11 restaurants around Bradenton, AMI get poor health inspections. One was briefly shut down

Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues. The reports are public information.

During the most recent inspections in Manatee County, several restaurants were cited for lack of employee handwashing and unsafe food temperatures.

A Jimmy John’s in Bradenton was briefly shut down because there was no potable water in the restaurant.

Here is what inspectors found:

Jimmy John’s, 6923 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton

• An inspector ordered that Jimmy John’s be temporarily closed on Aug. 5 after it was observed that there was no potable water in the establishment.

• An employee with facial hair was preparing food without a beard guard.

• The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit later that day and was allowed to reopen.

Ellenton Cafe, 7044 U.S. 301 N., Ellenton

• Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength. An inspector took a sanitizer reading of zero.

• A cook cracked raw shell eggs and then failed to wash hands before handling clean equipment and utensils. An inspector advised on proper handwashing procedure. Corrective action was taken.

• An employee handled dirty utensils and dishes and then failed to wash hands before handling cleaned and sanitized utensils and dishes.

• An inspector observed a server handle ready-to-eat toast with bare hands in order to cut and butter it.

• Raw salmon was stored above milk and olives. Corrective action was taken.

• Butter packets, pancake batter and corned beef hash were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.

• A toxic substance was stored next to clean equipment. Corrective action was taken.

• No test kit was at hand to measure the strength of sanitizer in use for warewashing and/or wiping cloths.

• There was no proof of required food safety training for any employees.

• No soap was provided at an employee handwash sink on the cook line. Corrective action was taken.

• Spray bottles containing toxic substances were unlabeled.

• Hood filters were soiled with grease and food debris.

• Employee personal items were stored next to clean equipment, food and single-service items.

• There was an accumulation of debris inside a warewashing machine.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

Sweetberries Frozen Custard & Eatery, 4500 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

• Turkey, grilled chicken, sliced cheese, broccoli salad, pasta salad and potato salad were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. The three salad items had been held overnight. A stop sale was issued for those items due to temperature abuse, and they were discarded. The other items were moved to a walk-in cooler for rapid cooling.

• Clam chowder was hot held at a temperature less than 135 degrees. Corrective action was taken. The food was reheated.

• No currently certified food service manager was on duty while four or more employees were engaged in food preparation/handling.

• An employee washed hands in a non-handwashing sink. An inspector advised on proper procedure.

• A can opener blade was soiled. Corrective action was taken.

• Gaskets on multiple reach-in coolers were soiled.

• Containers of custard were stored on the floor in a walk-in freezer.

• The floor of a walk-in freezer was soiled.

• Two cutting boards were grooved an no longer cleanable.

• There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in an ice machine in the kitchen.

• A follow-up inspection was required. The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit the next day.

Culver’s, 2605 University Parkway, Sarasota

• Shredded cheese, blue cheese crumbles, spring mix, shredded lettuce and cut tomatoes were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. The items had been held overnight. A stop sale was issued due to temperature abuse, and the food was discarded.

• A reach-in cooler was not maintaining cold enough temperatures to store potentially hazardous food items. Corrective action was taken. A restaurant operator placed a service call for the machine.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

Blueberries Cafe & Wine, 5337 Gulf Dr. #300, Holmes Beach

• Raw shell eggs were stored over milk. Corrective action was taken.

• Warewashing sanitizer in use at a three-compartment sink exceeded the maximum concentration allowed. Corrective action was taken.

• A manager or person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification.

• There was no proof of required food safety training for any employees.

• No test kit was at hand to measure the strength of sanitizer in use for warewashing.

• An employee handwash sink was being used to wash food.

• A box of avocados, a case of bottled water and to-go boxes were stored on the floor.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

Maple Street Biscuit Company, 8491 Cooper Creek Blvd. # 107, University Park

• Grits and mushroom gravy were hot held at temperatures less than 135 degrees in a steam table. Corrective action was taken.

• Raw chicken was cold held at a temperature greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.

• Hood filters on the cook line were soiled with grease and food debris.

• Employee personal items were stored with single-service items for customers.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

InfuZions Thai & Vietnamese Cuisine, 6090 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota

• Cooked chicken, raw pork, raw beef, squid, scallops, tofu, raw shell eggs, noodles and cooked potatoes were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken. The items were relocated to a walk-in freezer for rapid cooling.

• Dishmachine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength. Corrective action was taken. A restaurant operator placed a service call for the machine and set up a three-compartment sink for manual warewashing.

• Raw eggs were stored over ready-to-eat spinach, and raw pork was stored above ready-to-eat cilantro. Corrective action was taken.

• An ice scoop was stored on an unclean surface in between uses.

• A reach-in cooler was not maintaining cold enough temperatures to store potentially hazardous food items.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe, 4000 Gulf Dr., Holmes Beach

• Cut tomatoes and ham were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.

• Spray paint was stored next to oats, a container of bleach was stored next to napkins. Corrective action was taken.

• The business did not have proper documentation of employee food safety training.

• Wiping cloth sanitizing solution was not at the proper minimum strength. Corrective action was taken.

• Walk-in cooler shelves were pitted with rust.

• An employee drink was stored on a food prep table. Corrective action was taken.

• A cutting board had cut marks and was no longer cleanable.

• Two ice machines and multiple ice bins at a wait station had an accumulation of mold-like substance inside. Corrective action was taken.

• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Habanero’s Mexican Grill and Bar, 5120 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

• Dishmachine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength. Corrective action was taken. An inspector took a sanitizer reading of zero. Corrective action was taken. A restaurant operator placed a service call for the dishmachine and set up a three-compartment sink for manual warewashing. The dishmachine was fixed during the inspection.

• Sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength for manual warewashing. An inspector took a sanitizer reading of zero at a three-compartment sink. Corrective action was taken.

• A cook failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to work with food. Corrective action was taken.

• A back screen door had a gap at the threshold that opened to the outside.

• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Theresa’s Restaurant, 711 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton

• An employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to work with food. An inspector advised on proper handwashing. Corrective action was taken.

• Sausage gravy that was being reheated in a microwave had not reached a minimum temperature of 165 degrees. Corrective action was taken.

• Sliced tomatoes, butter and sausage were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.

• Whole milk and cottage cheese were not date-marked with the dates they had been opened. Corrective action was taken.

• There were no written procedures in place for use of time as a public health to monitor potentially hazardous food. Corrective action was taken.

• The establishment offered raw and/or undercooked animal food without a written consumer health advisory.

• Required food safety training was expired for one employee.

• Hood vents over a grill were soiled.

• Cutting boards were stained.

• There was mold-like substance on reach-in cooler and freezer gaskets.

• No copy of the restaurant’s latest inspection report was available.

• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Domino’s Pizza, 7610 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota

• There was a leak in the kitchen ceiling next to an oven.

• Pizza dough was contaminated with water from the leak in the ceiling. The water was also landing in a container on a food prep table. A stop sale was issued for the pizza dough due to food being in unsound condition, and a restaurant operator discarded it.

• An inspector observed objectionable odors in the rear of the kitchen and in a warewashing area.

• There was standing water on the floor from the leak in the ceiling.

• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Editor’s Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a “snapshot” of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and “high-risk” establishments tend to be inspected more frequently.

When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed at www.myfloridalicense.com.

The Bradenton Herald’s weekly dirty dining reports list restaurants where inspectors found issues that might concern the average diner — such as unsafe food temperatures, employee hand-washing issues or moldy drink machines — regardless of whether or not the businesses passed inspection.