2 Dunkin’s (1 with rodents) and 1 Chick-fil-A among filthy Miami-area restaurants
Moisture problems — dampness, mold, backed-up water, standing water, no water — run throughout this week’s Sick and Shut Down List. Even more than roaches. And rodents (especially the dead one).
HOW THE LIST IS DONE: 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 an inspection.
If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. 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). Some violations get corrected immediately after the inspector points them out. But, you have to ask, why do the violations exist in the first place? And how long would they have remained if not for the inspection?
We report without passion or prejudice, but with two spoons of humor sauce.
In alphabetical order:
Chick-fil-A, 820 North Miami Beach Blvd., North Miami Beach: Complaint inspection, 30 total violations, six High Priority violations.
A 30-violation inspection? Can you imagine what would happen if a Los Pollos Hermanos got hit with a 30-violation inspection? Folks would disappear.
Let’s start with the disgusting: “Liquid from raw chicken dripping on the bottom of the reach-in-cooler.”
Some of the equipment was “wet nesting,” placed so they couldn’t properly air dry. And standing water created a nice pond “throughout the kitchen area.”
“Objectionable odors in kitchen area by the back door marked “exit”...”
Maybe this is why ... ”Garbage not placed in a receptacle for storage until pick up to make the garbage inaccessible to insects and rodents. Observed bags of trash sitting in a box with liquid leaking, located by the back kitchen door marked “exit.””
“Floor drains are clogged with food debris, and dust” and the dumpster didn’t have a drain plug.
Four live roaches were spotted on the walls, but the land bugs were overwhelmed by the flying ones: over 10 flies on a back prep area wall and ice machine, over seven in a dishware area, over 20 in the bread area over 50 on a wall “and on employees drink bottles, sweaters and racks.” In all, the inspector counted 111 flies.
“Food-contact surfaces are not sanitized after cleaning, before use...multiple condiment, napkins and straw containers are soiled.” Also, a food preparation sink had “soil/old food residue.”
Does anybody move a wet cloth in anger at this joint?
The “interior of oven/microwave has an accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris...stove, deep fryers, grill, and preparation table area were soiled.”
The water at the employee handwashing sink got above room temperature, to outside noon temperature, but 89 degrees isn’t the required 100 degrees. “Manager turned on hot water.”
Turned on hot water? Why was it off?
“Water treatment device has not been inspected or serviced according to manufacturer’s instructions.”
How did the Chick-fil-A come through on the re-inspection the following day.
The floor drains were still “clogged with food debris and dust.” The dumpster drain plug was still missing. Chicken still dripped.
The Chick-fil-A then passed re-re-inspection the next day.
READ MORE: An inspector found old food and condensation dripping on chicken at a Miami supermarket
Crafty Crab, 4402 N. University Dr., Lauderhill: Complaint inspection, 32 total violations, six High Priority violations.
Crafty Crab might be as damp as the Krusty Krab for all the mold found here.
“Observed accumulation of lime scale mold on the inside of the dishmachine.”
“Observed can opener and slicer with mold buildup.”
“Observed soda nozzles at bar station with buildup of mold substance.”
“Observed hand washing sink located beside standing reach-in cooler used as a dump sink and soiled with mold.” So, probably used only occasionally as a handwash sink.
The inspector didn’t find mold on the knives being used. But, heaven knows what was on those knives because they were being “stored in cracks between equipment.”
And there were “30 or more live roaches coming from walls behind ovens where corn and potatoes are cooked.”
Six dead roaches decorated the light shields over the three-compartment sink. The inspector estimated 25 to 50 dead roaches spotted the kitchen floor under the fryers, stove, soda machine, reach-in cooler, reach-in freezer and in the dry storage area. Also in dry storage: 15 roach droppings.
In the standing reach-in cooler, milk in a mixing bowl, raw shrimp, hush puppies, tilapia and lemons weren’t covered.
The handwash sink in the kitchen area lacked hot water.
“Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”
The inspector fired Stop Sale lightning on chicken wings, cooked pork sausage, crab legs and cheese cake, all of which had been cooling overnight and still weren’t under the safety line of 41 degrees.
The Crab was back in action after passing inspection the next day.
Dunkin’ Donuts, 6274 W. Indiantown Rd., Jupiter: Complaint inspection, 16 total violations, three High Priority violations.
Dampness on the edge of town — no way to dry hands at the cookline handwashing sink.
The dining area, front counter and bagel prep area floors all got the same description of “floor soiled/has accumulation of debris.”
Not sure whether or not the inspector counted the rodent poop as part of that debris, but Pixie, Dixie, Tom & Jerry turned that bagel area into a rest stop just south of Gainesville on a September Saturday night. So much so that the inspector noticed two rodent traps at the bagel station.
Five droppings next to the bagel ovens; five at the manager’s office adjacent to the bagel station and three-compartment sink; another five droppings at the three-compartment sink across from the bagel ovens; 10 droppings at the chemical rack across from the bagel ovens; another 10 under the bagel ovens’ single service racks.
They did also venture to the front counter coffeemaker station and the prep station near the walk-in cooler (five droppings under each).
This Dunkin’ passed re-inspection the next day.
Dunkin’ Donuts, 1810 Forest Hill Blvd., Lake Clarke Shores: Routine inspection, five total violations, three High Priority violations.
In addition to the seven flies on metal bars in the doughnut display area at the front counter and another five in another section, the inspector saw a fly landing on a chocolate doughnut and another fly landing on a corn muffin in the front counter doughnut display.
The flies landing on the chocolate doughnut and corn muffins get you violations on BOGO or maybe even a three-for-one — the violation for the flies being there, the Basic violation for the flies landing on the doughnuts, the High Priority violation for the Stop Sale on the doughnuts.
This Dunkin’ passed re-inspection the next day.
Fritanga, 33497 S. Dixie Hwy., Florida City: Routine inspection, 21 total violations, five High Priority violations.
The water problems here were “wastewater backing up through the floor drain under the three-compartment sink...the mop sink is clogged and the wastewater is retaining in the mop sink.”
Uncovered cheese in the walk-in cooler and a soiled cutting board on a prep table won’t put an inspector in a good mood, either.
Passed re-inspection the next day.
Griot Trap, 2058 NW 18th Ter., Miami: Routine inspection, 12 total violations, four High Priority violations.
The water pump wasn’t working. So for the second straight week, we have a food truck and for the second straight week we have a food truck “operating with no potable running water.”
And the violations flowed like the water couldn’t.
“Observed no running water at hand sink and three compartment sink.”
“Handwash sink does not provide water through a mixing valve or combination faucet.”
The inspector saw an employee who handled cooked griot, cooked rice and raw fish washing hands in a bucket of water.
Also, 50-degree cut tomatoes and raw fish. Stop Sales hit each.
The truck took a couple of days off, then passed re-inspection.
Pho 79, 1899 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach: Routine inspection, eight total violations, two High Priority violations.
“Handwashing sink covered with a cutting board.” So, we know that’s not important.
Also, the inspector wrote of the wood cutting board, “reviewed with operator that it can not be used for prepping, not cleanable.”
Unclear whether that was the same handwashing sink that had 10 dead roaches, one live roach in hte sink and two live ones on the floor beneath it. There was a live roach on packaged chicken sitting in the three-compartment sink.
The floors next to a glass cooler in a waiting area were “soiled with mold-like substance and dirt/debris.”
Pho was a go after re-inspection the next day.
Seaside Bar and Grill, 2401 Beach Ct., Riviera Beach: Routine inspection, 10 total violations, zero High Priority violations.
“Throughout kitchen/under/behind equipment; floor soiled/has accumulation of debris.” And that didn’t even count the dead rodent between the walk-in cooler and the wall next to a flip-top cooler.”
No paper towels at the kitchen handwashing sink. No wiping cloths, either, judging from “interior of oven, toaster oven and microwave have accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris” and the doors and handles on the oven and fryers were painted with “a buildup of food debris/soil residue.”
Seaside passed re-inspection the next day.
Valerie’s Cafe, 2148 NW 17th Ave., Miami: Routine inspection, nine total violations, three High Priority violations.
Chicken and beef were thawing in standing water in the three-compartment sink. Not a good idea at home, a worse idea at a restaurant.
“Food preparation sink has soil/old food residue.”
The inspector saw five live roaches strutting on the floor, inside cabinets underneath the prep area and inside the kitchen trash.
Valerie’s was back serving the people of Allapattah and Little Havana after re-inspection the next day.
