State inspectors ordered the temporary shutdown of five South Florida restaurants shut last week over issues including flies landing on a chocolate doughnut and a corn muffin, roaches crawling on a package of raw chicken, and ants marching on a wall behind sugar packets.
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 through our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Mondays) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.
Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)
Galuppi’s, Pompano Beach
1103 N. Federal Highway
Ordered shut: Aug. 1; reopened the same day
Why: The state reported 23 violations (10 high-priority), such as four live flies on “interior of ice bin lid,” at the soda machine near the walk-in cooler and at the indoor bar sink, along with dead flies on the banquet bar’s ice machine lid and indoor bar countertop. Inspectors also spotted a live cockroach crawling “on wall over ovens in kitchen” and five live ants crawling “on wall behind sugar packets in dry storage.” Outside, they spotted “30 live flies on open dumpster and garbage cans” near the ice machines. The restaurant was ordered to stop selling and trash two dented cans of chicken broth and tomato soup, sausage links “with mold-like growth” in the salad station cooler and a “cracked shell egg stored with whole shell eggs in salad station.” Galuppi’s also tossed its brisket and prime rib “due to temperature abuse.” The restaurant reopened the same day after its second inspection found no new issues. This was the second time Galuppi’s was ordered shut by the state since July 21.
Dunkin’, Lake Clarke Shores
1810 Forest Hill Blvd.
Ordered shut: Aug. 1; reopened Aug. 2
Why: Inspectors logged five violations (three high-priority), including live flies landing on a chocolate donut and on a corn muffin in a display area at the front counter. Inspectors also saw flies landing on the display area’s metal bars and on the nearby parchment paper dispenser. The state ordered Dunkin’ to stop selling and trash the chocolate doughnut and corn muffin “due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition.” The Aug. 2 reinspection yielded zero new problems and the restaurant reopened.
Dunkin’, Jupiter
6274 W. Indiantown Road, Suite B
Ordered shut: Aug. 2; reopened Aug. 3
Why: The state uncovered 16 violations (three high-priority), led by about 45 rodent droppings found under and near bagel ovens in the back of the eatery, “under coffee maker station at front counter” and inside the “manager’s office adjacent to bagel station.” Inspectors also spotted two rodent traps at the bagel station, and the operator cleaned and sanitized the area. The doughnut franchise reopened the next day without a single incident during its follow-up inspection.
Crafty Crab, Lauderhill
4402 N. University Drive
Ordered shut: Aug. 4; reopened Aug. 5
Why: The state’s report included 32 violations (six high-priority), such as “30 or more live roaches coming from walls behind ovens where corn and potatoes are cooked,” after which “operator cleaned and sanitized area.” Inspectors also found “25-50 dead roaches” beneath the soda machine, in the reach-in cooler, under fryers and the stove, and in the dishwashing area, plus “15 roach droppings throughout dry storage area.” (The operator cleaned those, too.) The state also spotted one employee’s beverage container on a food prep table, and one employee “wearing watch and bracelet while preparing food.” They also saw kitchen floors covered in “grease and food residue build-up” as well as uncovered food items, such as raw shrimp, hush puppies, tilapia and milk, in the reach-in cooler. Finally, the restaurant was ordered to stop selling and toss its cooked pork sausage, crab legs and cheesecake “due to temperature abuse.” Despite one high-priority and one intermediate violation found during the Aug. 5 reinspection, the restaurant was cleared to reopen.
Pho 79, Boynton Beach
1899 N. Congress Ave.
Ordered shut: Aug. 1; reopened Aug. 2
Why: Eight violations (two high-priority) were reported, including 11 live cockroaches crawling on “packaged chicken, to be prepped, in triple sink,” in the women’s restroom next to garbage container and on the floor of the kitchen. Inspectors also found a single live fly landing on cutting board near the cooking area, as well as 10 dead roaches in the kitchen handwashing sink,” which the operator later cleaned and sanitized. The restaurant was allowed to reopen on Aug. 2 after the state found no new issues.
