State shut down four South Florida eateries
Issues include roaches, sewage backing up, no running water
A restaurant operating without running water, live roaches crawling in a tinfoil box and sewage backing up through floor drains were among the violations that temporarily shut four South Florida restaurants last week. 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 spotted 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.)
Grio Express, Lauderdale Lakes 4308 N. State Road 7 Ordered shut: Feb. 27; reopened
same day
Why: 13 violations (four high-priority), including “operating with no potable running water” at the establishment’s three-compartment sink and in the handwashing sink in the employee bathroom.
One employee was seen handling their cellphone then engaging “in food preparation.”
The state also noted multiple sanitation and disrepair issues such as a “freezer chest lid broken off the hinges,” kitchen “hood filters soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust,” and “cardboard used on floor as anti-slip measure not replaced every day or when heavily soiled.”
Despite six basic and intermediate violations found during a secondinspectionthesameday,the restaurant was cleared to reopen.
Rio’s Cafe and Grill, Pompano Beach 3937 N. Federal Highway Ordered shut:
Feb. 26 and 27; reopened Feb. 27
Why: Seven violations (one high-priority), including seven live cockroaches spotted “behind hand sink faucet in kitchen,” “in storage drawer under hand sink,” “in boxed foil on counter by hand washsink,”“indrystoragecabinet,” and “in water heater pan, next to cook line in kitchen.”
There were also seven dead roaches found in the kitchen, in areas such as “behind hand sink cabinet” and “next to reach-in cooler at the front counter.”
Finally, the state uncovered a buildup of “grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust” on kitchen hood filters.
The restaurant was again ordered shut on Feb. 27, but another inspection that same day found one basic violation and it was allowed to reopen.
Hunan City Boca, Boca Raton
9101 Lakeridge Blvd. Ordered shut: Feb. 28; reopened Feb. 29
Why: Six violations (three high-priority), including 15 live cockroaches seen around the kitchen in areas such as “on ground under cook line equipment,” “on wall next to combo reach-in cooler/freezer on cook line” and “on ground under box of oil on cook line.”
The state also “observed 20 dead roaches on ground on cook line and under cook line equipment.” The report also said the floor was “soiled/has accumulation of debris … under cook line equipment” and “boxes of chicken (were) stored on floor in walk-in cooler.”
The state’s next-day inspection found a high-priority violation, but the restaurant was allowed to reopen.
Atlantis Pizzeria, Atlantis
5925 S. Congress Ave. Ordered shut: Feb. 26; reopened
same day
Why: 11 violations (three high-priority), including a drain next to a walk-in cooler backing up with “sewage/wastewater … after hand sink used at pizza/hot line station.”
One employee was seen washing their “hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink.” The state also noted “cut sausage stored in” a nonfood-grade, to-go bag.
Finally, the state found multiple sanitation issues, including “fry oil stored under back kitchen prep table,” “ice buildup in reach-in freezer,” hood filters “soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust” and a soiled wall “at hot line above garbage can.”
The pizzeria reopened the same day after a second inspection found one basic and two intermediate violations.