Restaurant Inspections: Dead Roaches, No Beard Guards

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered emergency closures at two Tampa Bay area eateries last week when conditions inside didn’t meet state guidelines for health and safety.

Roach activity, dirty conditions and improper food storage were among the biggest reasons behind the temporary closings. In its Emergency Closures report for the week ending July 8, the state noted these local restaurants had been ordered shut until they cleaned up their acts:

Plant City

BuddyFreddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive

• Initial inspection date – July 5
• High priority violations – 2
• Intermediate violations – 1
• Basic violations – 5

The state’s inspector noted problems such as a broken lid on a food storage container and an accumulation of a “black/green mold-like substance’ on the inside of the ice machine. Issues with food storage temperatures and the discovery of live roaches were the biggest concerns though. According to the state’s report, four live roaches were found under the prep table. Four more were found under a cooler and another crawling critter was seen under a prep sink. The state’s inspector made a return visit on July 6 and found conditions in the establishment were up to inspection standards.

Largo

Smokin’ Rib Shack BB Que VI, 600 W. Bay Drive

• Initial inspection date – July 7
• High priority violations – 2
• Intermediate violations – 3
• Basic violations – 12

Employees with no beard guards, a dirty kitchen floor and failure to post a Heimlich maneuver sign were concerns for the state’s inspector. The discovery of dead and live roaches, however, raised the biggest red flags. The dead roaches were found under a high chair near the front door, near the reach-in cooler, between the front counter and the kitchen and in the dish pit area, among other places. The inspector found a live roach under a dining room table, five in a hand sink area, eight under boxes in the kitchen and more near the dish pit area, the state's report said. The eatery was inspected again on July 8 and did meet state standards.

For other recent restaurant inspections, check out these related stories:

• Rodent Feces On Dishwasher, 30 Roaches
• Ceiling Leak Drips On Food

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