{"id":244537,"date":"2026-04-24T10:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/244537\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:18:06","slug":"flies-and-roaches-get-miami-metro-restaurants-briefly-closed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/244537\/","title":{"rendered":"Flies and roaches get Miami metro restaurants briefly closed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A baker\u2019s dozen of restaurants from Florida City to Greenacres couldn\u2019t get rid of vermin, couldn\u2019t follow handwashing rules and couldn\u2019t get clean enough to avoid getting shut down.<\/p>\n<p>These 13 restaurants Sick and Shut Down List that failed state inspection are in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida Department of Business &amp; Professional Regulation does the inspections, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www2.myfloridalicense.com\/file-a-complaint\/\">sometimes directed by complaints from customers.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Restaurants that fail inspection are closed until they pass re-inspection or the callback inspection. The first of those usually occurs the following day.<\/p>\n<p>In alphabetical order:<\/p>\n<p>Angry Moon Cafe, 2401 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, three total violations, two High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>Welcome back, Angry Moon, which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/miami-com\/restaurants\/article314760732.html\">made a Sick and Shut Down List appearance<\/a> in February on roach and handwashing violations.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, staff learned to wash their hands, but the roaches returned to ruin another inspector\u2019s visit. Of the 16 roach corpses, the most visible was \u2014 or should have been \u2014 the one \u201con top of a reach-in cooler at the front counter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three were under an oven. Six were around a kitchen reach-in freezer. Two were under a front counter reach-in cooler.<\/p>\n<p>The living roaches were hiding under a front counter coffee machine (one) and \u201ccrawling on a wall under the pastry case at the front counter\u201d (two).<\/p>\n<p>Brass Monkey Sports Bar &amp; Grill, 7781 Lake Worth Rd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County<\/p>\n<p>Complaint inspection, 12 total violations, five High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>A hole in the wall restaurant in that \u201cmultiple areas in the kitchen had holes in the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Eight roaches died under a cookline cooler. One dead roach was on the floor inside the walk-in cooler. One expired \u201cin between the reach-in freezer and the wall at the end of the cookline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The inspector saw \u201capproximately five live roaches crawling out of the wall joint and door to walk in cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cwalls along the cookline are soiled with a build up of grease and food residues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Somebody walked into the kitchen from outside and \u201cwithout washing hands, the employee handled various food products in the reach-in cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A pair of live roaches on the floor at the bar next to the reach-in cooler\u201d caused a callback inspection fail.<\/p>\n<p>Inspection No. 3 got the Brass Monkey swinging again.<\/p>\n<p>Brick Alley Tavern, 7366 Lake Worth Rd., Unincorporated Palm Beach County<\/p>\n<p>Complaint inspection, five total violations, four High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>Live roaches were all over the place.   One  was on the floor under a storage table on the back side of the cook line. Another  was on a corner of wall behind the flip-top cooler.  Twenty-five live roaches partied on a soiled cloth behind the reach-in cooler  across from the stove.  Another 10 gathered  on plastic trash and one was on an unused steam table.<\/p>\n<p>Stop Sales were issued for  food temperature abuse, more than 41 degrees, in the walk-in cooler.  Goodbye, cooked pasta, cooked mushrooms, sliced cheese, ground beef.<\/p>\n<p>Cheffrey Eats, 1141 S. Rogers Cir., Boca Raton<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 11 total violations, five High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>Cheffrey Eats but Cheffrey doesn\u2019t wash without hot or cold running water at the handwash sink or the three-compartment sink.<\/p>\n<p>A Stop Sale got slapped on a cheesecake \u201cdelivered from someone without any approved source.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More Stop Sales cascaded on food in a reach-in cooler since at least the previous day. What should have been at or under 41 degrees ranged from 47 to 49 degrees, meaning a trip to the garbage for commercially packaged, sliced cheese; fresh mozzarella cheese; burrata cheese; blue cheese sauce; green salsa; and another cheesecake.<\/p>\n<p>China Star, 4064 Forest Hill Blvd., Palm Springs<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 13 total violations, four High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>No soap or paper towels at a handwash sink is a problem anywhere. It seems an especially germy problem in a restaurant\u2019s employee restroom.<\/p>\n<p>The handwash sink by the three-compartment sink had a higher dead roach count (one) than hand-drying paper towel count (zero).<\/p>\n<p>Under the three-compartment sink, 15 roaches were living it up. Three left the group, two going to a box by the three-compartment sink and one on a wall by the triple sink.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClean pans are stored on a rack that has oil residue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There were \u201cfood debris and trash under the cookline and steam well shelves.\u201d The hood filters had an \u201cexcessive accumulation of grease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Things didn\u2019t get better at the re-inspection. More dead roaches, as in three on the floor under a sink. Four roaches scaled the wall next to the three-compartment sink. But about 40 live roaches were \u201ccoming out of a gap in the wall and from under tiles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The third inspection got China Star twinkling again.<\/p>\n<p>Don Camar\u00f3n Seafood Grill, 501 NW 37th Ave., Miami<\/p>\n<p>Complaint inspection, 33 total violations, nine High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>We told you earlier this week about old food, bad odors and dirty food containers at this popular Miami seafood restaurant.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/miami-com\/restaurants\/article315472372.html\">READ MORE: Ancient tres leches among a popular Miami restaurant\u2019s 33 problems<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                                          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777025886_254_Don Camar\u00f3n Seafood Grill.jpeg\"   width=\"1140\" height=\"641\" title=\"Don Camar\u00f3n Seafood Grill\" alt=\"Miami\u2019s Don Camar\u00f3n Seafood Grill, 501 NW 37th Ave.\"\/>                                                                                    Miami\u2019s Don Camar\u00f3n Seafood Grill, 501 NW 37th Ave.                                                                                            DAVID J. NEAL                                                                            dneal@miamiherald.com                                                                                        El Toro Loco Ranch, food truck, South Miami-Dade<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 10 total violations, six High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>The service window and back door were open during the inspection.<\/p>\n<p>And the flies took the invitation. Four landed on an open pack of bread near a service window (Stop Sale on the bread). Four landed on a \u201cclean metal container used for pepper.\u201d Two came down on \u201cclean cooking pans above the handwash sink.\u201d Another duo \u201clanded on a clean plastic container and cutting board above the triple sink.\u201d Four alighted on a paper towel dispenser. Five landed on a single service container.<\/p>\n<p>Flan wasn\u2019t covered in the reach-in cooler.<\/p>\n<p>The handwash sink has one job and one job only. Using it as storage for buckets and other equipment is a no-no. So is not bringing paper towels or a blower to the handwash sink party.<\/p>\n<p>The cooked ground beef in the reach-in cooler measured 50 degrees. It needed to be at or under 41 degrees. Stop Sale.<\/p>\n<p>Four flies kept the food truck down for another day. The re-re-inpsection was passed.<\/p>\n<p>Inka\u2019s Grill, inside the Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace, 250 E. Palm Dr., Florida City<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 21 total violations, seven High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>The inspector saw \u201cdead insect debris inside a sugar bin stored at white food storage shelf under microwaves in the back preparation area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dead roaches on premises. More than eight roach bodies dotted the prep area floor. More than six roaches died inside reach-in coolers near the prep area. Another eight were behind front counter cookline cooking equipment.<\/p>\n<p>As for the living, four roaches (at least) were on the food storage shelves with the above sugar bin. Two roaches crawled on a rice bin. One roach chilled inside a kitchen reach-in freezer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObserved an employee began plating food to serve to customers without handwashing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The front counter handwash sink was \u201csoiled with grease and food debris\u201d and had no soap.<\/p>\n<p>The kitchen handwash sink was used for metal pan storage.<\/p>\n<p>There was no way to dry hands at the handwash sink near the three-compartment sink.<\/p>\n<p>Cooked beef in a reach-in cooler sat uncovered.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday\u2019s callback inspection didn\u2019t get Inka back in business. Still no soap for you at the front counter handwash sink, but there were two live roaches at the cookline and five dead roaches under the kitchen area handwash sink.<\/p>\n<p>Ironside Pizza, 7580 NE Fourth Ct., Miami<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 15 total violations, eight High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>Inspections <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"Follow nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myfloridalicense.com\/inspectionDates.asp?SID=&amp;id=5909205\">can be found on the Department of Business &amp; Professional Regulation site<\/a> under \u201cPittzza at Ironside\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Live, small flying insects found. Over 50 flies clogged the kitchen area air above the three-compartment sink and 20 flies zipped about under the sink. The kitchen area of pizza prep had 10 flies. Four live flies flew about the prep area.<\/p>\n<p>The inspector saw \u201cno drainboards or equivalent provided for soiled items and\/or air drying cleaned items.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Someone got off their phone, then begin to cut pizza dough with their bare hands that should have been washed between phone and pizza.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccumulation of debris on the exterior of the warewashing machine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The reach-in cooler acting as a salad cooler could no longer maintain temperature. The walk-in cooler couldn\u2019t brag as all these foods stored inside for more than four hours got hit with Stop Sales for being too warm: ricotta, pasta sauce, raw beef,  mascarpone, ham and butter.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly\u2019s Cajun Grill in the Pembroke Lakes Mall, 11401 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines<\/p>\n<p>Complaint inspection, five total violations, two High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>When the inspector saw two roaches on top of prep table in the rear food preparation area, \u201can employee killed roaches and sanitized table.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The cooked beans in the walk-in cooler weren\u2019t covered.<\/p>\n<p>An \u201cemployee touched raw beef then continued to prepare cooked chicken without washing hands and changing gloves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The wet wiping cloth wasn\u2019t being kept in sanitizing solution between uses.<\/p>\n<p>Mayajigua Restaurant Corp., 3828 W. 16 Ave., Hialeah<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 20 total violations, five High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClean utensils were stored between equipment and a wall.\u201d As in two metal utensils shoved between the three-compartment sink and the kitchen wall.<\/p>\n<p>Four roaches crawled on the floor next to the reach-in cooler at the front counter. The roach behind a wooden paper towel installation above the kitchen area handwash sink got killed. Two roaches scooted on the floor next to the reach-in cooler at the front counter. Another roach crawled under kitchen dry storage shelves.<\/p>\n<p>Containers of raw pork weren\u2019t covered on a walk-in cooler shelf.<\/p>\n<p>A can of tomato paste was dented enough for a Stop Sale.<\/p>\n<p>The inside of the microwave was \u201csoiled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seasons 401, 401 Northwood Rd., West Palm Beach<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, five total violations, four High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>An \u201cemployee entered the kitchen, put on gloves and began preparing\/packaging food for customers without washing hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The cookline handwash sink didn\u2019t have any way to  dry properly washed hands.<\/p>\n<p>In the kitchen, \u201cfive live roaches were crawling on and behind clean utensils and a storage rack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Two flies flew around the dishwashing area in the kitchen while another three darted around the cookline.<\/p>\n<p>Sushi Cafe &amp; Shilla Korean BBQ, 7917 NW Second St., West Miami-Dade<\/p>\n<p>Routine inspection, 31 total violations, 12 High Priority violations<\/p>\n<p>We get to the last restaurant alphabetically before we get that staple violation: \u201cAccumulation of black\/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine\/bin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The inspector spotted a \u201cgap at the bottom of the back screen door.\u201d That gap might\u2019ve been the promenade through which entered the dumpers of 35 rodent droppings along the wall, underneath the sushi counter as well as all around the sushi bar area reach-in coolers.<\/p>\n<p>Also under that sushi bar counter, eight roaches died. One live roach disappeared under a reach-in cooler.<\/p>\n<p>The dishwasher had no sanitizer.<\/p>\n<p>The wall in the sushi bar was \u201cheavily soiled with grease\u201d underneath the counter and the handwash sink.<\/p>\n<p>The kitchen wall was thick with dust next to the hood.<\/p>\n<p>The floor was \u201cheavily soiled with old food debris inside of tile grouts and underneath the cookline\/fryer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What was described as soiled? The inside of the oven and the microwave at the sushi bar.  And the interior of all the reach-in coolers and a deli slicer blade were \u201cheavily soiled with old food debris.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReuse of single-service or single-use articles.\u201d &#8230; \u201cSoy sauce buckets were being reused to store kimchi inside the walk-in cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was a \u201cvery slow drain\u201d in the sushi bar handwash sink.<\/p>\n<p>An \u201cemployee changed a pair of gloves, then began to handle clean equipment and food without washing hands in between.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.<\/p>\n<p>Another \u201cemployee washed hands with no soap\u201d with gloved hands. Then, the worker went back to preparing food.<\/p>\n<p>Observed two employees rinse hands while wearing gloves at hand sink in both sushi and kitchen areas.<\/p>\n<p>                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/profile\/218644265\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777025886_805_695 Miami Herald sig 072115 Cropped.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" alt=\"Profile Image of David J. Neal\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n                    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>                <a class=\"author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/profile\/218644265\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David J. Neal<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    Miami Herald<\/p>\n<p>            Since 1989, David J. Neal\u2019s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.\n            <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A baker\u2019s dozen of restaurants from Florida City to Greenacres couldn\u2019t get rid of vermin, couldn\u2019t follow handwashing&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-244537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}