Would you like roaches with that?

Pad Thai restaurant in Margate; image by Google
Pad Thai restaurant in Margate; image by Google

Pad Thai restaurant in Margate was hit with multiple bad inspections last week, closing the place for at least two days. The worst of it involved roaches, roach excrement, and an egg sac. Oddly the previous inspection was just a few days earlier and while not great (12 violations), it wasn’t that bad either.
On the 23rd inspectors closed Pad Thai after finding 35 violations including 5 marked high priority:

  • Dented/rusted cans present. See stop sale , chaokoh coconut milk 2 cans.
  • Employee failed to wash hands before changing gloves and/or putting on gloves to work with food.
  • Observed Roach activity present as evidenced by 1 live roaches found crawling on prep table, 2 in Saran Wrap box, 6 plus on shelf where clean pots and pans are stored between hot water heater and ware washing machine, 2 crawling on wall by hot water heater, 1 nestled between pots hanging and walk over 3 compartment sink, 3 between wall and pipe by hand wash sink, 3 plus in wall holes over prep table, 2 crawling on floor by fryer, 2 in ziplock box over prep table, in kitchen, 1 egg sac in container with egg roll bags.
  • Raw animal food not properly separated from ready-to-eat food, raw beef with cooked pork same container operator separated food. **Corrected On-Site**
  • Roach excrement and/or droppings present, around outlets, storage shelf in kitchen where clean pots and pans are stored , on wall where there are holes and around ziplock box in kitchen.

Map showing Pad Thai location; image and map data by Google.
Map showing Pad Thai location; image and map data by Google.

The next day had two inspections. The first, with 27 violations, noted:

From follow-up inspection on 2016-06-24: At time of call back inspection observed 2 live roaches nestled between wall and pipe by hot water heater in kitchen, 2 live under drain board by washing machine, 1 under the dish machine, 1 live by wok, 2 live crawling on kitchen floor. … Observed roach excrement on wall over 3 compartment sink.

Then in another inspection later the same day:

At time of call back inspection observed 5 live roaches on base of ceiling 1 crawling on the wall by hot water heater. … At time of call back inspection roach excrement observed in kitchen.

The place passed inspection on June 27th, but still had 11 violations.
The only other inspection with double digits this week was for The Original Bagel Tree on Atlantic in Delray Beach, with 12 violations, 3 of them high priority.
On the good news side of things, Maoz Vegetarian (in Town Center), Outback Steakhouse on SW 18th, and the Coconut Cove Waterpark (South County Regional Park) each had only 1 violation.
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The kosher Boca Grill in Somerset Shoppes had a reasonably good inspection with 5 violations, and Sal’s Italian on Palmetto Park Road had a still not bad 7 violations.
Our spreadsheet with this week’s data is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/allinsp-6-26-2016.pdf”]

Sushi Ray and Dean Anthony Struggle in Restaurant Inspection

We cover two weeks in our latest inspection report. Inspectors seem to have slowed down so we waited for this week.

Sushi Ray in Boca Center, image from BocaCenter.com
Sushi Ray in Boca Center, image from BocaCenter.com

The biggest total number in the past two weeks was for Dean Anthony’s Express Pizza with 22 total violations, 3 of which were marked high priority by the inspectors.
Sushi Ray in Boca Center (east side of Military Trail south of Glades, aka Town Center Circle) had 19 total violations with 5 marked high priority.
Augy's Restaurant in East Boca; image by Google
Augy’s Restaurant in East Boca; image by Google

Other notable inspections include:

  • Augy’s in East Boca (16 violations, 5 high priority)
  • Nino’s on Beracasa Way (15, 4)
  • Tobu Teriyaki Grill in Town Center (13, 4)
  • Cheesecake Factory (6, 3)
  • Boston Market in Town Center (5, 3)
  • The Dubliner in Mizner Park (1, 0 – near perfect)

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Our spreadsheet for the two weeks ending June 19th is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/allinsp-6-19-2016.pdf”]

They're Back: Roaches and Dumpster Diving at China Buffet

China Buffet & Grill in Deerfield Beach; image by Google
China Buffet & Grill in Deerfield Beach; image by Google

China Buffet & Grill returns to our weekly restaurant inspection after making a splash last week, where they were closed for two days due to roaches. They’re back and it’s bad.
First off, they were closed again this past week for another day due to roaches again. But that’s not the worst of it. As we mentioned in a Facebook post, Channel 10 reported the restaurant owner was caught on video:

Digging through a dumpster outside the restaurant for several minutes, removing item after item while his wife played look out, witnesses said.

Witnesses claim he was removing food from the garbage bin … adding that the owner took the food back to his restaurant … once state health inspectors had left.

That was after they had 40 violations including a stop sale forcing them to throw out items including dented/rusted cans. The latest inspection had 12 violations including 5 high priority. If it wasn’t off our list of places to eat already, it is now.
Renzo’s Cafe Pizzeria on Federal Highway had a high number this week. They were inspected three times last week. The first inspection showed 23 violations including 6 high priority.

  • Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit……mozzarella cheese, shredded cheese , tomato sauce , beans, eggplant , backed vegetables, fish , pasta all at 47° , butter, cooked , grill onion, 49° , Ossobocco 48° in walk in cooler , food being held from over night . Stop sale issue. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
  • Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cooked/heated yesterday/on a previous day not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within a total of 6 hours. Food has been cooling overnight. ….tomato sauce 63° /50° , artichoke 48° in walk in cooler, food cooling from over night. See stop sale.
  • Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking …pizza in front line pizza station , garlic and oil, pasta by the soup steam table. Time marked. **Corrective Action Taken**
  • Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food in reach-in cooler…raw breaded veal above ready to eat pasta, eggplant. **Corrected On-Site**
  • Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food in walk-in cooler…raw fish above ready to eat tomato sauce, artichoke. **Corrected On-Site**
  • Stop Sale issued on potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food due to temperature abuse….see stop sale issue. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

The next day still showed 11 violations including 4 high priority, and the same number the third day (though we suspect that is a mistake and the actual number was better).
Also on Federal Highway, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza had 16 violations including 3 high priority, and La Villetta had 14 violations with 6 high priority.
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Turning to the good news, there were a few perfect inspections in East Boca:
La Tre Vietnamese on E Palmetto Park and Tossed in Town Center were both perfect on routine inspections – zero violations. That’s A Wrap on Federal Highway had a perfect licensing inspection as well.
In West Boca, City Boys Pizza on Sandalfoot Blvd had a near perfect licensing inspection with one minor violation.
The following restaurants did well with only two violations each:

  • Utopia Bagels in Boca Lyons Plaza (Glades at Lyons)
  • Miller’s Boca Ale House, also in Boca Lyons Plaza
  • IHOP in Mission Bay (Glades just west of 441)
  • Melting Pot on Federal Highway
  • Monet Cafe near the Publix at Palmetto & Powerline

Other items we noticed in the inspections or otherwise:
1. We think there might be a new gelato place, GLYK Gelato, opening in Waterways Shoppes on the west side of 441 just south of the county line in Parkland. They had a licensing inspection with 5 violations.
2. Kapow Noodle Bar in Mizner Park had a good inspection with 4 minor violations.
3. Yakitori Sake House in Royal Palm (Mizner Blvd. south of Palmetto) had 6 minor violations, much better than we’ve seen in the past from them.
4. The West Boca Hotdog-Opolis (north side of Glades west of the Turnpike) is still closed due to a car that hit the front of the store. Their insurance wanted them to stay closed so the damage could be fully inspected. We talked to them and they said the West Boca location should reopen within a week, maybe less.
Their East Boca location was inspected this week, with a not-terrible 7 violations including 3 high priority but no warnings or follow-up required.
5. Taverna Kyma on Federal Highway had 7 violations, 6 of them high priority.
Our full spreadsheet is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/allinsp-6-5-2016.pdf”]

Bug Buffet: 40 Violations and 2-Day Closure at China Buffet

China Buffet & Grill in Deerfield Beach; image by Google
China Buffet & Grill in Deerfield Beach; image by Google

China Buffet & Grill was hit with 40 violations on a complaint inspection and closed for two days in a row after inspectors found live roaches along with dented/rusted cans.

Dented/rusted cans present, cheddar cheese sauce, baby corn, oyster flavor sauce.
Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found, 2 under hand washing sink in by cookline, 5 on floor under cookline, 1 under dry storage bins next to cookline, 3 under dishwashing machine, 2 on wall next to dry storage bins by cookline.

A follow-up inspection showed 11 violations with 3 high priority and kept the place closed. It reopened the following day with 5 minor violations.
That’s by far the worst of the week. There were some other notable bad inspections. Altanour Mediterranean and Flakowitz, both on Federal Highway in East Boca, each had 17 violations with 6 high priority.
Others in the not-so-great category include:

  • Terra Fiamma in Delray Marketplace: 16 violations, 7 high priority’
  • TooJay’s on NW 19th (near Town Center): 15, 6
  • Hijinks Sports Grill: 14, 2
  • Community Table Pizza: 14, 2
  • Long Island Bagel (441 near Target): 13, 3

TW's Lounge on 441 in West Boca; image by Google
TW’s Lounge on 441 in West Boca; image by Google

On the good side of things, TW’s Lounge on the west side of 441 near the county line recorded a perfect routine inspection. The Cuban Cafe on NW 2nd in East Boca was also perfect, and “3 Natives” at 1200 Yamato had a perfect licensing inspection.
Fit Foodz Cafe was near perfect with one minor violation. The new Little Caesar’s (by the Sandalfoot Publix) had one violation in its licensing inspection. Original Pancake House on Glades had two minor violations.
Yard House in Mizner Park had 6 violations with 5 high priority.
Our full spreadsheet is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/allinsp-5-30-2016-1.pdf”]

Something Fishy at Sushi Yama: Restaurant Inspection Report

Sushi Yama; image by Google
Sushi Yama; image by Google

The biggest number for West Boca in our restaurant inspection report goes to Sushi Yama, with 22 total violations including 5 marked high priority. It seems like they were tagged 3 times for the same rice cooker problem.

  • Nonexempt fish offered raw or undercooked has not undergone proper parasite destruction. Fish must be fully cooked or discarded. **Admin Complaint**
  • Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food held using time as a public health control marked with a time that exceeds the 4-hour limit. See stop sale. … **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
  • Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. See stop sale. – for 4 rice cookers of what the chef describes as “Old from this Morning Sushi Rice” **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
  • Self-service salad bar/buffet lacking adequate sneezeguards or other proper protection from contamination. **Warning**
  • Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. for 4 rice cookers of what the chef describes as “Old from this Morning Sushi Rice” — … **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

This is the latest in a series of not-so-great inspections for Sushi Yama. They’re never terrible, but rarely near perfect.
Flashback-Diner-Boca-Raton
The worst inspection for East Boca looks like Flashback Diner, with 19 total violations and 10 marked high priority including multiple references to handwashing and food temperature problems. In January they had 12 violations but only 2 were high priority.
Other big numbers were reported for:

  • Zorba’s Taverna on Linton in Delray (25 violations, 6 high priority)
  • Gleneagles Country Club in Delray (22, 7)
  • Waterstone Bar & Grill (20, 9) and Boca Landing (19, 8) at the Waterstone Resort
  • Poppies on Linton in Delray (16, 8)

China Wok in Sandalfoot Square also had a big number – 16 violations – but none of them were high priority.
Scroll down for the good news …
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There were some perfect inspections this week. Three places inside Boca Pointe were perfect – The country club, Center Court Cafe, and the Grill Room.
In East Boca, Domino’s Pizza (NW 2nd) and Rocksteady Jamaican (Federal) were both perfect. Tucker Duke’s on Powerline in Deerfield was too – and we are going to have to try that place!
Sushigo on Federal near Mizner Park had only 2 violations. They had a bad inspection in January. We ate there recently and it was excellent, though very expensive for dinner.
Wendy’s on Glades near Lyons had 2 minor violations.
Lucky Express on Clint Moore, near Military), had 3 minor violations.
Lemongrass Hotpot on Powerline (Boca Grove) had a pretty good inspection wtih 6 violations and 2 high priority. If you haven’t been it’s worth a try, kind of a Chinese version of Melting Pot.
Toojay’s on Yamato (Woodfield) had 9 violations but only one high priority.
Way Beyond Bagels on Clint Moore at 441 had 12 violations with 3 high priority in a licensing inspection. They just took over from Palm Beach Bagel.
Our full spreadsheet for this week is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/allinsp-5-22-2016.pdf”]