Raw sewage filled the kitchen of a seafood shack, flies swarmed inside a Mexican cantina and bathroom odors plagued a German eatery, according to state inspectors who ordered that the three South Florida restaurants be temporarily shut down last week.
One Poke Shop and Taco vs. Burritos Cantina, both in Miami, and Rene’s Schnitzelhaus in Sunrise were the only three restaurants in the entire tricounty area to receive bad inspections.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections in Broward and Palm Beach counties from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. We cull through hundreds of restaurant and bar inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for “high-priority violations,” such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.
Sun Sentinel readers can browse full Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade county reports on our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Monday) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.
Any restaurant that fails inspections must stay closed until it passes a follow-up state inspection. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
Ono Poke Shop, Miami
2320 N. Miami Ave.
Ordered shut: May 3-4; reopened May 5
Why: 11 violations (one high-priority), led by “raw sewage on ground of establishment” triggered by a clog in the kitchen sink drain, which resulted in wastewater “overflowing on the floor.” Inspectors also noticed a “covered waste receptacle not provided in women’s bathroom.” More raw sewage was spotted by inspectors during their follow-up visit on May 4, and they ordered the restaurant shut again. The state cleared the poke restaurant to reopen May 5 after discovering no new major issues.
René’s Schnitzelhaus, Sunrise
8318 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
Ordered shut: May 4; reopened May 5
Why: The state unearthed 25 violations (five high-priority), led by an infestation of 30 live cockroaches found “throughout kitchen area, cookline,” beneath the kitchen sink, “crawling on floors, running under equipment, prep table” and near the dishwashing machine. Inspectors also spotted “10 or more roach droppings” near the kitchen fryer and prep table, as well as 30 rodent droppings in the kitchen “on shelves with clean plates, clean glasses” next to a storage freezer, and on pipes attached to the dishwashing machine. The state discovered “30 or more dead roaches” throughout the kitchen. Inspectors also red-flagged examples of “ceiling tile in disrepair,” and found the kitchen floors, walls, microwave and kitchen ventilation hoods were soiled with black substances, grease and/or food debris. Finally, they reported “objectionable odors” in the bathroom, kitchen area and inside the dining room. The German restaurant managed to fix its roach woes by the second visit on May 5, and inspectors let René’s reopen despite a handful of basic problems.
Tacos vs. Burritos Cantina, Miami
650 NE 79th St.
Ordered shut: May 3; reopened May 4
Why: Inspectors found 10 violations (two high-priority), such as approximately 63 live flies inside the men’s and women’s restrooms, landing on walls “throughout dining room/bar area,” and landing on storage shelves and walls next to the kitchen dishwasher. Although the state discovered another major issue during its second visit on May 4, the restaurant was allowed to reopen.
