6 Marion County restaurants get perfect scores on first try; 8 have high-priority violations

Staff reports
·9 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 Marion County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Marion County for the week of Jan. 15-21, 2024. Please note that some more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here.

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 Marion County restaurant inspection site.

Which Marion County restaurants got perfect scores on their health inspections?

These restaurants met all standards during their Jan. 15-21 inspections and no violations were found.

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

Which Marion County restaurants had high priority violations?

Dickeys Barbecue Pit

17961 U.S. 441, Summerfield

Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on Jan. 16

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

20 total violations, with 6 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Male employee rinsed hands at hand sink then walked up to cookline put on gloves and removed food from freezer without washing hands.

  • High Priority - Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee came from office area, rang up customer order on register then put on gloves and began preparing plates of food without washing hands.

  • High Priority - Establishment operating without a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Operator must obtain a public food service license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants within 60 days. Establishment is currently open and selling food to the public. Licensing application received and approved. Establishment began operating prior to licensing inspection. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Black bag containing chicken wings in reach in cooler next to cooking equipment.

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In reach in cooler at front counter: slaw 54F. Potato salad 59F. Cheddar cheese 61F. Shredded cheese 59F. Sour cream packets 64F. Butter packets 65F. Reach in unit was not turned on. Employee flipped switch and items began cooling. Then 20 minutes later slaw 47F. Potato salad 50F. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. In hot holding case at front counter: potatoes 130F. Beef Brisket 119F. Beef 126F. Hot box temperature was increased. **Warning**

J Rocks Pizzeria

2606 SW 19 Ave Road, Ocala

Routine Inspection on Jan. 16

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

13 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over or with ready-to-eat food in a freezer - not all products commercially packaged. Near back door, observed raw shrimp stored above cooked chicken wings portion bags, Manager moved and stored food properly. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. At the front line on double containers, corn 122F, sausage 126-110F, manager moved to microwave to reheated to: sausage 192F, corn 187F. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

La Fiesta Mexican Cocina

4937 & 4941 NW Blitchton Road, Ocala

Routine Inspection on Jan. 18

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

15 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce. Observed box of raw shelled eggs stored above pineapples and cut leafy greens in walk-in-cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Single-use gloves not changed as needed after changing tasks or when damaged or soiled. Observed employee wearing gloves touch their face and then proceed to wash their hands while still wearing gloves. Employee did not remove gloves to wash their hands and put on a clean set of gloves. Discussed with Manager and advised employee how to properly wash their hands. **Corrective Action Taken**

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed container of tomato sauce dated nine days earlier inn walk-in-cooler

Latin Family Restaurant

11223 N. Williams St., Dunnellon

Routine Inspection on Jan. 19

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

8 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee at cookline touched pants with bare hands, the proceeded to put on gloves. Inspector stopped employee and had employee wash hands before continuing to work at cookline. **Corrective Action Taken**

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Box containing raw pork stored on wire rack above box containing butter inside walk-in cooler. Employee moved raw pork to the bottom shelf during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Spray bottle containing glass cleaner stored on shelf beside clean dishes in server station. Employee removed glass cleaner from shelf during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

Mojo Grill & Catering

2015 SW 17th St., Ocala

Complaint Partial Inspection on Jan. 16

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

2 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. At the cook line, observed one live roach on floor, Manager killed and cleaned. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**

Paque Mary

Mobile food dispensing vehicle

Routine Inspection on Jan. 19

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

3 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed bag of raw meat and Chicken stored over cheese **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

Sonny's Real Pit BBQ

1794 SW CR 484, Ocala

Complaint Inspection on Jan. 18

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

10 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Employee touched face/hair and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Male employee placed hair net over head then put on gloves and began cooking without washing hands. Male employee touched glasses with gloved hands and continued to prepare plates without washing hands. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Employee touched soiled apron/clothes and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Female employee touched stomach with gloved hands then picked up clean plate without washing hands and changing gloves. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. In steam table on cookline: onion straws 85-92F. In reach in hot holding case: brisket 130F. Began reheating both items. **Corrective Action Taken**

The Beach Ocala

13201 West Hwy 326, Ocala

Routine Inspection on Jan. 18

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

4 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed the following items and cold holding temperatures in the Walk-in Cooler: Beef (48F - Cold Holding); Wings (47, 46F - Cold Holding); Pork (48F - Cold Holding); raw shelled eggs (46F - Cold Holding). Manager advise that the beef an pork had been purchased a couple of hour earlier, and those were moved to a reach in cooler. The wings and raw shelled eggs had been in the walk-in-cooler for two days. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed the following items and cold holding temperatures in the Walk-in Cooler: Beef (48F - Cold Holding); Wings (47, 46F - Cold Holding); Pork (48F - Cold Holding); raw shelled eggs (46F - Cold Holding) **Warning**

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 Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala area restaurant/food truck inspections: Jan. 15-21, 2024