Boca Raton bistro ordered shut last week for roaches

A Boca Raton Italian restaurant, bakery and espresso bar last week was the only restaurant in all of Broward and Palm Beach countries forced to temporarily close. Among the reasons: At least 20 live cockroaches around a kitchen grill and ingredients stored at unsafe temperatures.

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.

Sun Sentinel readers may browse full Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade county reports through our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Mondays) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.

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.)

Saquella Café, Boca Raton

410 Via De Palmas, Unit 82

Ordered shut: Twice on Feb. 8; reopened Feb. 9

Why: Eight violations (three high-priority), led by about “20 live roaches under cookline grill.”

The inspection noted “raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food,” citing batter for a quiche pastry tart “stored above clean produce.” The restaurant operator was asked to move it to a lower shelf to avoid cross-contamination.

Other violations: A “food preparation area” without a handwashing sink and perishable dairy items — including milk, ice and eggs — kept at unsafe temperatures.

At least five live roaches congregating around the same kitchen grill forced inspectors to order shut Saquella a second time on Feb. 8. The next day, a third inspection found three intermediate issues, but the state allowed the restaurant to reopen.

Saquella Caffe has been ordered shut several times in the past 10 years, most recently in June 2021 for live flies and temperature-abused food items.