A dead rodent in a mop closet, flies seen landing on a bag of unpeeled onions and roaches spotted on clean dishes were among the violations that led the state to temporarily shut four Palm Beach County restaurants last week. No Broward County restaurants were forced to close because of violations.
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
China Kitchen
6484 Lake Worth Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: March 11
Why: Five high-priority violations, including:
• About 58 live flies landing on kitchen door, “on bag of unpeeled onions next to mop sink by shelf with [canned] goods,” “under three-compartment sink,” “on water heater by back door” and “on sealed containers with sauces on dry good shelves.”
• Raw chicken stored over french fries in reach-in freezer.
• Raw chicken stored over sauces in walk-in cooler.
• Time/temperature issue involved fried rice.
• “Employee was washing floors then started to [handle] containers with food without washing hands first.”
Status: Reopened March 12 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Le Berger Restaurant
1216 S. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: March 10
Why: Nine violations (three high-priority), including:
• One dead rodent “on floor in mop storage closet in back hallway.”
• About 20 rodent droppings “on floor underneath Atosa reach-in freezer in kitchen.”
• About six live roaches in kitchen “entering and exiting crack in wall/floor right of prep line flip-top” and “on floor underneath Atosa reach-in freezer.”
• Time/temperature issues involved rice and cut cabbage.
Status: Reopened March 11 after a next-day visit found three intermediate and basic violations. A follow-up inspection was required.
Sabor Latino Restaurant
2202 Jog Road, Greenacres
Ordered shut: March 10
Why: Seven violations (five high-priority), including:
• About 15 live roaches “in kitchen crawling on wall behind triple sink and on clean dishes on shelf over triple sink.”
• “Employee touched hair while repositioning behind ear and then handled clean equipment, clean utensils and prepared beverages for customers without washing hands.”
• “Portioned bags of raw pork stored over cooked potato fries” in walk-in freezer.
• Time/temperature issue involved cooked rice.
Status: Closed March 11 after a reinspection found two violations (one high-priority). Reopened later that same day after a third visit found one intermediate violation.
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill
11300 Legacy Ave., No. 120, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: March 9
Why: Six violations (four high-priority), including:
• About 13 live roaches at front counter “on glue trap on top of glass-door, reach-in cooler” and “crawling out of cove molding under hand washing sink.”
• About six dead roaches at front counter “on glue trap on top of glass-door, reach-in cooler,” “on top of soda dispenser unit” and “on floor by floor drain under soda machine,” and “on floor under hand washing sink.”
• Time/temperature issues involved cut lettuce and “plastic-wrapped stacked pans of diced tomatoes.”
Status: Reopened March 10 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.