6 South Florida eateries temporarily shut

Issues include dead roaches, flying insects and rodent droppings

State inspectors temporarily shut six South Florida restaurants last week after finding more than 80 dead roaches, including one in ice by a soda machine and a “roach egg casing,” plus improper food storage, among other issues.

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.)

TooJay’s Deli, Coral Springs

2880 N. University Drive

Ordered shut: April 4; reopened April 5 Why: Four violations (one high-priority), including three live roaches found in areas such as a women’s restroom stall and on “metal trim around cut-out in wall for air flow behind cook line flip-top cooler.”

Additionally, four dead roaches were seen on the ground “on cook line in kitchen” and “under expo line table on opposite side of wall to cook line flip-top.”

The report also noted issues with the dining room ceiling, including:

„ “Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair”

„ “Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated dust”

A next-day inspection found no violations, and the deli reopened.

The Drawbridge — Flavors of the South, Belle Glade

3300 W. Canal St. N.

Ordered shut: April 4; reopened April 5 Why: 11 violations (seven high-priority), including about 26 rodent droppings “in the passage leading up to the entrance of the walk-in cooler” and “beside and behind deep freezer” in a storage area.

Six live flies were seen in the kitchen with one “landing on paper towel.”

The inspection also found issues of “temperature abuse” and raw meat not properly separated. For example, there was “raw chicken stored over ground beef; chicken not commercially packaged and … in an open plastic bag” in the deep freezer.

Use of a dishwashing machine that was “not sanitizing properly” was discontinued until repairs could be made.

Again mentioning “rodent droppings and flies present in establishment,” the report

Other issues included “mesh in disrepair at door at backend of kitchen” and “crate of onions, potatoes stored on floor.”

The state ordered the restaurant shut again on April 5 after finding one high-priority violation. But a reinspection later that same day turned up no violations, and it was allowed to reopen.

India Grill and Bar, Royal Palm Beach

650 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Ordered shut: April 3; reopened April 5 Why: 11 violations (six high-priority), including eight live roaches seen crawling around in the “small prep area room across from cookline,” “at cookline,” “on paper to-go bags and “at large dry storage area.”

Additionally, more than 80 dead roaches — and one “roach egg casing” — were found in areas such as a “small prep area room across from cookline,” “at cookline area” underneath reach-in coolers, “at prep counter near mop sink” on a “shelf next to container of chicken bouillon powder,” “at front counter storage area” and “at large dry storage room.”

A stop sale was issued after one dead roach was found in ice “at server station by soda machine ice well.” Additionally, there were five traps with dead roaches inside.

The inspection also found about five “small flying insects landing on bar counter” and 10 rodent droppings at a server station, both by and underneath a soda fountain machine, as well as “at large dry storage area … on tall white box.”

The restaurant remained shut the next day because of three violations (one high-priority) and then two basic violations later. It was cleared to reopen on April 5 after a follow-up visit found one basic violation.

Dairy Queen, Royal Palm Beach

1113 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

Ordered shut: April 4; reopened April 5 Why: Four violations (two high-priority), including three “small flying insects landing on wall” at a “prep table by front counter.”

About 12 rodent droppings were spotted “on floor under shelves with single-service cups” in the “dry storage/dish washing/prep area.” And there was one dead roach on the floor of the dry storage area.

The ice cream shop was allowed to reopen the next day with one basic violation.

Let’s Dish Caribbean Restaurant, West Palm Beach

5083 Okeechobee Blvd.

Ordered shut: April 2; reopened April 4 Why: 15 violations (eight high-priority), including 10 roaches crawling around the kitchen — “on shelves over prep table,” “on cutting board on prep table,” “from soap dispenser at hand wash sink,” “on floor near steam table,” “on shelf under cooking equipment” and “under triple sink.”

Also in the kitchen, the state found about 50 dead roaches “on storage shelves, prep table, floors under all equipment.”

The inspection also noted: an employee washing pots who “stopped to prepare/ package food without washing hands,” “raw eggs stored over cooked oxtails” in a walk-in cooler, and a “household pesticide stored under cook prep table.” Additionally, there was an unlabeled spray bottle filled with a cleaning chemical at a triple sink.

The restaurant was ordered to stop sale and toss its rice and peas, curry chicken, brown stew chicken and raw eggs due to “temperature abuse.”

The restaurant remained closed after a follow-up inspection the next day found three violations (one high-priority). On April 4, inspectors first found two violations (one high-priority) and later that day one intermediate violation, so Let’s Dish was allowed to reopen.

Au Bon Gout Restaurant, Pompano Beach

5273 N. Dixie Highway

Ordered shut: April 1; reopened April 2 Why: 15 violations (three high-priority), including nine live roaches were seen “on cleaned utensil storage rack in prep area.”

The report noted that an “employee preparing food dried hands with soiled towel and continued cooking in kitchen” and a bucket of raw chicken was “stored over bucket of raw beef in walk-in cooler.”

The state also found a “hole in the ceiling tile above prep area,” “cardboard used on floor as anti-slip measure not replaced every day or when heavily soiled,” and “tostones stored on shelf in walk-in cooler uncovered,” among other storage problems.

The restaurant was cited for having a “faucet at the hand wash sink loose and falling on its side.”

A follow-up visit the next day originally found six violations (one high-priority) and then five basic violations later that same day, but the restaurant was allowed to reopen.