or other restricted area.”
Status: Remained closed on April 17 after a second inspection found one high-priority violation. Reopened April 18 after a third visit found no violations.
Ostine’s Fingers Taste (food truck)
4576 Cresthaven Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: April 16
Why: 17 violations (six high-priority), including:
- About 32 live flies “around/landing on equipment/utensils/unwashed produce” and “on opened package(s) of salted fish.”
- Stop sale ordered for salted fish because of live flies.
- Stop sale ordered for raw snapper “due to temperature abuse.”
- “Unwashed carrots and onions stored on floor.”
- “Raw shell eggs stored over cooked turkey.”
- “Cook top/cutting board/reach-in cooler interiors soiled.”
- “Hand-wash sink blocked by storage of multiple items.”
Status: Reopened April 17 after a follow-up visit found four violations (one high-priority, with a follow-up inspection required.