An employee cleaned rodent droppings, then washed and dried their hands without using soap. Twenty-six roaches crawled around a restaurant kitchen, including under a food prep table. And about 42 flies buzzed around another kitchen, landing on beer spouts and clean dishes.
This is just a sampling of violations that led the state to temporarily close 10 South Florida restaurants last week — six in Broward and four in Palm Beach County.
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
Southport Raw Bar
1536 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: 22 violations (10 high-priority), including:
- About 35 flies seen landing on ceiling as well as on “wrapped bread stored on bread rack,” “bread rack shelf,” “wall behind dry storage rack,” plate boxes and dish machine.
- “Observed roach inside pest trap stored in kitchen.”
- “Observed cook wearing watch during food prep at cook line.”
- Stop sale ordered for “three dented cans of crushed tomatoes stored on shelf in dry storage area.”
- Stop sale ordered for raw mahi mahi “that it is to remain frozen until time of use [but was] no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package.”
- “Observed frozen crawfish, conch salad and lobster bisque thawing at room temperature on prep table in kitchen.”
- Other time/temperature issues involved chili and cooked chicken wings.
Status: Remained closed on March 27 after a follow-up visit found one high-priority violation. Reopened March 28 when a third inspection found no violations.
The Pup Tent
1345 NW 40th Ave., Lauderhill (inside Lauderhill Mall)
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: 10 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 75 rodent droppings “under three-compartment sink,” “under counter holding hot dog hot-holding unit” and “on counter holding fries fryer.”
- “Observed employee cleaning rodent droppings then [proceeding] to wash and dry hands without using soap.”
- About six live flies “flying around kiosk.”
Status: Remained closed on March 27 after a follow-up inspection found five violations (three high-priority). Reopened March 28 after a third visit found three violations (one high-priority).
Anne’s Paradise Takeout & Catering
2428 N. State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: 20 violations (two high-priority), including:
- About 26 live roaches “in dishwashing area underneath utensils stand,” “in kitchen underneath food preparation table,” “in kitchen crawling on clean food container” and “underneath cooking equipment at cook line.”
- One dead roach “in dishwashing area underneath utensils storage shelves.”
- “Observed chef engaging in food preparation with no hair restraint.”
- “Observed standing water cover floor surface next to three-compartment sink.”
- Accumulation of “grease buildup on floor in kitchen underneath cooking equipment” and “on shelves under food preparation tables.”
- “Observed no date mark on cooked legume, chicken and turkey stored in walk-in cooler.”
Status: Remained closed on March 27 after a follow-up visit found 14 violations (one high-priority). Reopened March 28 after a third inspection found three intermediate and seven basic violations.
Kussifay Argentine Pizza & Grill
2652 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:
- Three live roaches “in empty dish racks next to triple sink,” “under triple sink in kitchen” and “on floor next to oven.”
- Two dead roaches “on floor next to grease trap under triple sink in kitchen.”
- Floor next to triple sink “covered with standing water.”
- “Employee, after baking bread rolls, used bare hands to serve them to a customer.”
- “Employee used personal phone and proceeded to reach out for a clean plate to serve cooked food to guest without washing hands.”
- “Frozen chicken thawed at room temperature.”
- Other time/temperature issues involved marinara sauce and shredded cheese.
Status: Reopened March 27 after a second inspection found no violations.
Kaluz Restaurant
3300 E. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: Eight violations (two high-priority), including:
- About 10 roaches observed in kitchen “crawling on fire wood on cart at the grill” and “on floor and wall next to fire wood cart.”
- “Approximately six dead roaches on floor under wood cart and in front of reach-in cooler in kitchen.”
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked onion, mushroom, bell pepper and artichoke.
Status: Reopened March 27 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Ocean Alley Restaurant & Beach Bar
900 N. Broadwalk, Hollywood
Ordered shut: March 26
Why: 16 violations (three high-priority), including:
- 14 roaches “crawling behind garbage can, next to reach-in cooler in cook line,” “behind reach-in cooler in cook line,” “behind steam table” and “on box of gravy packets in dry goods storage area.”
- 11 live flies “by hand-wash sink in bar area” and “by mop sink, next to clean equipment storage.”
- “Two fly sticky tapes full of dead flying insects around mop sink area, one in front of cleaning equipment storage room.”
- Time/temperature issues involved cooked chicken wings and shrimp; there were also “several bags of frozen shrimp in standing water.”
Status: Reopened March 27 after a second visit found one intermediate and three basic violations.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Chez Den Restaurant
4422 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: March 27
Why: Six violations (five high-priority), including:
- “Sewage backup from floor drain from hand sink and three-compartment sink” in middle of kitchen.
- Stop sale ordered for cooked rice, cut cabbage, boiled eggs, black rice, and rice and peas “due to temperature abuse.”
- “Raw shell eggs stored over cut, washed cabbage” in the kitchen.
Status: Reopened March 28 after a second inspection found one intermediate violation, with a follow-up inspection required.
Tijuana Flats
6201 S. Jog Road, Suite 101, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: March 27
Why: 11 violations (four high-priority), including:
- About 42 live flies in kitchen areas such as at the front counter “landing on to-go order shelves,” “landing on beer spouts and surrounding wall,” “landing on soda machine dispenser,” and “on clean and sanitized dishes and dish storage rack.”
- “In kitchen, tray of taco shells being stored on top of trash can while employee removes them from fryer.”
- Stop sale ordered for raw chicken and raw shrimp “due to temperature abuse.”
- “In walk-in cooler, large puddle of standing water.”
- “In kitchen, hand-washing sink drain pipe leaking on to floor.”
Status: Reopened March 28 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.
CocoCabana Bar & Grill
2944 S. Jog Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: March 25
Why: Seven violations (one high-priority), including:
- About 17 rodent droppings on shelves “with napkins, utensils and straws,” “with canned items” and “with toilet paper in dry storage hallway behind kitchen.”
- “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
- Salmon “that it is to remain frozen until time of use [was] no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package.”
- “Plantains on floor on cook line.”
Status: Reopened March 26 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Georgia Mae’s
5029A Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
Ordered shut: March 25
Why: 10 violations (eight high-priority), including:
- Two roaches seen crawling on “wall from overhead dish-drying rack with clean pans toward ceiling in dish-wash area of kitchen” and “on wall beside dish-drying rack for clean dishes.”
- 20 dead roaches “under dish-drying rack for clean dishes in kitchen,” “on dish-drying rack” and “on clean cutting board that is on dish-drying rack.”
- About four live flies around “dish-washing area near reach-in cooler in kitchen” and “at front-counter steam table.”
- Stop sale ordered for heavy cream, cooked turkey and cooked collard greens “due to temperature abuse.”
- Time/temperature issues also involved cooked yam juice and macaroni and cheese.
Status: Reopened March 26 after a second inspection found no violations.