36 flies in a Panera and sewage in a Bento among 12 restaurant shutdowns by inspection

Malfunctioning coolers and fully functioning roaches dot this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed inspection.

What follows comes from Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation restaurant inspections. A restaurant that fails inspection remains closed until passing re-inspection. If you see a problem and want a place inspected, don’t email us. Go to the Florida DBPR website and file a complaint.

We don’t control who gets inspected nor how strictly the inspector inspects. We don’t include all violations, just the most moving, whether internally or literally moving (because it’s alive or once was alive). We report without passion or prejudice, but with a doggy bag of humor.

In alphabetical order:

Al China, 2998 NW 55th Ave., Lauderhill: “Four flies landing on raw pork that was stored inside the three-compartment sink.”

So, the uncooked Wilbur got hit with a Stop Sale.

“Wild bird present inside establishment. Observed landing on bag of unwashed produce which includes cabbage and onions stored in fenced area outside. Bird did not come in direct contact with produce.”

Unlike the “30 flies observed landing on unwashed produce of onions, cabbage, and potatoes.”

Inside, one lonely roach killed time in front of the cookline.

The cookline drain’s slow drain left standing water on the floor.

Al China passed re-inspection Nov. 18.

Anne’s Paradise Takeout & Catering Restaurant, 2428 SR-7 N, Lauderdale Lakes: For Anne’s, we reach up on the top shelf where the decorative glasses sit and dust off The Gretzky Award, given to restaurants that achieve a hat trick of inspection failures.

“One live roach crawling on a bag of rice in the storage room. Approximately 20 live roaches in the storage room crawling on and around rices, sugar, pastas and single service containers stored on floor in dry storage room.”

Another live roach allowed the live count to match the dead count of 22.

Turkey, pork and cabbage in a cooler for two days got hit with Stop Sales for not being even close to the 41 degrees they needed to be for safe keeping.

Somebody grab a rag. “Interior of the Kelvinator reach-in freezer soiled in kitchen area ... interior of chest freezer soiled in kitchen area ... interior of the microwave soiled on prep table if front of the cookline.”

“Wall has build up of grease and food debris throughout kitchen.”

Re-inspection: Cooked turkey, cooked potato and cabbage inside a Frigidaire chest freezer got smacked with Stop Sales.

Also not helping matters were “10 live roaches on the bottom of the prep table between the legs of the table in the kitchen. One live roach on the floor by the walk-in cooler” and five dead roaches.

Re-re-inspection (second of Wednesday): Third inspection, three live roaches and three dead roaches.

Re-re-re-inspection on Thursday: Passed. Finally.

Bento Davie, 2260 S. University Dr., Davie: “Sewage/wastewater backing up through the floor drains. Observed cooks working in standing water at cookline in the kitchen. Water keeps coming up from the floor drains.”

More Stop Sales on food that had a sleepover in a cooler: fried tofu. The cooler’s temperature was 50 degrees, so anything inside couldn’t get down to where it needed to be.

“Clean equipment/dishware/utensils stored next to handwash/food preparation sink exposed to splash. Blenders and clean utensils stored next to handwash sink at front counter and pot of rice next to hand wash sink at sushi bar.”

Bento got its box in order on Wednesday’s re-inspection.

China One, 1285 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton: “Live rodent present. Came from hole in ceiling, down electrical conduit and returned to ceiling. Over cook line.”

That’ll kill your inspection, even if the inspector didn’t see “20 rodent droppings near a storage area across from the cookline.”

Shrimp, chicken, tofu, and dumplings in a cooler all measured 49 degrees. Stop Sale, see ya.

China One passed inspection two the next day.

Country Walk Take-Out: 3089 NW 64th Ave., Sunrise: Clean your traps, people.

On glue traps above a kitchen prep table, there were 30 dead roaches and 10 roaches still alive and kicking. A glue trap on a dry storage shelf in the kitchen had five dead and one living.

Flies flew.

“Accumulation of food debris/soil residue on handwash sink” means either high traffic area or no traffic area.

“Shelf under preparation table soiled with food debris.”

When the inspector returned for Thursday’s re-inspection, five live roaches were spotted “in an inner tube of plastics wrap on a dry storage shelf in kitchen” and “one live roach observed crawling on knives stored in prep area.” O

A second re-inspection on Nov. 19 got Country Walk back open.

El Otro Tiesto Cafe, 3023 Biscayne Blvd., Miami: Of the 64 rodent droppings, 50 were on top of the dishwasher.

Not hot water at the employee handwashing sink. Wonder if that’s the same handwash sink that had no soap or paper towels.

“Interior of the reach-in cooler soiled with accumulation of food residue.

El Otro passed the Nov. 19 re-inspection.

Iron Sushi, 2195 NE 163rd St., North Miami Beach: More like some iron heads up in here. Instead of treating the inspector’s first two visits like practice tests and bearing down to pass the real thing, these people must have thought the inspector had enough of Iron Sushi and wouldn’t come back.

Instead, the inspector returned and Iron Sushi looked like stepped-on gas station sushi.

OK, you can’t get an exterminator in quickly enough to deal with the 11 live roaches scurrying about. But, you can’t clean? “Accumulation of food debris/grease on food-contact surface...stove, front counter preparation tables, grill and rice cooker.

Also, they got in hot water over not having hot water.

At the front counter and kitchen handwashing sinks, “Hot water takes to long to reach in handwash sink resulting in employees using only cold water to wash their hands.”

“Hot water at the three-compartment sink does not reach 100 degrees.” That’s your sanitizing sink.

“Observed 10+ roach droppings behind the reach in cooler” and “a live roach crawling above the cooked chicken on a shelf.”

“Equipment and utensils not rinsed between washing and sanitizing.

On the Nov. 18 re-inspection, they still lacked for hot water, but didn’t lack for dead roaches. The inspector passed them on Saturday’s re-inspection, but noted the handwash sink water still reached only 77 degrees (that’s room temperature).

Izziban Sushi & BBQ in Lauderhill, 7225 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill: “Four dead roaches on a clean and sanitized plate in drying rack next to dishwasher machine.”

“Walk-in cooler and/or walk-in freezer gaskets soiled with slimy/mold-like build-up.”

“Soiled reach-in cooler gaskets for all reach in coolers at cookline.”

Izziban passed re-inspection Nov. 18.

Ney Caribbean Restaurant, 10114 S. Military Tr., Boynton Beach: Six live roaches, four of them in the dry food storage area, and 11 dead roaches decorated the restaurant.

A beef patty kept in not-so-hot holding overnight got hit with a Stop Sale.

“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use due to being blocked by staking buckets at dishwashing area.”

Nothing says “we really don’t use this much” like the “greasy soap dispenser and faucet” at the kitchen handwashing sink.

A build up of food gunk soiled the inside and outside of the microwave.

On the Nov. 19 re-inspection, “three live roaches at front dining area....two live roaches in wood shelf in kitchen” were enough for another failure.

The inspector finally gave Ney a “yea” after Saturday’s re-re-inspection.

Panera Bread Bakery, 1600 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton: As the inspector headed into the kitchen from the dining room, the greeting party included 10 live flies at the entrance door. Another 26 flies flitted around the restaurant.

Did some South Florida coolers do a work stoppage? Are they in bargaining? Because, as with some others on this list, Stop Sales hit blue cheese and cooked vegetables that had been in a cooler overnight yet remained too warm for safe consumption.

Panera passed re-inspection Friday.

Rincon Nica Restaurant, 4395 W. 16th Ave., Hialeah: Seven live roaches were in a case of chlorine. At least they weren’t into something edible.

“Observed Employee cracking raw shell eggs and then handled clean equipment and utensils without washing hands.”

“Nonfood-grade basting brushes used in oil and marinade on kitchen work table in kitchen.” OK, if they’re not food grade basting brushes, then they’re not basting brushes. What type of brushes were they? Paint (we’ve seen that before)? Hair?

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance inside the ice bin located in the kitchen.”

We know people have started hoarding again, but Saran Wrap, too? “cooked pork stew and black beans and rice not covered in the reach in cooler in the kitchen.

Nica got an extension to work on its problems on Nov. 17.

Will’s Cafe Creole Restaurant, 5460 US-441 N. North Lauderdale: Of the eight live roaches, two danced along the cookline near two dead roaches, part of a visible roach death toll of 39.

Another cooler not serious about its job left beef, turkey, sauce and rice too warm after overnight cooling.

“Handwash sink in dishwashing area in disrepair.”

“Employee eating while engaging in food preparation.” And we’re sure he or she is washing hands properly.

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable.” Inexcusable for a restaurant. Bake the cost of a new board into the weekly or monthly budget.

Will’s passed a same-day re-inspection.

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