Eight of 10 South Florida restaurants temporarily closed by the state last week had issues with live or dead roaches — sometimes both. Meanwhile, the two others had dozens of rodent droppings.
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
Rens Sushi Japanese and Thai Cuisine
801 S. University Drive, Suite C112, Plantation
Ordered shut: Aug. 14
Why: 12 violations (three high-priority), including:
Three roaches “in the dishwashing area crawling on clean dishes” and “under the sushi area crawling on the floor.”
35 dead roaches “in the triple sink,” “under the prep sink,” “in the dry storage area,” “in a box of single-use cups,” “in the back storage area,” “in the expo area,” “in the sushi area” and “near the ice machine.”
About 12 flies “at the dishwashing area landing on clean and dirty dishes.”
“Unlabeled spray bottle with chemicals at the sushi station.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 15 after a next-day visit found no violations.
Palm Beach County
Le Berger Haitian Restaurant
1216 S. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 12
Why: Seven violations (five high-priority), including:
About 70 rodent droppings “on floor space right of kitchen reach-in cooler,” “on floor underneath and behind kitchen prep table” and “on floor of cleaning storage closet.”
Stop sale ordered for cooked chicken, cooked turkey and cooked pasta “due to temperature abuse.”
“Nonfood-grade plastic thank-you bags used to store raw meat in kitchen glass-door reach-in cooler.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 13 after a reinspection found three violations (one high-priority).
The Standard Cuisine & Cocktails
187 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton
Ordered shut: Aug. 12
Why: 12 violations (one high-priority), including:
15 roaches “on women’s bathroom floor around toilet,” “crawling on gray benches in dining room,” “crawling on prep table in kitchen,” “on floor in warewash area in kitchen,” “inside unused reach-in chest freezer in kitchen,” “under pizza oven at cookline in kitchen” and “crawling on wall behind flat-screen TV in dining area.”
About 20 dead roaches “on dining room floor, next to benches, outside bathroom, and at exit doors” and “in standing water under oven at cookline in kitchen.”
“Carbon dioxide not adequately secured at bar and in kitchen.”
“Standing water in bottom of three-door and two-door reach-in-cooler opposite cookline in kitchen.”
Status: Closed Aug. 13 after a second visit found two violations (one high-priority). Reopened Aug. 14 after a third inspection found no violations.
Dada
52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 12
Why: Four violations (two high-priority), including:
About 42 rodent droppings “underneath dishmachine at dishwashing room,” “underneath bottle well at bar,” “between wall and reach-in cooler at kitchen” and “underneath reach-in coolers at upstairs.”
Stop sale ordered for “cooked pork belly [datemarked] 7/29/26 in reach-in cooler.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 13 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
Plato Loco
1414 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 10
Why: Five violations (two high-priority), including:
Three live roaches “on leg of kitchen prep sink,” “on floor space in front of white reach-in freezer” and “on wall underneath kitchen handwashing sink.”
Eight dead roaches “on floor in front of reach-in freezer by back door,” “on floor near kitchen handsink” and “on floor underneath triple sink.”
“Roach excrement and/or droppings present inside of unused ice machine in kitchen area.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 11 after a next-day visit found no violations.
The Burger Shack
617 N. Highway A1A, Jupiter
Ordered shut: Aug. 10
Why: Nine violations (six high-priority), including:
About six roaches “crawling on wall in between deep fryers and mop sink.”
About seven dead roaches “on floor around dish washer machine” and “on floor next to deep fryers at cook line.”
“Employee handled container of raw chicken and, without washing hands, employee handled clean and sanitized plates to prepare customer food.”
“Non-commercially packaged bags of raw chicken stored above french fries” in walk-in freezer.
Stop sale ordered for cooked wings “due to temperature abuse.”
“Unlabeled spray bottle containing bleach” at bar.
Status: Reopened Aug. 11 after a reinspection found no violations.
Thai Lotus Restaurant
201 N. U.S. Highway 1, Suite C4, Jupiter
Ordered shut: Aug. 13
Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including:
About four roaches crawling “on sushi bar display cooler” and “on wall at sushi bar.”
About 46 dead roaches “on glue trap behind door at sushi bar,” “on floor by back door,” “around mop sink,” “under dishing station” and “in employee bathroom on floor.”
“Operator using [household] pest spray to kill roaches in kitchen.”
“In walk-in freezer, thank-you bags used in direct contact to wontons.”
“In walk-in freezer, raw chicken skewers stored above raw beef, neither product commercially packaged.”
Status: Reopened Aug. 14 after a next-day visit found one basic violation.
Kanto Asian Street Food
720 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach
Ordered shut: Aug. 11
Why: 18 violations (nine high-priority), including:
About nine live roaches “on shelf in dry storage area used to store clean plates,” “on floor underneath dry storage rack,” “on wall next to sugar in dry storage area,” “on floor surrounding soiled tea bag packet” and “on bathroom floor.”
About four dead roaches “on floor underneath dry storage area cooler” and “on quaternary dispenser above triple sink.”
“Roach excrement and/or droppings present on top of quaternary dispenser above triple sink.”
Two flies buzzing “around and landing on kitchen garbage can.”
“Raw pork stored above ready-to-eat noodles and cooked pork in kitchen reach-in cooler.”
“Observed employee drop off soiled cups at triple sink and then immediately handle a plate of ready-to-eat customer food without first washing hands.”
Stop sale ordered for tapioca boba pearls “due to temperature abuse.”
Time/temperature issues also involved cooked rice and cooked pork.
Status: Reopened Aug. 12 after a follow-up inspection found no violations.
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Yến’s Kitchen
7364 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth
Ordered shut: Aug. 10
Why: Eight violations (five high-priority), including:
About 11 roaches “crawling on electrical cables and wire metal shelves used to store cooked rice noodles next to reach-in cooler” at cook line.
“In reach-in freezer, non-commercially packaged raw beef stored directly above non-commercially packaged cooked pork.”
“In reach-in freezer, non-commercially packaged raw chicken stored directly above non-commercially packaged raw beef.”
Time/temperature issue involved cooked vegetable-filled bread.
“In multiple areas of kitchen, standing water on floor.”
Status: Closed Aug. 11 after a second inspection found one high-priority violation. Reopened later that same day after a third visit found no violations.
BurgerFi
2466 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens
Ordered shut: Aug. 14
Why: Five violations (four high-priority), including:
About eight roaches “crawling on wall above sealed boxes of single-service items” in kitchen and “on wall and piping under dishwashing machine.”
About three flies “landing on ice cream machine lid” at front counter and “on sealed boxes of single-service items.”
“Employee wiped nose with hand and after, without washing hands, employee handled containers of raw hamburger meat and sliced cheese.”
Time/temperature issue involved cooked onions.
Status: Remained closed after a reinspection later that same day found one high-priority violation. Reopened Aug. 15 after a third visit found no violations.
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