State inspectors last week found lots of fly issues at South Florida restaurants, with the critters seen buzzing around kitchens, bars, storage and restroom areas. (One Palm Beach County establishment had almost 100!)
Other violations that temporarily closed seven eateries in Broward and Palm Beach counties included rodent and roach droppings, standing water and improper hand hygiene.
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
Flame’s BBQ & Soul Food
1521 45th St., Mangonia Park
Ordered shut: May 20
Why: Eight violations (six high-priority), including:
• “In kitchen, fly sticker tape hung over multiple food storage and preparation areas.”
• One live roach “on glue trap hanging from oven hood in kitchen prep area.”
• About 38 flies buzzing around in areas such as “at cook line,” “in entry hallway” and “in smoker area of kitchen,” as well as landing “on pan with raw pork,” “on cooked pork sitting on cutting board” (stop sale) and “on single-service items on cook line.”
• “In reach-in cooler, raw shell eggs stored above cooked wings.”
• Time/temperature issues involved curry chicken, cooked pork and cooked beans.
• “Throughout kitchen, walk-in cooler and bbq smoker area covered with puddle of water.”
Status: Closed May 21 after a follow-up inspection found one high-priority violation and May 22 because a third visit found one high-priority violation. Reopened May 23 after a fourth inspection found no violations.
Duffy’s Sports Grill
11588 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach
Ordered shut: May 21
Why: Two high-priority violations, including:
• About 79 live flies at bar “on wall around beer tap dispensers,” “landing on beer taps” and “on wall above liquor bottles by TV,” as well as in cook line area “on wall” and “on walk-in cooler exterior walls” and “in kitchen on shelf for soda syrup dispensing pump.”
• “Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength.”
Status: Reopened May 22 after a next-day inspection found no violations.
El Rinconcito Colombiano
3027 Forest Hill Blvd., Palm Springs
Ordered shut: May 21
Why: 19 violations (11 high-priority), including:
• Three rodent droppings “on wall near walk-in freezer across from cook line” and “on wall at dry storage area leading to cook line.”
• Two live roaches “on sticky trap under food dry storage rack next to cook line.”
• About 30 roach droppings “under dry storage rack next to cook line.”
• About 33 dead roaches in dry storage area “under rack with single-service food items” and “under rack with clean pans,” and “on sticky traps under dry storage rack next to cook line.”
• About three live flies buzzing “around in kitchen” and three dead flies “on walls at area used for ware washing and prep” and “on wall near prep area in kitchen.”
• “Observed employee handle raw beef then began to handle clean handle of walk-in cooler and clean colander with cooked corn” without washing hands.
• “Raw breaded beef in metal pan stored above empanadas with cooked chicken” on rolling rack.
• Stop sale ordered for cooked rice “due to temperature abuse.”
• Other time/temperature issues involved cut lettuce and soup.
Status: Reopened May 22 after a next-day visit found three violations (two high-priority). A follow-up inspection was required.
Hunan City
9101 Lakeridge Blvd., No. 18, Boca Raton
Ordered shut: May 19
Why: 24 violations (five high-priority), including:
• About 10 roaches crawling “in and out of drain” and “on chemicals in storage crate next to hand sink” in kitchen.
• About 13 dead roaches “on storage rack, stuck to the back of refrigerator, and on floor at cookline” and “in light shields” in kitchen.
• Stop sale ordered for shrimp, cooked chicken, cooked vegetables, rice, cooked butter beans, wontons and raw beef “due to temperature abuse.”
• Other time/temperature issue involved frozen chicken seen “thawing on drain board at triple sink in kitchen.”
• “Observed pork bones stored in ‘thank-you’ bags in walk-in freezer.”
• “Interior of microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris in kitchen.”
Status: Reopened May 20 after a reinspection found two basic violations.
Red Phoenix
2401 PGA Blvd., No. 160, Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: May 19
Why: 22 violations (nine high-priority), including:
• About 93 live flies in areas such as “dry storage room landing on shelves,” “on shelf above dry storage entrance,” “on ceiling tiles above preparation table at cook line,” “on open box single-service to-go items,” “on shelf with clean and sanitized dishes,” “on clean and sanitized dishes at dish station,” “on clean glasses at bar,” “on cutting board on flip-top cooler,” “on soda dispenser rack,” on trash can, toilet and wood rack in employee restroom.
• Stop sale ordered for cooked rice “due to temperature abuse.”
• “Employee wiped face and after, without washing hands, employee scooped cooked meat into plastic bags.”
• “Employee handled trash can and, without washing hands, employee handled clean and sanitized dishes.”
• “In walk-in freezer, non-commercially packaged raw beef stored above non-commercially packaged vegetables.”
• “In dry storage, spray bottle of WD-40 lubricant stored above open bags of single-service, to-go containers.”
• “Multiple areas in kitchen with standing water.”
• “At front bar, objectionable odor emitting throughout area.”
Status: Reopened May 20 after a second visit found one basic violation.
Broward County
Luv’n Oven Ale House
10033 Sunset Strip, Sunrise
Ordered shut: May 19
Why: Six violations (two high-priority), including:
• About three live roaches “around pipe under triple sinks in kitchen.”
• Two dead roaches “in container under Continental reach-in cooler in kitchen.”
• “Tray of raw shell eggs stored over package of cilantro and jalapeño peppers in walk-in cooler.”
• “Accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
Status: Reopened May 20 after follow-up inspection found two basic violations.
Steak ‘n Shake
12541 W. Sunrise Blvd., Sunrise
Ordered shut: May 18
Why: Three violations (two high-priority), including:
• About eight rodent droppings “around CO2 tank on left corner of dry storage area next to office away from kitchen.”
Status: Reopened May 19 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.