A Pollo Tropical and a rodent on a front counter among South Florida restaurant filth
Perhaps some preposition trouble affected the state inspector’s description, “observed one live rodent on front counter area” looks like a new level of High Priority violation for The Sick and Shut Down List.
Let’s get going on South Florida’s only weekly run down of restaurant inspection fails that covers Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties, the whole length of the region.
The recipe for this: 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 inspection remains closed until passing re-inspection. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR, not 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). We report without passion or prejudice but with two side dishes of humor.
And we go in alphabetical order...
Ankari 52, 939 N. Federal Hwy., Hollywood: The inspector counted an even 60 pieces of rodent dung, including five under beer and soda storage racks and 10 on the lower shelf of a prep table.
Cream cheese at 50 degrees? That got tossed in the trash before it caused somebody to toss up lunch.
There seemed to be a hot water problem, as neither the employee handwash sink at the cookline nor the mop sink had it.
Ankari passed Friday’s re-inspection.
Dixie Fried Chicken, 133 SW Avenue E, Belle Glade: “Observed one live rodent on front counter area.”
And, of course, you have a rodent violation, there always seems to be food stored right on the floor, such as “two containers with raw fish inside the walk-in cooler.”
The inspector counted 10 flies, half of which were “on the front counter area.” Wonder if they bothered the rodent as much as they bothered the inspector.
Dixie rose again after Saturday’s re-inspection.
The Palace Cuisine of India, 11422 SR-84 E, Davie: The rodent dropping count was 58, but if you’re an optimist, that’s a 68.5% improvement on the 184 pieces of rodent regularity counted at The Palace’s failed April inspection.
With all that live, furry activity, why wouldn’t you leave cooked fritters, eggplants and lagoon uncovered in a walk-in cooler?
The flies landing on a garbage container near a three-compartment sink doesn’t seem as bothersome as them landing on clean utensils.
“Observed a buildup of old food residue on a can opener blade.”
Haven’t seen this pet peeve of ours in a while...”In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Observed clean knives stored between the three-compartment sink and the wall.”
Despite all that rodent dumping, this place somehow passed one of those Broward same day re-inspections.
Pollo Tropical, 5425 W. Atlantic Blvd., Margate: “...objectionable odor in kitchen area.” Which is possibly the worst place to have it.
Of the 26 flies the inspector saw darting around, about 20 of them were landing on sandwich bread by the back door. As they landed on the bread, so did the Stop Sale order.
Another 10 dead flies were legs up on dining area window sills.
Want a Coke or Sprite? “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”
“Observed the floor soiled with pineapple marinade in the walk-in cooler.”
This Pollo passed a same day re-inspection on Wednesday.
Sun Yi Cafe, 1050 W. Pembroke Rd., Hallandale Beach: Though one live roach stayed with his dead friend under a cooler, this place’s problem just seemed to be basic dead dirt and filth.
“Cutting board(s) stored on the floor next to the reach-in cooler.” which is especially yucky because the inspector also noted, “Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris under the reach-in cooler in the cook line.”
“Accumulation of food debris/grease on food-contact surface. Wok station on the cookline.”
“Soil residue build-up on nonfood-contact surface. Side of the wok station next to the sauces on the cookline.”
“Interior of microwave soiled with encrusted food debris.”
Sun Yi set Tuesday, rose again after Wednesday’s re-inspection.
Dog food with salmonella meant to be trashed got sent to some Publix and Target stores
A Karla Cuban Bakery and 2 South Florida Publix stores made the Gross Grocers list
