No Polk restaurants gigged for rodents or insects. 16 scored perfect. See who they were

Andy Kuppers, Lakeland Ledger
·6 min read

No Polk County restaurants received violations for rodents or insects from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3, according to state inspection reports. Sixteen food vendors received perfect inspections during the two-week period.

In all, 13 food vendors in the county received warnings or administrative complaints that required a follow-up inspection. Those violations were for a wide variety of offenses, from basic violations such as improperly stored utensils or equipment in poor working condition, to intermediate offenses such as mislabeled spray bottles, and even high priority violations, such as storing food at improper temperatures or storing raw foods above cooked foods.

>> INTERACTIVE: Explore all restaurant inspections in Polk County.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation says an inspection report is just a glimpse of conditions at a restaurant at a certain time and day, and is not necessarily representative of long-term conditions.

Almost perfect

To show just how difficult it is to achieve perfection, here’s a list of the oh-so-close inspections – restaurants that had only one violation, and what that violation was.

  • Cabana Ice Cream, 2610 Ave. G N.W., Winter Haven: On Dec. 1, the operator was gigged for “Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing.” The reason: A laptop computer was on the sink. In two total inspections in state reports, the restaurant has never had more than one violation.

  • Elena's Cuban Café, 2246 E. Edgewood Drive, Lakeland: On Nov. 30, the restaurant’s only violation was a light on its hood system wasn’t working.

  • Bamboo Wok, 5151 U.S. 98 S., Lakeland: On Nov. 30, gaskets on a reach-in cooler were worn.

  • China Garden, 6027 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven: On Nov. 30, an inspector noted a box of sauce on the floor in dry storage and a box of chicken on the floor in a walk-in freezer.

  • VC's Kitchen Corp., 305 Snively Ave., Eloise: On Nov. 28, an inspector said some food stored in the freezer wasn’t covered. This restaurant has a long history of barely missing perfection, with multiple single-violation. It’s never had more than three violations, according to state reports.

  • Piper Golf Club, 8575 White Shark Blvd., Champions Gate: On Nov. 28, an inspector said a dishmachine behind a bar wasn’t sanitizing properly. The restaurant switched to using its kitchen dishmachine.

  • Taqueria San Miguel De Yuriria, mobile food vendor, 5435 Lewellyn Road Unit 8, Lakeland: On Nov. 27, and inspector said ready-to-eat pork in the flip-top cooler was labeled as being more than seven days old.

  • Resort At Canopy Oaks, 16950 County Road 630, Lake Wales: On Nov. 27, the restaurant received a violation for having a pesticide in the kitchen that was labeled for household use only. In a separate inspection on the same day, the deli by the same name at the same address received a violation for a spoon that wasn’t “stored inverted or in a protected manner.” It was a serving spoon that wasn’t inverted.

  • Colombian Guys Latin Food, 3979 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland: On Nov. 27, the mobile food vendor had one violation – food debris on a can opener. In three inspections dating to March, the vendor has been perfect once and never had more than one violation.

  • Wendy's #600, 3695 Innovation Drive, Lakeland: On Nov. 20, the restaurant was gigged for pans near the three-compartment sink that were not properly air dried.

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill 1499, 3434 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland: On Nov. 20, an inspector found standing water in the bottom of a reach-in cooler near the front counter.

  • Family Fun Center, 4825 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland: On Nov. 20, an inspector found a “container of McDonald's French fries and a McDonald's beverage on the cut board on the reach in cooler.”

Nov. 6-19 1 Polk restaurant closed for rodent droppings and another is warned for ... a bullfrog?

Perfect inspections

Now here’s a look at the 16 vendors who received perfect initial inspections. An “initial” inspection is any inspection that was not a follow-up mandated by previous warnings.

  • Dunkin Donuts, 6031 U.S. 17-92 N., Davenport

  • Sunset Palm Hotel, 44199 U.S. 27 N., Davenport

  • The Lake House Kitchen 3 LLC, mobile food vendor, 695 Ave. K S.W., Winter Haven

  • The Lake House Kitchen 4 LLC, mobile food vendor, 695 Ave. K S.W., Winter Haven

  • The Lake House Kitchen 5 LLC, mobile food vendor, 695 Ave. K S.W., Winter Haven

  • The Lake House Kitchen 6 LLC, mobile food vendor, 695 Ave. K S.W., Winter Haven

  • Eat Sleep Tacos, mobile food vendor, 42605 U.S. 27, Davenport

  • The Mofongos House, mobile food vendor, 5008 Spirit Lake Road, Winter Haven

  • Parada Jibara, 5570 U.S. 17-92 Unit 100, Haines City

  • Paleteria Santy, 2701 Swindell Road Unit 36, Lakeland

  • Rodeo Rays Pizza, 3200 River Ranch Blvd., River Ranch

  • Staybridge Suites Hotel, 305 5th St. N.W., Winter Haven

  • Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill, 324 Ave. A N.W., Winter Haven

  • Cholo Taqueria Y Algo Mas, mobile food vendor, 706 1st St. N.E., Fort Meade

  • D On Wheelz, mobile food vendor, 201 W. Central Ave., Lake Wales

  • El Hot Dog Borincano, mobile food vendor, 4410 Kathleen Road, Lakeland

Oct. 2 to Nov. 5 5 Polk restaurants warned for signs of rodents or insects. 36 log perfect inspections

Keep in mind as you read

Remember that in some cases, violations are noted are technical issues not directly linked to hygiene or cleanliness. Remember, too, that broken refrigerators, chipped tiles or fast work may add up to unintended mistakes.

Regardless, if you notice abuses of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 850-487-1395.

The terminology

What does all that terminology in state 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 and the establishment may reopen only after inspection shows that all high-priority violations that caused the suspension are corrected.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 16 Polk food vendors scored perfect and none were warned for pests