Roaches, Violations Forced St. Pete Indian Restaurant to Temporarily Close

An Indian restaurant in St. Petersburg was forced to temporarily close last month after inspectors found live roaches, food kept in potentially hazardous conditions and employees touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands, among other violations.

Operations at India Grill, 409 Central Ave., were ordered to stop March 25 after a state inspector found 12 violations, including three "high priority" violations, online records show. It reopened the next day.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation is the agency that oversees restaurant inspections. It defines high priority violations as "those which could contribute directly to a foodborne illness or injury."

According to the March 25 inspection at Indian Grill:

• 27 live roaches were found
• Partially cooked vegetables were left on a prep table without temperature control (the violation was corrected on site)
• An employee touched already cooked bread and put it on a plate (the violation was corrected on site)

The inspection report also included three "intermediate" violations, such as a manager not having taught employees about bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, and six "basic" violations, including an employee not using a hair restraint while preparing food.

The restaurant met inspection standards when a second inspection was conducted the next day and was allowed to reopen.

You can check for inspections on your favorite restaurants by going to the the department's online services website.

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