Another Chick-fil-A, another Dunkin, another 16 South Florida places failing inspection

A Sick and Shut Down List record of 16 restaurants failed inspection last week, so let’s get right to the paint brushes used for basting, Brickell roaches, another Dunkin Donuts and even a Chick-Fil-A that got closed like it was a Sunday.

QUESTIONS YOU EMAIL US PROBABLY ARE ANSWERED HERE: What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. A restaurant that fails state inspection remains closed until passing re-inspection. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. Don’t call us.

We don’t control who gets inspected nor how strictly the inspector inspects. We don’t include all violations, just the most moving, whether internally or literally moving (because it’s alive or once was alive). Some violations get corrected after the inspector points them out, but you have to ask, why do the violations exist in the first place? And how long would they have remained if not for the inspection?

We report without passion or prejudice but with side dishes of humor.

A (Not-So) Fresh Market, a Downstairs, a Smoothie King among Miami-Dade’s Gross Grocers

In alphabetical order...

Bacon Bitch, 1001 Collins Ave., Miami Beach: 25 total violations, four High Priority violations.

Cue the “Ew.”

Without a three-compartment sink or dishwasher, “establishment unable to wash, rinse and sanitize all food equipment,” which is a problem because it does have “cooking equipment, drink pitchers, food plates/trays, cups, and utensils that cannot be washed, rinsed or sanitized.”

This place also used a paint brush for basting. Hey, Manager Picasso, pick up a basting brush at any number of places on the way to work. Don’t be so cheap and lazy.

“Sausages defrosting at room temperature.” This should catch your eye if you’ve ever held a loved one or child through a barfing run after eating pork defrosted at room temperature.

Bacon cooked again after Wednesday’s re-inspection.

Chick-fil-A at Westfield Broward Mall, 8000 W Broward Blvd., Plantation: 10 total violations, five High Priority violations.

There should be no shortage of fresh chicken at a Chick-fil-A. Oh, cooked too much? Toss it and take the loss. You can afford it. We’ve seen the lines.

But, no, the inspector found cooked chicken in the reach-in cooler dated 13 days before and nine days before. Stop Sales —and, hopefully, shame — descended on this store, which also had to toss corn, shredded cheese, bleu cheese, cut lettuce mix in the apparently ineffective reach-in cooler with cut tomato. All were well above the 41 degrees safe temperature high for cooled food.

These flies have good taste, as 20 of 41 were on top of the lemonade station. Another three landed on clean food trays.

Chick-fil-A passed a same-day re-inspection on Thursday.

Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar, 2256 S. University Dr., Davie: 17 total violations, one High Priority violation.

The inspector counted 27 flies, including eight on oranges at the fresh-squeezed orange juice machine and two landing on a prep table.

Speaking of that orange juice machine, “Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed exterior of fresh squeezed orange juice machine soiled with dust.”

“In-use ice scoop stored on soiled surface between uses at front counter.”

Crema passed a same-day re-inspection on Wednesday.

Dunkin Donuts, 18801 NW Second Ave., Miami Gardens: Six total violations, three High Priority violations.

How about a swarm of Stop Sales to go with the swarm of “13-plus small, live flying insects sitting on uncovered donuts at the front counter.”

Some of the 10 other flies landed on croissants.

Don’t look up. “Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”

Dunkin passed re-inspection on Tuesday.

Eathai, 1832 S. Federal Hwy., Delray Beach: Four total violations, two High Priority violations.

At least 17 live roaches, 14 of which were on the dishwasher wall.

You have roaches. Lots of them. Do not leave bins of raw chicken on the floor of your walk-in cooler.

Eathai passed re-inspection Saturday.

Four brands of organic carrots recalled nationwide. They might have salmonella

Gina Restaurant, 1108 S. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth Beach: Three total violations, two High Priority violations.

You know what “rub marks on pipes behind the steam table” mean, right?

Furry, four-legged friends. Who leave poop pieces behind.

These left 44, 20 of which were “on a window ledge behind the steam table on the cookline.”

Gina passed re-inspection on Wednesday.

La Perrada Del Gordo, 2650 S. Military Tr., West Palm Beach: Seven total violations, four High Priority violations.

The inspector counted 35 flies, five of which were in a front counter prep area.

Stop Sales came down on chimichurri sauce and sliced tomatoes, only cooled to 49 degree sand 51 degrees, respectively.

“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times.”

Passed re-inspection on Wednesday.

Novecento, 1414 Brickell Ave., Miami: 21 total violations, seven High Priority violations. Lot of violations in a high rent district.

Ice cream in a reach-in freezer wasn’t covered. But the potential freezer burns there didn’t get it tossed like the uncovered baked bread on a wheeled cart with live roaches crawling up the cart for CarbFest ‘21.

Over on another cart “clean pans stored on a wheeled cart with live roaches crawling on the rack and pans.” According to the more detailed roach count later, it was more than 15.

And, in the second floor prep area, a “live roach crawling on onions.” In the roach-counting section, that was more than 10 live roaches.

Altogether, the inspector counted over 161 roaches and 18 flies, 15 of which hung around the cut limes, lemons and cherries.

A handwashing sink soap dispenser didn’t work.

“All soda gun spray guns surfaces soiled with mold-like substance or slime.” This with the flies over the fruit and we’ll just wait until we get home for that rum and Coke.

“Objectionable odor in the bar area, first and second floor prep area.”

Novacento took a few days, then passed re-inspection on Friday.

Olnet Jean, 1952 NW Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale: 13 overall violations, three High Priority violations.

The inspector saw a live roach in the microwave — I don’t want to be around if that sucker survives the next dish warm-up — and saw “evidence of rodent chewing on napkins.”

As if the 32 pieces of rodent poop, three of them inside a prep sink, weren’t enough to say Pixie & Dixie live here.

So, of course, there were an oil canister and three bags of raw pork sitting on the kitchen floor.

The handwashing situation was weak. “No soap provided at handwash sink” and “Employee washed hands with cold water. Observed the hot water was turned off.”

Olnet passed re-inspection on Tuesday.

A Florida inspection spotted a problem that caused a dried apricots recall in 18 states

Pollo Brasa Y sazon, 1618 W. 68th St., Hialeah: 10 total violations, four High Priority violations.

On the kitchen floor, five roaches skittered around 8 dead bodies.

Stuffed beef from the previous day? Not cool enough. Basura.

“Observed employee wash utensils without sanitation solutions step.”

Brasa failed the first Saturday re-inspection, got it right the second time around.

Poneloya Nicaraguan Cuisine, 10170 W. Flagler St., West Miami-Dade: 20 total violations, four High Priority violations.

More than six flies were seen “in the bin containing and touching the black beans near the back door. Also observed 20+ flying insects landing on plates, bowls and serving utensils on storage shelves, and landing on cabbage and plantains behind the front counter.”

No soap or paper towels at the handwashing sink behind the front counter steam table.

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”

And “observed ice scoop stored on top of dirty ice maker.”

Poneloya failed Tuesday’s re-inspection, then passed Wednesday’s re-re-inspection.

Restaurant Y Pupuseria Las Flores, 1941 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach: 12 total violations, five High Priority violations

The inspector counted 14 live roaches, nine dead roaches and 15 flies.

Eggs got stored in a reach-in cooler that was only 48 degrees. That made the eggs as worthless as the reach-in cooler. Stop Sale.

This place passed re-inspection on Thursday.

Taqueria Guerrero, 3585 S. Congress Ave., Lake Worth Beach: Six total violations, one High Priority violation.

The roaches certainly used the handwashing sink, as there were nine of them there. “More than 20 walking around on the reach-in cooler and walls. More than five near the service window. Approximately five walking on the floor.”

“No dishwashing facilities of any kind provided. No running water in the three-compartment sink.”

So, with that problem, did it matter that they also lacked sanitizer for warewashing?

Two days later, passed re-inspection on Friday.

Tatts & Tacos, 3200 NE 12th Ave., Oakland Park: 20 total violations, four High Priority violations.

Right off the bat, seems like there’s some violations in concept, but maybe we’re just get-off-my-lawn-ing over here.

The bar soda guns, “soiled with mildew,” also attracted flies as did corn on the cookline. Somebody put a bottle of tequila and some juice in the front counter ice used for drinks. That flies at the tailgate, not when you’re being paid for food and service.

“Vegetable bins in the walk-in cooler soiled with mildew Beer pitchers at the bar sitting in standing water in the reach-in cooler.”

T&T was back with ink and cilantro after passing a same-day re-inspection on Tuesday.

Villagio at Boca, 344 Plata Real, Boca Raton: Three total violations, one High Priority violation.

Villagio’s, a recidivist restaurant, appearing on The Sick and Shut Down List back in October and last July.

Apparently, this is the place in Boca for flies, as 15 were “on walls and landing on clean bottles and glasses at the bar at the doorway to the kitchen,” another 15 were “in the dining room and area next to the pizza station” and another five were landing on dining room tables.

The 53 flies the inspector counted were less than the 88 counted last July, so if you’re trying to accentuate the positive...

After failing Wednesday’s re-inspection, Villagio passed Thursday’s re-re-inspection.

Walter’s Coffee Shop, 17009 S. Dixie Hwy., Palmetto Bay: 18 total violations, two High Priority violations.

Coffee brings the pee but at Walter’s “Toilets not flushing.” One toilet was in disrepair and the other four were “not flushing properly. Urine and toilet paper observed.”

“Interior of soda gun dispenser soiled.”

Flies in the dining room (four), over the service area (two) and on the kitchen ceiling (nine).

“Multiple A/C vents with accumulated dust and mold-like substance in kitchen and preparation area.”

Walter’s passed a same-day re-inspection on Tuesday.