Roaches crawling inside an in-use microwave, dirt buildup on walls around a pizza station, and flies landing on a shelf with clean dishes were among the violations that led the state to temporarily shut down two South Florida restaurants last week.
The 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 spot 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.)
BROWARD COUNTY
Ciro’s Italian Deli & Restaurant
8840 W. State Road 84, Davie
Ordered shut: July 1
Why: 14 violations (three high-priority), including:
- Eight live flies seen landing “on wall and food preparation counter at front line” and “on wall in dishwashing area.”
- 34 live cockroaches seen crawling in areas such as “inside in-use microwave in kitchen,” “behind cooking oils in dry storage area,” “behind soda dispenser at wait station” and “in dishwashing area underneath food preparation table.”
- Food debris on microwave interior/exterior.
- “Accumulation of dirt buildup on walls throughout kitchen and pizza station.”
- “Black mold-like substance” on a can opener blade and a kitchen cutting board.
- Stop sale ordered for a “badly dented can with black olives at dry storage area.”
- Time/temperature issue involved lasagna — “observed no date mark on lasagna stored in walk in cooler.”
Status: Reopened July 2 after a follow-up inspection found two basic violations.
PALM BEACH COUNTY
Outback Steakhouse
11101 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach
Ordered shut: July 2
Why: Three violations (one high-priority), including:
- 59 live flies “landing on containers of food and single-service items,” “on walls and above prep counter,” on “shelf with clean dishes,” “on storage shelf with clean drink pitchers,” “on bar shelf near bottle of liquor” and other areas.
- An open “bottle of water from employee stored above food” in a walk-in cooler.
- “No paper towels or mechanical hand-drying device provided at handwash sink.”
Status: Reopened July 2 after a same-day reinspection found no violations.
