Rodent activity: State temporarily closes one Gainesville restaurant

Staff reports
·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 Alachua County restaurant inspections site.

Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Alachua County for the week of April 15-21, 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 15-21 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 were temporarily closed by inspectors?

These restaurants failed their April 15-21 inspections and were temporarily closed. Follow-upinspections are required.

Public & General

1000 NE 16th Ave. Bldg H, Gainesville

Complaint Inspection on April 15

Facility Temporarily Closed: Operations ordered stopped until violations are corrected.

11 total violations, with 4 high-priority violations

  • High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw fish over cream and sauce bottle in reach in cooler on cooks line, employee moved fish to the bottom. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Approximately 5 droppings mixed with nesting materials behind reach in freezers in storage area across restaurant, 3 on bottom shelf of prep table next to food scale, 15 on floor under drying rack next to dish machine, and 10 in the back compressor area on reach in cooler on cooks line. **Warning**

  • High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. tomatoes (44F - Cold Holding); tempeh (46F - Cold Holding); sausage (53F - Cold Holding) in top portion of reach in cooler on cooks line. ranch (58F - Cold Holding) on front line in melted ice bath. butter (71F - Cold Holding); in bottom portion of cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

  • High Priority - Vacuum breaker missing at hose bibb or on fitting/splitter added to hose bibb. Outside back door next storage sheds.

Which Alachua County restaurants had high priority violations?

Los Avina Mexican Restaurant

25461 W. Newberry Rd, Newberry

Food-Licensing Inspection Inspection on April 16

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

21 total violations, with 6 high-priority violations

  • 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**

  • 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**

  • High Priority - Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Two live spiders in webs on wall near keg cooler in bar area. Manager killed and discarded both during this inspection. One live beetle on wall behind air duct in dry storage area. Manager removed beetle from establishment during this inspection. Two dead beetles in windowsill of dry storage room. Manager discarded both during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

  • 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**

  • High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Cardboard flat of horchata mix in plastic bottles stored below handwash sink surrounded by several jugs of bleach and degreaser in bar area. Manager moved horchata mix to shelf away from chemicals during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site**

  • High Priority - Vacuum breaker missing at hose bibb or on fitting/splitter added to hose bibb. Backflow prevention device missing at spigot on side of building beside mop sink.

Vecinos

208 W. University Ave., Gainesville

Routine Inspection on April 15

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

13 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation

  • High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Approximately 20-30 flies flying in bar area. **Repeat Violation** **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 15-21, 2024