A bin of raw chicken stored on the floor, a mold-like substance found inside an ice machine, and about 148 flies buzzing throughout a sports bar were among the issues that temporarily shut six South Florida restaurants last week.
The South Florida ֱ 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, . (But please don’t contact us: The ֱ doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
ZIPS’ NYC Pizza & Italian Kitchen, Jupiter
836 W. Indiantown Road
Ordered shut: April 24; reopened April 26
Why: 10 violations (), including six live roaches in a bowl of garlic oil on a prep table next to a slicer and under the slicer in the kitchen, “on the floor under prep table with slicer,” “on hand sink” and “on the floor under hand sink” at the cook line.
A stop sale was issued for the garlic oil, as well as for cooked ground beef due to temperature issues.
The inspection also found the slicer “soiled with food debris in kitchen” and “no soap provided at handwash sink on cook line.”
The pizza joint was allowed to reopen two days later when a found one basic violation.
Shalama’s Halal Roti Shop, Margate
1432 N. State Road 7
Ordered shut: April 24; reopened April 25
Why: Six violations (), including about eight “live roaches behind hand-wash sign on wall at hand-wash sink” in the kitchen’s ware-washing/prep area.
Also spotted: about 10 dead roaches inside of three “control devices located on ground under two-door stainless reach-in cooler in prep area.”
The inspection also found “chick peas stored in direct contact with plastic handle grocery bag” and “no running water at hand-wash sink.”
The restaurant reopened the next day after a found two basic and intermediate violations.
Berta Grill Bar Restaurant, Hollywood
6113 Hollywood Blvd.
Ordered shut: April 24; reopened April 25
Why: Seven violations (), including six roaches seen crawling around the kitchen — including on a prep table and “on floor in clean utensil storage area” — as well as “between flip-top cooler and deep freezer next to cook line” and “on floor between reach-in cooler and reach-in freezer in storage area containing refrigerators.”
The report also noted seven dead roaches in the kitchen “on floor in clean utensils storage area” and “on shelf holding clean utensils in storage area,” and “on metal pan containing vegetables in flip-top cooler next to cook line.”
“Part of a dead roach” was found on the cover handle of a pot containing white rice.
A stop sale was ordered for broth “due to temperature abuse.”
Berta was ordered shut again, on April 25, due to but it was allowed to reopen later that day after another follow-up inspection found .
Flamingo Cafe, Palm Beach Gardens
2588 PGA Blvd.
Ordered shut: April 25; reopened April 26
Why: Twenty violations (), including about 25 live flies seen “at servers’ area by soda boxes next to soda dispenser,” “in the manager’s office next to dry storage,” “by drain next to walk-in cooler” and in “the hallway by restrooms.”
One live roach was spotted in “the hallway by women’s restroom door.”
The inspection observed an “accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin by expo line” as well as a “wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust at cook line.” The nozzles of a soda dispenser in the servers’ area also were “soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust.”
According to the report, an employee left the “cook line numerous times to bring food out of walk-in cooler and started to work with food without changing gloves,” and a dishwasher was seen “loading dirty dishes and unloading clean ones without washing hands.”
The cafe was closed again the same day after a follow-up inspection found (one high-priority), but it was allowed to reopen on April 26 with .
Miller’s Ale House, Palm Beach Gardens
9800 Alternate A1A
Ordered shut: April 24-25; reopened April 25
Why: Eight violations (), including about 148 live flies in areas such as the “hand-wash sink next to ice chest at the bar landing on liquor bottles and bar,” “next to second ice chest at the bar; some landing inside the ice chest,” “by servers’ area where ice tea and coffee (are) prepared,” “in the dining room by the last seating booths behind servers’ area,” and “on sliced cheese at cooler at cook line.”
As a result, stop sales were ordered for the ice and the cheese.
Additionally, there was “no hot water at hand-wash sink at cook line” and “no hot and cold water at handwash sink at to-go station.”
The report included “objectionable odors” in the “inside walk-in cooler for meats and fish” and in the women’s bathroom, as well as an “accumulation of soil residues” in a reach-in cooler at the cook line.
The restaurant was closed again after a next-day inspection found However, Miller’s was able to reopen later that day after a third inspection found .
Shamama Restaurant, Margate
7456 Royal Palm Blvd.
Ordered shut: April 23; reopened April 24
Why: 11 violations (), including about 13 live roaches around the kitchen, including “on ground in front of and under three-door stainless reach-in freezer on cook line in kitchen,” “on wooden 2x4s supporting drain pipe under triple sink,” “inside of not-in-use ice machine” and “on ground in front of shelf holding large pots.”
About 16 dead roaches were spotted “inside of bucket of bleach water for soaking wiping cloths,” “inside of not-in-use ice machine across from triple sink in kitchen” and “on table holding flat top/grill on cook line.”
The inspection caught an employee rinsing “hands less than 10 seconds with no soap.” Additionally, “green shelving holding large pots on cook line” were “soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust,” and a “bin of raw chicken (was) stored on floor in front of triple sink.”
The restaurant was allowed to reopen after a next-day inspection found .
