2 St. Lucie County restaurants get perfect scores; 7 fail inspection

Staff reports
Updated ·6 min read

You can use the database to search by county or by restaurant name.

Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them. So every week, we provide that information for you.

For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring warnings or administrative action, visit our St. Lucie County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in St. Lucie County, Florida, for the week of Dec. 4-10, 2023. Please note that some more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here.

Indian River County: 2 restaurants get perfect scores; 3 fail inspection

Martin County: 5 restaurants fail inspection

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Disclaimer: The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation describes an inspection report as a 'snapshot' of conditions present at the time of the inspection. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment.

For full restaurant inspection details, visit our St. Lucie County restaurant inspection site.

Which St. Lucie County restaurants got perfect scores on their health inspections?

These restaurants met all standards during their Dec. 4-10 inspections and no violations were found.

** Restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week

Which St. Lucie County restaurants had high priority violations?

Alabon Haitian Restaurant

1409 Delaware Ave, Fort Pierce

Routine Inspection on Dec. 6

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

8 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. One live roach on floor by trash can at front service counter. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Reach in cooler on cooks make station, sliced tomatoes 47F. Informed manager, request rapid chill.

Peking Chinese Restaurant

1010 S US Hwy 1, Fort Pierce

Complaint Inspection on Dec. 4

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

23 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw ribs and chicken over bulk sauced **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. chicken 52f cold holding , requested rapid chill to manager. **Corrective Action Taken**

Ramen Hana & Wings

6935 Heritage Dr, Port St Lucie

Routine Inspection on Dec. 6

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

5 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Employee moved **Corrected On-Site**

St Lucie Draft House

6630 S Federal Highway, Pt St Lucie

Routine Inspection on Dec. 4

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

9 total violations, with 5 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw shell eggs over whipped margarine in walk in cooler **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Sweet potatoes found at 109f cooked more than 4 hours Manager disposed **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Batter made with milk 60f cold holding , advised to rapid chill sliced cheese 56f cold holding , 2nd temperature 40f corrected potato 46f cold holding , marinara 45f cold holding , coleslaw 44f cold holding , French onion 46f cold holding , potato soup 56f cooling, French onion 56f cold holding , ad vises to rapid chill cooler was going through defrost and items were placed in hot and cooling. Advised to cool in a water bath and change defrost cycle. Walk in cooler is at temperature. Advised to keep temperature log. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet potatoes 108f hot holding , made at 11am manager put in garbage **Warning**

  • High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. On bar shelf with drinks **Corrected On-Site**

Taqueria El Rey

3427 SW Darwin Blvd, Port St Lucie

Routine Inspection on Dec. 8

Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.

13 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Cook took tortillas off flat top with barehand. SEE STOP SALE

  • High Priority - Food contaminated by employees/consumers and operator continued to serve food. See stop sale. Cook took tortillas off flat top with barehand.

  • High Priority - Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. In reach in cooler on cook line. Raw chicken stored over raw beef. In walk in cooler raw beef stored over cooked beef. Operator moved **Corrected On-Site**

What agency inspects restaurants in Florida?

Routine regulation and inspection of restaurants is conducted by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The Department of Health is responsible for investigation and control of food-borne illness outbreaks associated with all food establishments.

How do I report a dirty restaurant in Florida?

If you see abuses of state standards, report them and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation will send inspectors. Call the Florida DBPR at 850-487-1395 or report a restaurant for health violations online.

Get the whole story at our restaurant inspection database.

What does all that terminology in Florida restaurant inspections mean?

Basic violations are those considered against best practices.

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.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Port Saint Lucie area restaurant and food truck inspections Dec. 4-10: Restaurant inspection: 2 St. Lucie are perfect; 7 fail