Six South Florida restaurants temporarily shuttered last week with violations ranging from “brownish water with a pungent smell” backing up through a floor drain to 61 rodent droppings in a dry storage area to 47 dead roaches on bags of food, clean containers, napkins and cups.
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.
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Fish & raw chicken stored outside ‘attracting flies,’ roach droppings: 6 South Florida restaurants shut
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
Chow Time Grill & Buffet
12375 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines
Ordered shut: Nov. 3
Why: 16 violations (three high-priority), including:
Seven live roaches “on Serv-Ware double-decker oven at cook line” and crawling “on floor next to dishwashing area” and “on floor at prep station.”
Four dead roaches “underneath cooking equipment at cook line.”
About six flies seen landing “on walls and clean food preparation tables at rear prep station.”
Time/temperature issues involved imitation crab and cooked chicken.
“Heavy mold-like substance buildup on A/C vents and ceiling tiles throughout kitchen.”
“Accumulation of grease buildup on floor in kitchen underneath cooking equipment.”
Status: Reopened Nov. 4 after a follow-up inspection found one basic violation.
Grace of God Restaurant
360 S. State Road 7, Margate
Ordered shut: Nov. 4
Why: Nine violations (two high-priority), including:
About 11 roaches at kitchen entrance crawling “on employee medicine and personal cups on employee section of dry storage rack” and “inside of non-working, black, two-door, reach-in cooler,” as well as “on bag of rice at dry storage area in kitchen.”
About four dead roaches in kitchen “next to small chest freezer” and “under three-compartment sink.”
“Brownish water with a pungent smell backing up through floor drain when faucet is open at hand-washing sink.”
Status: Closed Nov. 5 after a reinspection found three violations (one high-priority). Reopened Nov. 6 after a third visit found one basic violation.
Don Rodone Ceviche & More
3383 Sheridan St., Hollywood
Ordered shut: Nov. 5
Why: Five violations (two high-priority), including:
About eight live roaches “inside of oven on cook line in kitchen,” as well as “inside of drip pan area” and “on ground under right-side cook line flip-top.”
Four dead roaches in kitchen “inside of oven on cook line,” “on ground under left-side flip-top on cook line” and on ground under and inside “right-side cook line flip-top.”
Time/temperature issue involved cut tomatoes.
Status: Reopened Nov. 6 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Golden Wok
1428 W. Lantana Road, Lantana
Ordered shut: Nov. 3
Why: 11 violations (four high-priority), including:
More than 61 rodent droppings “on the floor under shelf across cook line” and in dry storage area “on cover of flour container,” “on food containers ” and “under shelf.”
Time/temperature issues involved spring rolls, rice, sprouts, noodles and wontons, as well as “cooked beef, cooked shrimp and cooked chicken” (not date-marked in walk-in cooler).”
“Cook entering kitchen from back door, began working with food, preparing food in the wok, without first washing hands.”
Screened-in door “torn/in poor repair — vermin present.”
Status: Reopened Nov. 4 after a second inspection found one basic violation.
Sticky Rice Thai & Sushi
5885 Lake Worth Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: Nov. 3
Why: 10 violations (five high-priority), including:
About 11 rodent droppings “in kitchen on shelf with clean dishes” and “on floor behind white chest freezer.”
Three dead roaches “in kitchen on wall behind hand sink” and “under shelf on expo line.”
Stop sale ordered for “commercially processed, reduced-oxygen packaged fish (hamachi) bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use [that was] no longer frozen and not removed from reduced-oxygen package” and for tempura shrimp, cut lettuce, cut tomato, sushi rice, pooled raw shell eggs and bean sprouts for not being discarded after four-hour time limit.
“Opened cream cheese, rehydrated rice noodles and bean sprouts [with] no date marking.”
“Employee entered kitchen from dining area then handled clean equipment and utensils used to store/prepare food without washing hands.”
“Raw bacon stored above teriyaki sauce in walk-in cooler.”
Status: Reopened Nov. 4 after a second visit found no violations.
Masala Mantra Indian Cuisine
11051 Southern Blvd., Suite 210, Royal Palm Beach
Ordered shut: Nov. 3
Why: Five violations (four high-priority), including:
About 32 roaches crawling “on bags of food and clean containers” at dry storage shelf in kitchen/cook line area, “on cleaned dishes, silverware and prep counters” at cook line area under storage counter and reach-in coolers, “at server station … in storage cabinets crawling on napkins and single-serve cups and bags,” and “at dry storage closet … on floor.”
About 47 dead roaches in areas such as “on bags of food, clean containers and floor” at dry storage shelf in kitchen/cook line area, “at dish washing area … on floor,” “at cook line area under freezer” and “at server station … in storage cabinets on napkins and single-serve cups and bags.”
Stop sale ordered for cooked lentils and cooked lamb not used within seven days.
“At cook line, employee touched face [then] proceeded to prepare food for order.”
“Raw shell eggs stored over cooked cauliflower.”
Status: Closed Nov. 4 after a reinspection found one high-priority violation; Nov. 5 after a third visit found one high-priority violation; and Nov. 6 after another follow-up inspection found one high-priority violation. Reopened Nov. 7 after a fifth visit found no violations.
