9 Okaloosa County restaurants get perfect scores; 9 cited for high-priority violations

Staff reports
·7 min read
1

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 Okaloosa County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Okaloosa County for the week of Aug. 7-13, 2023. 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 Okaloosa County restaurant inspection site.

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

These restaurants met all standards during their Aug. 7-13 inspections and no violations were found.

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

Which Okaloosa County restaurants had high priority violations?

Arashi

751 N. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview

Routine Inspection on Aug. 7

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

3 total violations, with 2 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce: walk-in cooler has raw beef in original packaging and in Saran Wrap as well as shelled eggs on a shelf over raw unwashed produce. Employee rotated the food for proper storage. **Corrected On-Site**

Baan Thai

430 Mary Esther Cutoff NW, Fort Walton Beach

Routine Inspection on Aug. 8

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 - Nonfood-grade containers used for food storage - direct contact with food. Ice stored in large trash bags in reach in freezer by back door.

  • High Priority - Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. License expired June 1, 2023. **Admin Complaint**

Hurricane Grill and Wings

4579 Hwy 20 East, Niceville

Routine Inspection on Aug. 7

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

3 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. Line upright reach in freezer Open packaged raw shrimp over open pretzels Pretzels moved above raw food during the inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill Station make bar - top - slaw 57/57, tomatoes 58, guacamole 58F, below- diced tomatoes 58, cooked rice 60, corn 59, shredded cheese 60, salsa 59F. Per cook line staff and manager less than 4 hrs. Operator Iced TCS foods located on the make bar for rapid cooling. Prob Thermometer calibrated with operator **Warning**

Indian Bayou Golf & Ctry Club

1 Country Club Drive, Destin

Routine Inspection on Aug. 11

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

1 total violation, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Front bar and kitchen 0 ppm chlorine Advised operator to set up triple sink as sanitizing station. **Warning**

Mary's Kitchen

99 Eglin Parkway, Fort Walton Beach

Routine Inspection on Aug. 9

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 - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Inspector test do not indicate minimum chlorine ppm at dish machine. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cole Slaw 48F, Milk wash 62F, Walk In Cooler: Shrimp 48F, cooked Beef 56F, Raw Chicken 54F, Raw Pork 53F. (1 hour) Door to walk in left open. Employee closed door during inspection.

Pelican Beach Cafe

1002 Hwy 98 East, Destin

Routine Inspection on Aug. 9

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

4 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. 0 ppm chlorine x 3 cycles **Warning**

Pepito's Mexican Restaurant

4585 Hwy 20 East, Niceville

Routine Inspection on Aug. 7

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

8 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook line salad station- ambient 58F , cooked pasta 52, Mac and cheese 52, cheese 50F Per manager and staff less than 4hrs. Items iced and moved to walk in cooler for rapid cooling. **Warning**

The Club Bar and Grill

205 Henderson Resort Way, Destin

Routine Inspection on Aug. 9

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

4 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. **Admin Complaint**

Waffle House #662

1067 East U.S. 98, Destin

Routine Inspection on Aug. 11

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

4 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Diced ham on make bar 46F less than 4 hrs Advised operator to ice for rapid cooling.

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 Northwest Florida Daily News: Fort Walton Beach area restaurant and food truck inspections Aug. 7-13, 2023