Ten South Florida restaurants were temporarily closed last week because of violations including roaches “crawling on bread rack,” silverware stored under a fish tank and more than 100 dead flies “on clean dishes, on shelves and floors.”
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
Mr. Mack Island Grill
2400 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 1
Why: Eight violations (two high-priority), including:
- About three roaches “crawling on floor underneath stainless reach-in cooler at cook line” and “in between wall and steam table unit at front counter.”
- About nine dead roaches “on floor underneath reach-in cooler at cook line” and “underneath triple sink inside kitchen.”
- Time/temperature issue involved cooked pasta, cut lettuce and cooked chicken.
- “Observed clean food containers soiled with food debris at clean storage rack in kitchen.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 2 after a follow-up inspection found two intermediate violations; a follow-up inspection was required.
Real Wok
4640 Hypoluxo Road, Suite 5, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: July 31
Why: 23 violations (12 high-priority), including:
- About three roaches crawling “on lid inside of rice storage bin” and “on top of canned water chestnuts.”
- Stop sale ordered for rice in storage bin because of live roaches.
- About 34 dead roaches in areas such as “on floor by ice machine,” “on cardboard box with canned food items,” “on sealed sauce bottle,” “on cans of water chestnuts,” “in front of floor flip-top cooler at cook line” and “next to clean cups at server expo station.”
- About four live flies “landing on three-compartment sink and walls” in kitchen.
- “Employee repeatedly wiped face with hand and, without washing face, employee handled multiple pans of food in walk-in cooler.”
- Temperature abuse on cooked chicken, cooked rice, egg soup, frozen squid and chicken broth.
- “In kitchen, three bottles of Raid roach killer stored on shelves directly next to canned food products and bottles.”
- “In customer lobby, open boxes of single-service items such as silverware and salt and pepper stored directly underneath of fish tank.”
Status: Closed Aug. 1 after a second visit found six violations (four high-priority). Reopened later that day after a third inspection found no violations.
TooJay’s Deli
3013 Yamato Road, Boca Raton
Ordered shut: July 30
Why: Five violations (two high-priority), including:
- Three live roaches in kitchen area “on floor under table with bread toaster on top.”
- Time/temperature issues involved butter and sliced cheese.
- “Observed old labels on clean dishes in dishwashing area.”
Status: Reopened July 31 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
CocoCabana Bar & Grill
2944 S. Jog Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: July 29
Why: Five violations (three high-priority), including:
- About 11 rodent droppings in areas such as “under dry storage shelves,” “under three-compartment sink,” “under table next to deep freezer” and “in front of reach-in cooler at cook line on floor.”
- “In reach-in cooler, raw chicken stored directly above raw beef.”
- “Reach-in freezer interior soiled with food debris on bottom.”
Status: Reopened later that day after a follow-up inspection found one high-priority violation. A follow-up inspection was required.
BROWARD COUNTY
ASB Piman Restaurant
6025 Kimberly Blvd., North Lauderdale
Ordered shut: July 30
Why: 11 violations (four high-priority), including:
- More than 20 roaches crawling “underneath refrigerator,” “underneath tables,” “on prep table,” “underneath microwave,” “on wall,” “in cases of unopened soda bottles” and in “reach-in cooler with plantains.”
- About 25 dead roaches “in dry food storage area, on floor underneath storage rack” and “underneath prep table in kitchen area.”
- Stop sale ordered for cooked items including salt fish, turkey, collard greens, pork and chicken “due to temperature abuse.”
- Stop sale also ordered cooked plantains because of time/temperature issue,
- “Throughout kitchen, all food contact surfaces (shelves, counters) soiled with food debris.”
Status: Closed July 31 after a follow-up visit found three violations (one high-priority). Reopened Aug. 1 after a third inspection found no violations.
Kalalou Caribbean Bar & Grill Fort Lauderdale
7041 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac
Ordered shut: July 30
Why: 21 violations (10 high-priority), including:
- More than 50 rodent droppings “in dry storage, along wall of back kitchen.”
- More than 100 dead flies “throughout establishment on clean dishes, on shelves, floors.”
- Stop sale ordered for thawed vacuum-sealed salmon in walk-in cooler.
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked items such as spinach, oxtails, plantains and turkey.
- Back kitchen area covered in standing water.
- Bags of flour, sugar and dry pasta stored uncovered in the kitchen.
- “Employee came in from outside and began to prepare food without washing hands.”
- “Employee handled soiled dishes and pots then engaged in food preparation without washing hands.”
- “Establishment operating with no potable running water.”
Status: Closed July 31 after a second inspection found four violations (one high-priority). Reopened Aug. 1 after a third visit found no violations.
Pita Pockets
2727 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ordered shut: July 30
Why: Eight violations (four high-priority), including:
- Eleven live roaches seen in spots such as “on rice-stuffed grape leaves on front cook line” (stop sale ordered), “inside of gap under handwash sink and counter at front cook line” and “on ground in front of water heater next to back door in kitchen prep area.”
- Six dead roaches in kitchen prep areas such as “under tin foil-lined bottom shelf,” “on ground under prep tables,” “on wall behind prep tables” and “on wall at dry storage shelving.”
- Time/temperature issues involved hummus, cut tomatoes, cooked gyro, cooked steak, cooked eggplant and feta.
Status: Remained closed after a same-day reinspection found six violations (two high-priority). Reopened July 31 after a third visit found no violations.
La Torretta
308 Indian Trace, Weston
Ordered shut: July 30
Why: 19 violations (seven high-priority), including:
- About 10 flies “landing on flour bags and dirty wiping cloths at dishwasher area.”
- Raw salmon (not commercially packaged) seen stored over desserts in a walk-in freezer.
- “Raw veal stored directly over raw shrimp” in walk-in cooler.
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked noodles, garlic oil and grilled chicken.
- Soda dispenser “soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.”
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin” in kitchen next to triple sink.
- “Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris … throughout kitchen and dishwasher area.”
Status: Reopened July 31 after a follow-up inspection found eight violations (four high-priority); a follow-up inspection was required.
Wings in Weston
1354 SW 160th Ave., Weston
Ordered shut: July 28
Why: 16 violations (six high-priority), including:
- Nine live roaches “crawling on bread rack in kitchen next to cook line.”
- Stop sale ordered for cooked wings “due to temperature abuse.”
- Time/temperature issues involved raw chicken, sliced tomatoes, cooked wings and container of in-house made blue cheese.
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin … in kitchen.”
- “Observed employee engaged in food preparation without hair restraint.”
- “Observed in kitchen, grease and food buildup behind and under cook line.”
Status: Reopened July 29 after a follow-up inspection found two basic violations.
Midnight Cookies & Cream
3341 Sheridan St., Hollywood
Ordered shut: July 28
Why: Eight violations (one high-priority), including:
- Two live roaches in kitchen areas such as “on ground coming from under water-heater pan next to back door” and “inside of wheel of storage rack located in front of water heater.”
- Six dead roaches in kitchen areas such as “in water heater pan next to back door” and “on control device located in corner under three-compartment sink.”
Status: Reopened July 29 after a second inspection found six intermediate and basic violations. A follow-up inspection was required.