Two restaurants in Broward County and one in Palm Beach County faced emergency closure orders last week because of violations including 66 live flies, roach excrement on shelves and temperature-abused filet mignon.
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 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.)
Broward County
La Union Restaurant of Florida
998 S. State Road 7, Margate
Ordered shut: Oct. 5
Why: 44 violations (12 high-priority), including:
• About seven roaches “crawling on wall and shelves around [three-compartment] sink.”
• About eight dead roaches “in bucket inside hand washing sink,” “on floor around hot water heater,” and “on side of [reach-in] cooler at dish washing area.”
• Buildup of “roach excrement along shelves and wall” in dishwashing area.
• About 66 flies seen landing in spots such as “on dirty and clean dishes at dish washing area,” “on walls in dining room” and “on walls in women’s restroom.”
• Stop sale ordered for pork tamales, coleslaw, sliced ham, milk, cheese, pasteurized eggs and cooked beans “due to temperature abuse.”
• “Raw shell eggs stored above cooked plantains.”
• Foaming chemical cleaner stored “on top of ice machine.”
• “Employee cracked raw shell eggs and after, without washing hands, employee handled plate and utensils.”
• “Employee pulled up pants and after, without washing hands, resumed cooking eggs.”
• “In-use utensil stored in unclean water.”
Status: Reopened Oct. 6 after a second visit found 13 intermediate and basic violations; a follow-up inspection was required.
China One
15711 Sheridan St., Davie
Ordered shut: Oct. 7
Why: 15 violations (six high-priority), including:
• About 19 roaches “crawling underneath cook line” and “crawling on table by can opener holder,” as well as “on the floor underneath cart on cook line,” “on the floor [of] front line expo station” and “on pipe underneath [three-compartment] sink.”
• Stop sale ordered for pan egg rolls and tempura chicken “due to temperature abuse.”
• “Observed in walk-in cooler, a pan of raw chicken stored on top of a bucket of fresh garlic and oil.”
• Throughout kitchen, walls “soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust.”
Status: Closed Oct. 8 after a next-day inspection found five violations (1 high-priority). Reopened Oct. 9 after another reinspection found four intermediate and basic violations; a follow-up inspection was required.
Palm Beach County
Buccaneer Waterfront Bar and Grill
142 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores
Ordered shut: Oct. 7
Why: Nine violations (four high-priority), including:
• About 33 flies “landing on clean, sanitized bowls at dishwasher area” and “in the dining room landing on the dining table and cooler at pizza station.”
• Stop sale ordered for mahi mahi, salmon, halibut, branzino, burgers, filet mignon, raw chicken, crab cakes, cut lettuce and empanadas “due to temperature abuse.”
• Employee “preparing foods touched face and hat and continued to work with foods without washing hands.”
Status: Reopened Oct. 8 after a follow-up inspection found one intermediate violation.