A Wendy’s, a Domino’s, flies on Popeye’s chicken among South Florida inspection fails
Such an inclusive Sick and Shut Down List with all sizes (independent to national chains), geographic diversity (Key West to Delray Beach) and the usual vermin variety (roaches, rodents, flies) that we can’t spend any more time on introduction. Let’s get to it.
READING IS FUNDAMENTAL AND SO IS READING 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 state inspection remains closed until passing re-inspection.
If you see a problem and want a place inspected, contact the DBPR. Do not call us. Do not email us. We don’t control who gets inspected nor how strictly the inspector inspects. Let us say that again — we don’t control who gets inspected.
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 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 well seasoned humor.
In alphabetical order...
Ankari 51, 939 N. Federal Hwy., Hollywood: 14 total violations, four High Priority violations.
No matter what Shalamar says, the second time around wasn’t any better for this rodent toilet that failed inspection in June.
OK, this time, the inspector counted only 16 rodent droppings, far less than the 60 seen in June.
In a summer rerun from June, the hot water was either not provided or shut off at an employee handwashing sink.
“In-use utensil not stored on a clean portion of food preparation or cooking equipment. Observed a cooking utensil stored on a soiled gas line.”
Not like it was sanitized anyway because the dishwasher’s chlorine sanitizer measured Blutarsky: 0.0.
Ankari passed re-inspection on Thursday.
Antonio’s Ristorante, 1636 SE Third Ct., Deerfield Beach: Four total violations, two High Priority violations.
Antonio’s was buggin’.
One live roach on the cookline, one on a prep table with a slicer and a can opener and 10 on a Shop Vac under the ware washing area. Were they trying to make the Shop Vac work?
As for their dead relatives, there were 15, three of which were on the cookline, one under a dish rack holding clean dishes.
“Operator states treatment was done last night.”
Speaking of the dish rack, the dishwasher’s sanitation powers were at zero.
Antonio’s passed re-inspection on Tuesday.
Domino’s Pizza, 2704 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Key West: Nine total violations, two High Priority violations.
Over 46 flies, including eight “on dough trays near the walk-in cooler.”
”Soiled dry wiping cloth in use.”
“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance”
Domino’s passed re-inspection on Wednesday.
Giovanni’s Pizza & Restaurant Express, 175 SW Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton: Three total violations, two High Priority.
Five live roaches, four of them under cookline coolers.
The pizza sitting there had no time marking. It had been cooked an hour beforehand.
Somebody grab a mop. “Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Under cooling equipment and food storage equipment.”
The roaches remained and the re-inspection failures repeated on Thursday and Friday, until Giovanni’s passed a same day, re-re-re-inspection and got open for the Friday night’s on which pizza joints survive.
Over The Bridge Cafe, 814 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach: Four total violations, two High Priority and the same problems as Over The Bridge’s May inspection stinkage.
First, the rodent regularity, 25 pieces of it. A dozen were “to the right at the entrance of the kitchen and cookline from the sidewalk.
For proper food safety, your cold storage food should be below 41 degrees and your warm storage food above 135 degrees. So, the inspector had a problem with 62-degree sour cream and heavy cream — we’re almost running to the porcelain altar just thinking about it — on a speed rack, 82-degree liquid eggs and 75-degree liquid egg whites next to the grill.
The cook said they’d been out for less than an hour and was allowed to put them in the refrigerator.
Mahi measured 45 to 52 degrees and was being thawed at room temperature. Sigh.
Over the Bridge got over the inspection via a same day re-inspection.
Paraiso Tropical Pizza Cafe, 445 Palm Ave., Hialeah: 18 total violations, three High Priority violations.
Observed 20 + rodent droppings under a storage shelf with container of sugar, flour, and spices located by the back door, observed 30+ rodent droppings under the pizza oven located in the kitchen area.’
They had rodents and they left a bag of flour uncovered by the back door? And had a case of onions and fry oil stored on the floor? What type of neuron misfire is that? How do you do that? How do you not know Reggie Miller is on the Indiana Pacers?
The oven counted as a “food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime.”
Clean plates were stored on a dirty kitchen shelf.
The first appearance for this regular guest star. “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”
Paraiso passed the Aug. 10 re-inspection.
Popeye’s Chicken, 1865 S. University Dr., Davie: 10 total violations, three High Priority violations.
We can deal with 23 flies “landing on prep table in the kitchen, on clean, sanitized containers...on a container with liquid margarine, on a bun chute, on freestyle soda machine nozzles.”
But two flies landing on the fried chicken at the front counter hot holding station? Naw, baby, that will not do.
“Observed dry storage containers soiled with raw chicken juice and food debris.” Ugh.
No way to dry your hands at the handwashing sink next to the three-compartment sink.
Popeye’s passed re-inspection on Aug. 10.
Silverspoon Takeout, 81 SW 31st Ave., Fort Lauderdale: 14 total violations, four High Priority violations.
There’s a gap at the bottom of the store room door. Maybe that’s why there were 45 pieces of rodent poo in there. Another 11 were near a walk-in freezer. Wonder if they had Gore Tex jackets.
Water drained onto the floor from the kitchen handwashing sink.
Silverspoon passed re-inspection Friday.
Wendy’s, 19650 NW Second Ave., Miami Gardens: 14 total violations, three High Priority violations.
More than 10 flies inside a container of bacon by the grill, next to the Frosty machine, on front counter cups, a bread warmer and a lemonade unit? Another 10 or more in the dining area, hitting windows and tables? Ugh.
A bag of hamburger buns were in a box with used gloves on the kitchen floor. One violation for being on the floor, another for being in the box with used gloves and getting a Stop Sale.
No way to dry hands at the front counter handwashing sink, inexcusable for a large chain, whether corporate-owned or a franchise.
“Bathroom facility in disrepair. Men’s and women’s bathroom toilet areas are not clean.”
Wendy’s passed Wednesday’s re-inspection.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "A Wendy’s, a Domino’s, flies on Popeye’s chicken among South Florida inspection fails."
