4 South Florida eateries ordered shut last week

Issues included ‘floor soiled with spills of animal blood,’ roaches crawling around Cuban bread

Flies landing on prep counters and bar mats, animal blood spills on the floor and roaches crawling around racks of Cuban bread were among the issues that forced state inspectors to 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.)

South China Restaurant, Cooper City

5550 Flamingo Road Ordered shut: March 28; reopened March 29

Why: 15 violations (four high-priority), including three live roaches crawling “on cook line floor in kitchen,” “on back entrance door in kitchen area” and “on floor under shelf of flour and rice storage … behind dishwasher area.”

The inspector saw an employee entering the kitchen from outside then “grab a to-go container and a serving spoon to serve rice without washing hands” first.

The report also noted issues such as a “substantial build up of grease and food debris (on) hood filters along the cook line,” “floor soiled with spills of animal blood” and “soiled ceiling tiles and A/C vents.” The restaurant was also red-flagged for having “pesticide/ insecticide labeled for household use only present in establishment” — “one can of Raid for roaches” and “one can of WD-40.”

During a next-day inspection, the state spotted two basic violations but let the Chinese restaurant reopen. The restaurant was previously ordered shut in December 2022.

La Belle Jacmelienne Cafe, Miramar

3328 S. University Drive Ordered shut: March 25; reopened March 26

Why: Nine violations (one high-priority), including five live cockroaches spotted “crawling on in-use rice cooker at cook line” and “on oil storage tank in kitchen.”

There were also six dead roaches “on rice cooker lid” and “on oil storage tank.”

Additionally, an employee was seen “drinking from an open container while engaging in food preparation,” and an employee’s personal cellphone was “stored on food storage shelf next to various food items.”

The restaurant had one intermediate violation during its second inspection on March 26 and was cleared to reopen.

Pier 8 Seafood Bar & Grill,

West Palm Beach 4449 Okeechobee Blvd.

Ordered shut: March 25-26; reopened March 27

Why: Nine violations (three high-priority), including about 70 live flies “in kitchen prep area flying around (and) landing on shelf of canned clam juice,” as well as “at inside bar, flying around/ landing on trash cans, floor drains, bar mats.”

The report also red-flagged “raw shrimp stored over broccoli” inside a flip-top cooler with no barrier in between and an “accumulation of black/green moldlike substance in the interior of the ice machine/ bin.”

The state ordered the restaurant shut again on March 26, with seven violations, including two that were high-priority. The grill reopened on March 27 despite its third inspection finding five intermediate and basic issues.

The restaurant was previously ordered shut twice in January for similar fly issues.

Casa Santiago Latin Cuisine, Royal Palm Beach 11150 Okeechobee Blvd.

Ordered shut: March 26-28; reopened March 29 Why: 18 violations (eight high-priority), including five “roaches crawling on speed racks with Cuban bread and flour,” as well as five flies “landing on reach-in coolers and prep counters.”

The report also noted 20 dead roaches in areas such as inside a pest-control “trap on top of the dish machine,” “on floor below speed racks with floor” at a back storage/prep area, “at ice machine in back” and on floor “at handwash sink by cook line.”

On the personnel side, the inspection caught:

„ An employee touching their personal phone then proceeding “to handle food for order without washing their hands.”

„ An employee who “cracked raw shell eggs” then “changed gloves and proceeded to plate food for order without washing their hands.”

„ An “employee cup of coffee above ice machine at back prep area.”

The state also spotted a “household bug spray” being used to “kill live roaches and insects … at back prep area” and “containers of bug repellent, sanitizer and glue stored over large container of sugar.”

The restaurant was ordered shut again on March 27 and March 28, but the state cleared it to reopen on March 29 after finding one intermediate and one basic violation.