17 Polk food vendors have perfect inspections. None are closed and 1 is warned for flies

Andy Kuppers, Lakeland Ledger
·5 min read

Seventeen Polk County food vendors received perfect initial inspections with zero violations and no restaurants were ordered closed by inspectors from Aug. 21 to Sept. 3, according to state inspection reports.

And for the first time in recent memory, no restaurants received warnings or administrative complaints for roaches or rodents during a two-week period.

In all, 21 Polk restaurants received warnings or administrative complaints that required a follow-up inspection, but only one of those was for insect activity – in this case, flies.

BD’s Mongolian Grill, 1474 Town Center Drive in Lakeland, had previously received an administrative complaint on Aug. 18 after an inspector noted 31 live flies at various spots in the restaurant. It was the only high-priority violation among eight total violations. During a follow-up inspection on Aug. 21, the restaurant received seven violations, including one high-priority. The inspector noted seven live flies. The violations resulted in another administrative complaint, and another follow-up was required. The next day, restaurant passed inspection with six basic violations, none involving flies.

>> INTERACTIVE: Explore all restaurant inspections in Polk County.

Basic violations are those that are considered against best practices and don’t necessarily result in warnings or follow-up inspections. For instance, in the case above, they involved missing or broken cove molding where floors meet walls, a cracked reach-in cooler, an exterior door with a gap at the threshold, exposed and cracked concrete floors in the kitchen, a cutting board with cut marks that was deemed uncleanable, and rice bin lids that were cracked. Another basic violation was for not having a Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted.

Not all insect-related violations result in warnings that require a follow-up. For instance, the Red Lobster on Cypress Gardens Boulevard received a violation for two live flies near a sink in the bar area on Aug. 21. The restaurant passed inspection with four total violations.

Violations come for a multitude of reasons, from unsanitary conditions, food stored at the wrong temperature, faulty equipment or a failure to provide proof of required state training or licenses. Many are for things we might not worry about in our households.

For instance, Kuties Cupcakery at 219 E Main St., Suite B, in Dundee, received a single violation on Aug. 31. It was for a handwash sink that was used for something other than handwashing — in this case a blue cutting board was sitting on the sink. Taqueria San Jose, a mobile food truck at 1003 Rifle Range Road in Winter Haven, was gigged for having a pesticide container on the premises that was labeled "for household use only," its only violation. Those violations were the only thing keeping those restaurants from the "perfect inspections" list.

According to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, an inspection report is “a snapshot of conditions present at the time of the inspection.” It is not necessarily an indication of a restaurant’s normal condition.

Aug. 7-20: Polk County restaurant ordered to close for 5th time this year because of rodent droppings

Perfect initial inspections

The following Polk County restaurants, mobile food carts or vending machine operators passed their initial inspections with zero violations. The list does not include restaurants that were warned previously and passed a required follow-up inspection with zero violations:

  • Taqueria La Raza, mobile food vendor, 600 N. Wabash Ave., Lakeland

  • Taqueria La Raza, mobile food vendor, 2715 Providence Road, Lot 23, Lakeland

  • Dessert House, mobile food vendor, 3979 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland

  • Clarion Pointe Lakeland, 4321 Lakeland Park Drive, Lakeland

  • The Far Corner Kitchen, 943 E. Memorial Blvd., Lakeland

  • Taquitos Rey, 19509 U.S. 27, Lake Wales

  • La Granja Chicken Steak and Seafood, 3919 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland

  • Impact Café, 1201 Burns Ave., Lake Wales

  • El Huarache Norteno LLC, mobile food vendor, 932 S. Wabash Ave., Lakeland

  • Awilda Food Stop, mobile food vendor, 4412 Mahogany Run, Winter Haven

  • Lakeland Ice Arena, vending machine, 3395 W. Memorial Blvd., Lakeland

  • Heifers Be Trippin, mobile food vendor, 5282 William Clark Road, Lakeland

  • Pio Pio Fried Chicken Express LLC, mobile food vendor, 24200 Us 27, Lake Wales

  • Love Pho & Boba LLC, 223 N. 5 St., Eagle Lake

  • (The) Wine Library Bartow, 165 S Central Ave., Bartow

  • Hy Tech Cuisine, mobile food vendor, 7400 State Road 60 E., Bartow

  • Wakame Sushi, 875 State Road 559, Auburndale

July 24 to Aug. 6 14 Polk restaurants log perfect inspections. Five warned for insect or rodent activity

Keep in mind as you read

Remember that in some cases, violations are noted are technical issues not directly linked to hygiene or cleanliness. Remember, too, that broken refrigerators, chipped tiles or fast work may add up to unintended mistakes.

Regardless, if you notice abuses of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 1-850-487-1395.

The terminology

What does all that terminology in state restaurant inspections mean?

A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report.

An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: “Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over.”

An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health, safety or welfare of the public.

A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license and the establishment may reopen only after inspection shows that all high-priority violations that caused the suspension are corrected.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 1 Polk restaurant warned for flies. 17 are perfect and none closed