The state last week temporarily shut 12 South Florida restaurants, with violations ranging from scores of rodent droppings to a cigarette butt and ashes on a cook-line hood to a live rodent stuck to a glue trap in a kitchen.
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
King’s Super Buffet
7101 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill
Ordered shut: Aug. 15
Why: 15 violations (seven high-priority), including:
- About 40 rodent droppings in kitchen “on food cans stored on can rack and can rack shelves” and “on window ledge of kitchen office in back area.”
- One live roach “on wall above two-compartment prep sink in kitchen.”
- Stop sale ordered for dented can of cheddar cheese “on can storage rack in kitchen.”
- “Raw chicken stored on shelf above soy sauce inside walk-in cooler.”
- Time/temperature issues involved bean sprouts, raw shrimp and raw mussels.
- “No time marking on sushi bar.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 16 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Checkers
400 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: Aug. 13
Why: Six violations (two high-priority), including:
- Five live flies “on high shelving units over hand washing sink area and dry storage shelves with individual ready-to-eat sauces.”
- About 80 rodent droppings “on high shelving units over hand washing sink area and dry storage shelves with individual ready-to-eat sauces,” “on high shelving units with packages of single-service straws above the customer order window” and “on top of french fry-dispensing machine by drive-thru window.”
- About three dead roaches “on high shelving units under packages of single-service straws above the customer order window.”
- “Observed on cook line hood a half-used cigarette butt and ashes/debris.”
Status: Closed Aug. 14 after a second visit found one basic violation. Reopened later that day after a third inspection found no violations.
Christine Lee’s
801 Silks Run, Unit 1580, Hallandale Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 11
Why: 10 violations (six high-priority), including:
- 20 live roaches “on unused flat top in secondary kitchen,” “under and behind fish tank in kitchen,” “under glass rack in kitchen,” “under glass rack in dishwashing machine area,” “under reach-in cooler in kitchen” and “on floor between mop sink and water heater away from kitchen.”
- Eight dead roaches “under rack in secondary kitchen” and “on floor next to water heater.”
- Six live flies “on wall in dry storage area.”
- “Employee after wiping face proceeded to wash hands without applying soap.”
- “Container of raw beef stored above container of mixed greens in Beverage-Air reach-in cooler.”
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked pasta and chicken.
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 13 after a second inspection found two basic violations.
Banchero
2500 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 13
Why: Eight violations (three high-priority), including:
- “12 rodent droppings on floor by water heater in kitchen area.”
- One live roach “on wall next to water heater in kitchen area.”
- Six live flies “in garbage can next to dishwashing machine in kitchen.”
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
- “Wall above pizza station in kitchen soiled.”
Status: Reopened later that day after a reinspection found one basic violation.
Joy’s Roti Delight (Lauderhill Mall)
1205 NW 40th Ave., Lauderhill
Ordered shut: Aug. 12
Why: 13 violations (four high-priority), including:
- Four live roaches “crawling inside of four-drawer cooler” and “by bathroom doors.”
- Three dead roaches in kitchen “under prep table,” on floor by storage shelves and by water heater.
- Stop sale ordered for chicken, cooked oxtail, cooked beef and cooked goat “due to temperature abuse.”
- “Raw beef thawing in sink without running water.”
- “Floor soiled with grease.”
- “Wall soiled with food debris.”
Status: Reopened later that day after a second visit found one basic violation,
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Saigon Tokyo
2902 Jog Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: Aug. 14
Why: 15 violations (seven high-priority), including:
- About four rodent droppings “on the floor in the back hallway near the dry storage area in the kitchen.”
- About 22 dead roaches “in trap on the floor behind reach-in freezer at the cook line area,” “in trap on the floor under the storage shelves by the dry storage area in kitchen” and “in hallway on the floor near dry storage area behind walk-in cooler.”
- “Container of medicine and vapor rub stored above prep counter” at cook line.
- “Employee handled raw beef with gloves on and then plated food for order without changing their gloves and washing their hands.”
- Time/temperature issue involved raw bean sprouts.
- “Employee [seen] preparing sushi with no hair restraint.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 15 after a second visit found no violations.
Chow Thai Cuisine
23034 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, Boca Raton
Ordered shut: Aug. 14
Why: Nine violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 30 rodent droppings in kitchen “on top of dishwasher” and “on storage shelf above dishwashing area.”
- One live roach “on kitchen prep area floor.”
- Two dead roaches “underneath kitchen cook line.”
- “Cooked chicken prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked in prep area reach-in cooler.”
- “Raw whole shell eggs and raw chicken stored above container of ready-to-eat curry in cook line reach-in cooler.”
- “Accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dishmachine.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 15 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Flavor Of India
1516 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 13
Why: Five violations (two high-priority), including:
- About eight live roaches crawling “on shelf with clean pots in dish area,” “on shelf in dry storage in rear of kitchen” and “on storage rack in kitchen on cook line.”
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked breaded chicken and cheese.
Status: Reopened Aug. 14 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Another Broken Egg Cafe
508 Via De Palmas, Suite 76, Boca Raton
Ordered shut: Aug. 11
Why: 11 violations (four high-priority), including:
- “One live roach on wall above two-bay sink at end of cook line.”
- Seven dead roaches in cook-line areas such as “in reach-in drawer with shell eggs,” “on floor in front of reach-in drawers,” “in reach-in cooler drawer … with cinnamon rolls” and “behind waffle machine table,” as well as “on floor with sanitizer buckets at triple sink in ware-wash area” and “on floor in front of expo cooler in kitchen.”
- Chef handled raw sausage with gloves, then removed them to handle cooking equipment and food on cook line without washing hands “in between changing gloves.”
- Time/temperature issues involved diced tomatoes, ham, sausage and whipped butter bucket.
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
- “Unclean standing water in cracked floor tiles at dish machine area.”
Status: Closed on Aug. 12 after a follow-up inspection found four violations (one high-priority. Reopened Aug. 13 after a third visit found no violations.
Mike’s Wings & Seafood
2968 S. Jog Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: Aug. 11
Why: Seven violations (three high-priority), including:
- One live rodent “on glue trap under shelf in kitchen used for single-service, to-go containers.”
- About 41 rodent droppings in kitchen on chair and “under front counter” and “under table used to store single-service items and soda” in customer lobby.
- One dead roach “behind reach-in freezer on floor” in kitchen.
- “Rodent bait not contained in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station,” with “green rodent bait balls on floor under shelves, tables and countertops” throughout restaurant.
- “In kitchen, food preparation table next to deep dryer heavily soiled with grease buildup and food debris.”
Status: Closed after a reinspection later that day found three violations (two high-priority). An Aug. 12 follow-up visit again found three violations (two high-priority). An Aug. 13 inspection found two high-priority violations. Reopened later that day after a fifth visit found no violations.
Bonefish Grill
1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 12
Why: Six violations (four high-priority), including:
- Three roaches seen “crawling on the top rim of steak drawer, disappearing inside the drawer door of cooler on cook line” and “on the floor under steam table at cook line next to steak drawer.”
- Stop sale ordered for macaroni-and-cheese sauce, tomato cream sauce, diablo cream sauce and seafood stuffing “due to temperature abuse.”
- “Cook began working with food, handling clean pans and utensils after entering the kitchen, having breakfast in the dining room, without first washing hands.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 13 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Save By Grace Caribbean Restaurant
2441 10th Ave. N., Lake Worth
Ordered shut: Aug. 11
Why: Seven violations (four high-priority), including:
- Three roaches seen “crawling underneath three-compartment sink” in kitchen.
- “At kitchen, employee washing dishes without properly sanitizing dishes.”
- “Microwave soiled with food debris.”
- Time/temperature issue involved cooked plantains.
Status: Reopened Aug. 12 after a follow-up visit found no violations.