Slime on a soda gun nozzle. About 19 dead roaches in a kitchen. And more than 76 rodent droppings and 15 empty saltine wrappers forming “what looks like a nest” under a grill at a fast-food burger joint.
These were among the violations that last week temporarily shut four South Florida restaurants — two each in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
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
Chef Dee’s
3919 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 28
Why: 19 violations (seven high-priority), including:
- About eight roaches crawling in kitchen “under reach-in cooler,” “under triple sink” and “underneath dish machine.”
- About 19 dead roaches in kitchen “under triple sink” and “under prep table.”
- “Observed employee take two raw pork chops from freezer with gloved hands and then handle cleaned food utensils at flip-top cooler in kitchen without hand washing.”
- “Observed cook at cook line in kitchen eat a piece of food from saucepan with gloved hands, before taking pan to triple sink, and then returned to cookline and handled cleaned food utensils … without hand washing.”
- Time/temperature issue involved baked potato.
- Stop sale ordered for two raw shell eggs that were “in use or stored with cracked/broken shells [in] flip-top cooler opposite cook line in kitchen.”
- “Observed cleaned cutting boards stored on floor next to ice machine in kitchen.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 29 after a follow-up visit found five violations (one high-priority).
Riviera (inside Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale Beach)
525 S. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: Aug. 25
Why: 15 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 12 flies landing on and flying around the “downstairs bar.”
- “Observed last date served not marked on clam tags.”
- “Observed accumulation of slime on soda gun nozzle at ocean-facing side of downstairs bar.”
- “Observed raw fish stored above olives inside salad station flip-top cooler.”
- Stop sale ordered on “raw tuna, thawed, stored inside packaging indicating removal upon thawing, inside walk-in cooler.”
- Time/temperature issues involved butter balls, cream cheese, avocado mousse and shredded cheese.
- “Observed salad station flip-top cooler lid interior soiled with black mold-like substance.”
Status: Reopened the same day after a reinspection found five intermediate and basic violations; a follow-up inspection was required.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Wendy’s
701 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 28
Why: Three high-priority violations, including:
- More than 76 rodent droppings “on floor of dry storage shed outside in the back, next to walk-in freezer,” “in dry storage area inside,” “under Frosty machine across cook line,” “under left grill, commingled with 15+ empty saltine wrappers, what looks like a nest.”
- Stop sale ordered for “buns stored on racks [with] visible gnaw marks, chewed through the plastic, and half-eaten buns” in kitchen and “saltine crackers, portioned mayonnaise and 1 box of portioned ranch dressing gnawed on” in dry storage area.
Status: Reopened Aug. 29 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Raja Indian Cuisine & Bar
12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 20, Wellington
Ordered shut: Aug. 27
Why: Four violations (three high-priority), including:
- About 63 rodent droppings in kitchen “dry storage on dry seasoning and lemon juice storage rack,” “on floor under clean dish storage racks and containers of mango chutney,” “under dish machine” and “on floor in front of reach-in cooler and [tandoor] oven,” as well as “in customer dining room along wall under tables.”
- Approximately three flies seen “landing on trash can and wall next to back door.”
- “Employee entered kitchen from customer dining room with soiled customer dishes [and] after, without washing hands, employee handled clean plate of customer’s food.”
Status: Closed Aug. 28 after a follow-up inspection found one high-priority violation. Reopened later that day after a third visit found no violations.