Chops Lobster Bar in Boca Raton, four other restaurants ordered shut
After taking a break for the holidays, state inspectors hit the kitchens again in late December, red-flagging pest problems at a quintet of restaurants temporarily ordered shut over the past two weeks.
Arguably the biggest name on this list, upscale restaurant Chops Lobster Bar in Boca Raton was shut down three times before the state let it reopen. Other restaurants closed included Kussifay in Hollywood, Mini Pita in Pompano Beach, New York Diner in Fort Lauderdale and Taqueria El Jovenazo in North Lauderdale.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights restaurant inspections in Broward and Palm Beach counties from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. We cull through hundreds of restaurant and bar inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for “high-priority violations,” like improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.
Sun Sentinel readers can browse full Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade county reports on our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Monday) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.
Any restaurant that fails inspections must stay closed until it passes a follow-up state inspection. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
Taqueria El Jovenazo, North Lauderdale
7130 Kimberly Blvd. Ordered shut:
Dec. 27, reopened Dec. 28Why:
11 violations (two high priority), such as an infestation of 26 live cockroaches found inside a kitchen “cooler where uncovered food items are stored,” as well as two reach-in coolers. The state also found 28 dead roaches “on glue trap in oven,” next to the kitchen refrigerator and the reach-in coolers. Finally, inspectors spotted grease and food buildup inside the microwave, oven and reach-in coolers. The taqueria reopened Dec. 28 with zero follow-up issues. The restaurant was last ordered shut Oct. 25 for similar pest problems.
New York Diner, Fort Lauderdale 925 NE 62nd St. Ordered shut: Why:
Jan. 3
Seven violations (three high priority), including 60 live flies “observed landing on clean dishes” in the wait station, kitchen, food prep, food storage and beneath the dishwasher. The inspector did not witness any flies landing on food, however. Although the state didn’t post a follow-up inspection at the restaurant on its website, a Jan. 10 phone call to New York Diner revealed that it had reopened.
Chops Lobster Bar, Boca Raton
101 Plaza Real South Ordered shut:
Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 (twice), reopened Jan. 5
Why: The state discovered 15 violations (three high priority) at this fine-dining restaurant, led by 35 live flies “inside bag of bread” in the kitchen, landing on “dirty glass racks in dish area” outside the kitchen, and on cloth napkins near the water pitchers. The state also discovered one “dead roach in ice machine.” Obviously, the restaurant was ordered to stop selling and trash its crushed ice and bread “due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition.” A pair of follow-up inspections on Jan. 4 revealed more live flies landing on kitchen equipment, and the restaurant stayed shut. The restaurant finally reopened Jan. 5 with a handful of minor issues.
Kussifay, Hollywood
2652 Hollywood Blvd. Ordered shut: Jan. 5, reopened Jan. 6 Why: Seven violations (three high priority), led by 27 rodent droppings found “on the floor behind the dough mixer” in the kitchen, on a shelf where flour, sugar and milk are stored, and in a back-room storage area for pizza boxes and chickpea flour. The state’s follow-up inspection on Jan. 6 revealed no new issues, and the restaurant was allowed to reopen.
Mini Pita, Pompano Beach 2555 E. Atlantic Blvd. Ordered shut:
Why:
Jan. 4
18 violations (five high priority), including “12 to 15”live flies near the dishwashing machine and dry storage area in the kitchen, along with “25 to 30” live roaches on the wall “on left side of ice machine in kitchen,” and on the dry storage containers in the kitchen’s freezer. The state also spotted 12 dead roaches next to the water heater, dishwashing machine and freezer. The inspector spotted one employee who “failed to wash hands before putting on gloves” to prepare food, and red-flagged a kitchen hole in the wall along with several surfaces covered in grease and food debris, including the floor and microwaves. The restaurant was allowed to reopen Jan. 5, during which inspectors found a single basic issue.