A flurry of rodent activity, including hundreds of droppings as well as rub marks along walls and ceilings, forced the state to temporarily shut two South Florida restaurants last week.
However, these were among six restaurants and one food truck in Broward and Palm Beach counties that made the emergency closure list, with issues ranging from roaches crawling around kitchens to employees not washing their hands (one after rubbing/smashing a dead roach with their fingers).
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, visit myfloridalicense.com. (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
Palm Beach County
Angry Moon Cafe
2401 PGA Blvd., No. 194, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: Feb. 13
Why: 16 violations (five high-priority), including:
• About six live roaches “on seasoning shelf crawling on containers of seasoning,” “under hand washing sink on floor next to walk-in cooler door” and “behind reach-in freezer on wall.”
• About six dead roaches in kitchen “behind reach-in freezer,” “under hand washing sink” and “at doorway on floor.”
• “Employee wiped face and, without washing hands, employee [handled] clean and sanitized utensils.”
• “Employee removed cardboard from floor and, without washing hands, employee used spatula to remove food from flat-top stove.”
• “In reach-in cooler, raw bacon stored above sliced cheese.”
• Time/temperature issues involved butter, hollandaise sauce and cut tomatoes.
Status: Reopened Feb. 14 after a next-day visit found one intermediate violation. A follow-up inspection was required.
Island Grill
5096 Forest Hill Blvd., No. 6, West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Feb. 11
Why: Three violations (two high-priority), including:
• About 20 live roaches “inside walk-in freezer” with no food stored and only accessible through walk-in cooler.
• Two dead roaches “in cabinet behind front counter” and “in kitchen on shelf over prep table.”
• “Employee touched dead roach while rubbing/smashing with fingers then touched food storage containers, clean utensils and clean equipment used to prepare food.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 12 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Blue Anchor Pub
804 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
Ordered shut: Feb. 10
Why: 12 violations (seven high-priority), including:
• About 256 rodent droppings in kitchen areas such as “at handwashing sink by the faucet,” “in food runner window,” “in side of reach-in cooler at kitchen” and “underneath shelf, reach-in coolers, cooking equipment,” as well as “underneath dish machine and three-compartment sink,” “underneath another three-compartment sink by the exit door,” “in slicer by the walk-in cooler,” “underneath shelf of slicer and dough machine by the walk-in cooler,” “throughout bar underneath shelf, equipment, ice bins, three-compartment sink” and “in dry storage room by dining area.”
• “Rodent rub marks present along walls/ceilings.”
• About 16 live flies at bar “behind CO2 tank” and “underneath three-compartment sink.”
• Stop sales ordered for mushrooms, sauteed onion, blue cheese, blue cheese, coleslaw, potato ball, beans, shredded cheese, sausage, chicken, chicken wings, fish, roast beef and pasta for temperature abuse.
• “Heavy odors [in] walk-in cooler area, dry storage room by the dining area.”
Status: Closed Feb. 17 after a follow-up inspection found eight violations (four high-priority) and Feb. 18 after a third visit found seven violations (three high-priority).
Tacos y Antojitos Emanuel (food truck)
West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Feb. 9
Why: Four violations (three high-priority), including:
• About 20 live roaches “found inside mobile food dispensing vehicle crawling on storage shelves/walls over/behind food preparation areas/under/behind equipment.”
• “At chest freezer, opened bag of raw chicken stored over cooked potato fries.”
• “Employee handled point of sale/order entry system/customer payment, then put on gloves and began preparing/packaging food for customers without washing hands.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 10 after a second visit found no violations.
Broward County
Mickey’s Downtown Bistro
4331 N. Ocean Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Ordered shut: Feb. 12
Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:
• About 106 rodent droppings in “utility closet with door to kitchen … on shelf containing toilet paper, paper towels and tools,” on “rolling cart in kitchen … with cleaning supplies,” “behind rolling cart in kitchen … along wall” and in “storage room open to kitchen with freezers and unused equipment.”
• “Cook entered cook line, put on gloves and began working with ready-to-eat food without first washing hands.”
• “Raw beef stored over ready-to-eat prepared vegetables.”
• “Raw chicken stored over raw beef.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 13 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.
Brunia’s Caribbean Take Out Restaurant
3630 N. State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes
Ordered shut: Feb. 11
Why: 16 violations (four high-priority), including:
• About 10 live roaches in kitchen “on pieces of wood to the left side of stove,” “behind preparation table at cook line” and “on wall behind reach-in coolers.”
• Three dead roaches in kitchen “under steam table” and “inside oven.”
• “Standing water behind reach-in coolers in kitchen.”
• Stop sale ordered for bottled juice being sold “without warning label/minimum labeling.”
• Stop sales also ordered for cooked rice and cooked beans “due to temperature abuse.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 12 after a reinspection found two intermediate and basic violations.
BoJo’s Seafood Kitchen
731 Hammondville Road, Suite F, Pompano Beach
Ordered shut: Feb. 11
Why: 11 violations (two high-priority), including:
• Five live roaches “crawling on wall” and “on floor inside walk-in freezer” that was not in use … with “equipment turned off. No food stored.”
• “Standing water on floor in front ice machine and in front of three-compartment sink.”
• “Raw pork stored in pan atop container of bacon in walk-in cooler.”
Status: Reopened Feb. 12 after a second inspection found four intermediate and basic violations. A follow-up inspection was required.