Must be getting nippy because the rodents seem to be moving inside, judging from the violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants.
What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, don’t email us. Go to the DBPR website and file a complaint. Restaurants that fail inspection are closed until they pass re-inspection.
We don’t control who gets inspected or how strictly. We don’t tell you about every violation, just the most living, eye-catching or unique. We report without passion or prejudice, but with a side dish of humor.
In alphabetical order:
Firegrills, 4400 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek: One dead roach by the walk-in cooler, one bag of beans stored on the floor…and 52 flies in the air.
Among them, “Approximately 14 small flying insects landing on exterior of juice maker in kitchen. Approximately 10 small flying insects hiding in bowls and cups stored under prep table in prep area in kitchen.”
The inspector came back Wednesday, saw fewer flies, but still enough to keep Firegrills closed. The grills burned again after passing Thursday re-inspection.
Frosty’s Lab Nitrogen Yogurt & Ice Cream, 15348 NW 79th Ct., Miami Lakes: Eight flies hung out on a front line wall.
But, perhaps more bothersome was “No sanitizer of any kind available for warewashing.” Frosty’s got relegated to plastic eating utensils, which really could be worse for a yogurt and ice cream joint.
We don’t see this violation often. “Unpackaged food in an unprotected holding unit in a customer/nonsecure area. Observed unlocked reach-in freezer and reach-in cooler with ice cream, fruit and cake located at the hallway.”
This was Thursday. There’s no online record yet of Frosty’s passing re-inspection.
Inkanto Peruvian Cuisine, 1672 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park: Of the 82 signs of rodent regularity, there were “30 on floor behind bar 10 on soda and cutlery shelf in kitchen -7 on single service shelf on top of unwrapped toilet paper and paper towels.”
Well, at least they used the toilet paper.
“Objectionable odors in the walk-in cooler.” Ew.
No soap provided at handwash sink.
“Server handled soiled dishes or utensils and then picked up plated food, served food, or prepared a beverage without washing hands,” but the inspector also noticed no soap at the handwashing sink, so what’re you going to do?
The wall in the waiters and waitresses station was “soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust.”
“Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation.”
When the inspector returned Tuesday for re-inspection, the wait station walls were still dirty, the walk-in cooler still smelled funky and the rodents still had a sense of where to go boo-boo (“three droppings on top of the toilet paper storage shelf in the kitchen.”).
A re-re-inspection later that day got Inkanto open again.
Peter Pan Diner, 1216 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Oakland Park: The rodents didn’t use the toilet tissue here, but then the human males couldn’t either. “Lack of toilet tissue at each toilet in men’s room.”
No toilet tissue but a dead roach on the floor. Five live ones ran “behind the knife magnetic strip holder above the meat carving table across from the cookline.”
The rodents left “40 droppings in the drink storage room next to the dry storage on the drink shelves.”
“Bar employee used antiseptic in place of hand washing. Advised that hand washing must be done and that antiseptic is not a substitute.”
Then again, the bar handwashing sink lacked soap and any way to dry hands other than shirts or flapping, so what was the bar employee supposed to do?
“Soiled dry wiping cloth in use.”
Peter Pan handled its business and passed re-inspection on Wednesday.
Thai Deli, 2119 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood: Of the 51 rodent droppings the inspector counted, 30 were in a restroom.
“Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside.”
The Thai guys passed Friday’s re-inspection.
Troy’s Barbeque, 1198 N. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton: Flies too numerous and food not safely cooled got Troy’s on this list almost a year ago.
Check out the return of Troy’s, 137 of its flies and its walk-in not-cooler.
“Approximately 60 live flies at the restroom doors in dining room.” Sixty!
“Approximately 40 live flies at the wall and ceiling at the entrance to the bar in the dining room…Approximately 10 live flies at the back wall behind the bar in the dining room…two live flies on the hanging sign over the sandwich station in the dining room.
We’re still not done. “Five live flies at the inside of the front door in the dining room…Approximately 10 live flies on the windows in the dining room. Approximately 10 live flies on the shelves and bottles on the dry storage rack in the kitchen.”
Inside the not-functioning walk-in cooler the conch fritters, sliced cheese, milk; chicken, butter and rice all were too warm. Instead of hitting them all with Stop Sales, the inspector let the restaurant move the food to another walk-in and surround it with ice bags, as if trying to bring down the food’s fever.
“The cooler was serviced less than four hours ago. Cooler was working properly yesterday as reported by the manager. The door was open during scheduled service allowing the ambient temperature to rise to 50 degrees.”
Troy’s passed Friday re-inspection.
Since 1989, David J. Neal’s 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.