An employee cutting lettuce without gloves, raw chicken stored above cheese and “objectionable odors” were among the violations found at two South Florida restaurants temporarily ordered shut last week by state inspectors.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We cull through inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for “high-priority violations,” such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.
Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spot a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR. (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.
Danny’s Pizza Express, Boynton Beach
10833 Jog Road, Suite 198
Ordered shut: Oct. 19; reopened Oct. 20
Why: Ten violations (five high-priority), including about 57 dead roaches in areas around the kitchen such as “on ground behind salad line flip-top,” “inside of not-in-use oven on cook line” and “in backside of 2-door, stainless low-top freezer on cook line.”
Also found: six live roaches in the kitchen — in spots such as “inside of wheels of 2-door, low-top freezer on cook line,” “inside of electrical door of cook line flip-top cooler” and “on pipe under triple sink.”
The report also noted improper storage of prescription medication on a “shelf above cook line flip-top” cooler, as well as “raw chicken stored above feta cheese in walk-in cooler” and “bread stored in direct contact with can liner on cook line.” Additionally, an employee was seen “cutting lettuce with bare hands.”
The restaurant was allowed to reopen after a next-day inspection found one intermediate violation.
Jacintos Kitchen, West Palm Beach
4201 Broadway Ave.
Ordered shut: Oct. 17; reopened Oct. 18
Why: Twelve violations (four high-priority), including an employee’s open drink in the prep area of the kitchen; chicken soup, sauce and beef soup not covered in a walk-in cooler; and raw chicken stored “above raw fish in reach-in cooler at kitchen.”
The inspection also found about 18 live roaches “on the floor by the handwashing sink,” “underneath speed rack between wall and pizza oven” and “underneath pizza oven,” plus 35 roach droppings around the same areas of the kitchen.
According to the report, there also were “objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment at dining area.”
The restaurant was allowed to reopen on Oct. 18 with two basic violations.
