Food debris and water posed problems last week, causing the state to temporarily shut two South Florida restaurants and one food truck. Violations included “no potable running water,” a soiled microwave and “brownish water with food debris backing up through floor drain.”
Employees also were seen touching nose, trash bag and cellphone but not washing their hands afterward.
The South Florida 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 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
Meraki Juice Kitchen (food truck)
West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Jan. 7
Why: Seven violations (six high-priority), including:
- “No potable running water at hand wash sink or triple sink.”
- “Employee touched nose then handled clean utensil to serve food”; “observed manager and employee touch trash bag, enter food truck, then began handling carton of liquid eggs from reach-in cooler,” “observed employee enter food truck, then put gloves on, then … handle clean pans” and “employee handled cellphone, then handled blender cup to prepare juice” — all without washing hands.
- “Blender cleaned but not sanitized at triple sink.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 8 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
BROWARD COUNTY
Lakay Mama Restaurant
5572 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill
Ordered shut: Jan. 6
Why: 15 violations (two high-priority), including:
- About 48 dead roaches “inside hand washing sink at entrance to kitchen,” “in corner of wall next to hand wash sink,” “on electrical circuit next to front counter entrance door,” “on floor in corner of kitchen next to standing mixer,” “under nonfunctional steam table in kitchen next to cans of sausage,” “stuck on nonfunctional oven door in kitchen” and “on glue stick in heater room where dry goods are stored.”
- “Observed in kitchen, brownish water with food debris backing up through floor drain under three-compartment sink. When faucet is turned on, employee is collecting the dirty water in buckets.”
- “Microwave handle soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime” and “dry storage ingredients rack soiled with food debris.”
- “No hot running water at three-compartment sink.”
- “No probe thermometer provided to measure temperature of food products.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 7 after a second visit found nine violations (one high-priority). A Jan. 13 follow-up inspection, which was required, again yielded nine violations (one high-priority), and another follow-up inspection was required.
Dunkin’
901 W. State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: Jan. 7
Why: Six violations (one high-priority), including:
- About six live roaches “on floor behind left flip-top cooler at cook line” and “on floor behind right flip-top cooler at cook line.”
- “Observed food debris on floor behind donut stand at front counter.”
- “Observed accumulation of dust on ceiling vents above front counter.”
Status: Reopened Jan. 8 after a second inspection found two basic violations.