Cocoa Beach BBQ joint lands most inspection violations for the week

Rob Landers, Florida Today
·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 Brevard County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Brevard County, Florida, for the week of Jan. 1-7, 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 Brevard County restaurant inspection site.

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

These restaurants met all standards during their Jan. 1-7 inspections and no violations were found.

NOTE: The ** indicates restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week

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

Which Brevard County restaurants had high priority violations?

Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar

1545 Palm Bay Road, Melbourne

Routine Inspection on Jan. 3

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

11 total violations, with two high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and bar area. 3 in prep area, 2 in server station, 2 near mop sink, 5 in dish pit, 4 by ice machine, 3 in bar **Repeat Violation** **Warning**

  • High Priority - Spray hose at mop sink lower than flood rim of sink. **Corrected On-Site**

Breakfast in Havana

2251 W. New Haven Ave., Melbourne

Routine Inspection on Jan. 3

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

Seven total violations, with one 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. Tested at Dishwasher (Chlorine 0ppm), bucket is empty and operator did not have a back up bucket. Setting up triple sink to use until bucket is replaced **Repeat Violation** **Warning**

Dixie Crossroads

1475 Garden St., Titusville

Routine Inspection on Jan. 3

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

16 total violations, with two high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Dented/rusted cans present. See stop sale. 1 can crushed tomatoes, 6#9oz size **Repeat Violation**

  • High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. One (1) live fly in kitchen/prep area. Next unannouncex routine per supervisor on duty, D. Corey.

Port Java

4795 Fay Blvd. Unit 13, Cocoa

Routine Inspection on Jan. 4

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

Eight total violations, with one high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Approx 20# consumable ice. **Warning**

Pozzy Bros Pizza

727 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island

Routine Inspection on Jan. 3

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

Four total violations, with one high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food held using time as a public health control marked with a time that exceeds the 4-hour limit. Time not being tracked to accurately reflect beginning of time. Chart showing start time of 11:30. Pizzas and Strombolis in display case prior to 11am. Educated operator and and remade tracking chart **Corrected On-Site**

Slow & Low BBQ

306 N. Orlando Ave., Cocoa Beach

Routine Inspection on Jan. 4

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

14 total violations, with four high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Displayed food not properly protected from contamination. Liquor bottles at exterior bar

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Mahi fully thawed in sealed packaging bearing thawing requirements

  • High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. In low boy on cook line raw shrimp (52F - Cold Holding); raw mahi (51F - Cold Holding); raw shelled eggs (51F - Cold Holding); raw chicken (51F - Cold Holding); raw beef (51F - Cold Holding); cooked beef (52F - Cold Holding); sliced cheese (52F - Cold Holding); cooked sausage (51F - Cold Holding). All food items stored in unit over night

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In low boy on cook line raw shrimp (52F - Cold Holding); raw mahi (51F - Cold Holding); raw shelled eggs (51F - Cold Holding); raw chicken (51F - Cold Holding); raw beef (51F - Cold Holding); cooked beef (52F - Cold Holding); sliced cheese (52F - Cold Holding); cooked sausage (51F - Cold Holding). All food items stored in unit over night **Warning**

Venpaca Cafe

2520 S Washington Ave Unit 100, Titusville

Routine Inspection on Jan. 3

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

Nine total violations, with two high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Galvanized metal in contact with acidic foods. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Pi soul stored with single service paper Goodson cabinet, removed **Corrected On-Site** **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 Florida Today: Brevard County restaurant and food truck inspections Jan. 1-7