Florida steakhouse closed again due to dead roaches, bad odors, live insects and roaches

One steak dinner that might have left a bad taste recently is Cody's Roadhouse in Crystal River. The restaurant, located at 305 SE US Hwy 19, was temporarily shut down following a state inspection that uncovered a series of violations.

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What Went Wrong?

But on July 29, 2024, things took a turn for the worse. During a routine inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, a staggering 26 violations were found at Cody’s Roadhouse. These violations ranged from basic to high-priority concerns, painting a troubling picture of the restaurant’s operations.

Among the basic violations were reports of dead roaches, unpleasant odors in the bathroom and other areas, standing water in the cooler and floor drains, and issues with improperly thawing meat. On top of that, there were also reports of an employee preparing food without a beard guard—definitely not what you want to see when you’re out for a meal.

The high-priority violations were even more concerning. The inspector noted that the dishwasher's sanitizer wasn't up to strength, an employee touched their face and hair before handling food, and there were live roaches and flying insects spotted in the restaurant. Raw pork was also found stored above ribs, and sewage or wastewater was backing up through the floor drains. These issues were serious enough that the restaurant had to be temporarily closed.

This wasn’t the first time Cody's Roadhouse has faced such problems. The restaurant had a similar closure in August 2023. Despite follow-up inspections on July 30, 2024, which reduced the number of violations to 15, the establishment was allowed to reopen only after none of the remaining issues were deemed an immediate threat to public safety.

While the restaurant is back in business, the multiple violations and repeat closures raise questions about how committed the establishment is to maintaining the health and safety standards that customers expect.

So, next time you’re in the mood for a steak dinner, you might want to consider your options carefully.