2 Alachua County restaurants cited for high-priority violations

Staff reports
·6 min read

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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 Alachua County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Alachua County for the week of April 22-28, 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 Alachua County restaurant inspection site.

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

These restaurants met all standards during their April 22-28 inspections and no violations were found.

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

Which Alachua County restaurants had high priority violations?

Firehouse Subs #0117

3221 SW 35th Blvd., Gainesville

Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on April 22

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

5 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: on the front line, cut lettuce, 49-53F. This comes pre-shredded and bagged. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: on the front line in the hot well on the back counter: meatballs 90, chili 95, potato soup 98F. These items were placed in the microwave for quick reheating. 15 minutes later back in the hot well, the meatballs were at 148F. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed: yellow peroxide sanitizer stored next to to go cups under the register. The spray was moved to cleaning. **Corrected On-Site**

Firehouse Subs #0117

3221 SW 35th Blvd., Gainesville

Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on April 23

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 - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed: on the front line in the hot well on the back counter: meatballs 90, chili 95, potato soup 98F. These items were placed in the microwave for quick reheating. 15 minutes later back in the hot well, the meatballs were at 148F. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2024-04-23: Observed: meatballs on the front line, in hot holding, 129 to 143. The one meatball at 129F was discarded. ALSO, 135-145F. Potato soup 164F **Admin Complaint** **Corrected On-Site**

Los Avina Mexican Resturant

25461 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry

Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on April 23

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

3 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 hours. Inside reach-in cooler near three-compartment sink: ground beef (52F - Cooling overnight); shredded chicken (46F - Cooling overnight); queso cheese (67F - Cooling overnight). Manager stated the ground beef, chicken, and queso cheese was all cooked the previous day and placed into the reach-in cooler to cool. Queso cheese is cooling in a 5 gallon bucket and the chicken and beef are cooling in deep metal pans. Stop sales issued. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2024-04-23: Inside walk-in cooler: cooked pork (44F - cooling overnight), salsa (47F - cooling overnight). Manager stated the pork and the salsa were both cooked the previous day and placed into the walk-in cooler to cool. Pork is cooling in a deep metal pan and salsa is being cooled in a 5-gallon bucket. Stop sale issued. **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within six hours. See stop sale. Inside reach-in cooler near three-compartment sink: ground beef (52F - Cooling overnight); shredded chicken (46F - Cooling overnight); queso cheese (67F - Cooling overnight). Manager stated the ground beef, chicken, and queso cheese was all cooked the previous day and placed into the reach-in cooler to cool. Queso cheese is cooling in a 5 gallon bucket and the chicken and beef are cooling in deep metal pans. **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2024-04-23: Inside walk-in cooler: cooked pork (44F - cooling overnight), salsa (47F - cooling overnight). Manager stated the pork and the salsa were both cooked the previous day and placed into the walk-in cooler to cool. Pork is cooling in a deep metal pan and salsa is being cooled in a 5-gallon bucket. **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - - From initial inspection : High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Three pans containing raw beef, raw pork, and raw shrimp stored on shelf above open containers of salsa inside reach-in cooler at cookline. Manager moved all to the bottom shelf during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning** - From follow-up inspection 2024-04-23: Open box containing raw frozen hamburger patties stored on shelf above open bag of fully-cooked corn dogs and bag of churros inside reach-in freezer near cookline. Inspector had manager place box of raw hamburger patties on the bottom shelf during this inspection. **Admin Complaint**

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 The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville area restaurant/food truck inspections: April 22-28, 2024