15 Polk County food vendors fall short of standards, 2 for pests. Eight were perfect
Fifteen Polk County food vendors fell short of inspection standards from Feb. 12 to 18, according to state inspection reports.
And while no vendors were temporarily closed by inspectors during the week, one restaurant that received five emergency orders to shut down last year had a familiar problem recur – signs of rodent activity.
In all, 114 inspections were carried out across the county during the week, an significant uptick from the previous week, when 47 took place. Ninety-nine of the restaurants inspected met standards, according to the reports. And eight of those received oh-so-elusive perfect initial inspections, with zero violations. (An initial inspection is just one that wasn’t mandated by violations in a previous inspection.)
View for yourself: Take a look at restaurant inspections for any restaurant in Polk County
The 15 vendors that failed to meet standards had a wide variety of violations. Many are directly related to food safety, restaurant cleanliness or “best practices.” But many others are not the kind of violations that would give the common diner pause before eating there. Often, the primary violations requiring the dreaded follow-up inspection were clerical in nature – operating on an expired license, failing to provide proof of manager certification or failing to provide proof of employee training.
Each week, we focus on the restaurants that had warnings requiring a follow-up, and we detail their violations so you can decide.
Restaurants that fell short
Grriffins Restaurant Dining Sports Bar-Banquet in the Lake Wales Country Club, 2925 State Road 60 E., Lake Wales, received a warning Feb. 14 after an inspector noted two rodent droppings behind an oven in the kitchen, a high-priority violation. The restaurant also had three basic violations, including two for dead roaches. A single dead roach was found on a sticky trap behind an oven, and another was found in an employee bathroom. The final basic violation was for gaskets on a freezer door “not designed or constructed in a durable manner.”
A follow-up inspection was ordered, and on Feb. 15, the restaurant met standards with only one violation – the gasket on the freezer.
Grriffins was closed five times in 2023 for rodent activity – on Jan. 18, March 23, May 24, June 14 and Aug. 15. In an Oct. 17 callback, it passed with only one basic violation – the same freezer door gasket.
Pho Tan 2, 1281 First St. S., Winter Haven: On Feb. 12, the restaurant had just two violations, one basic and one intermediate. The basic violation was for an employee beverage sitting on a food preparation table. The intermediate was failing to provide proof of required food-safety training for employees.
La Michoacana, 77 U.S. 17-92 N., Haines City: On Feb. 12, the restaurant received eight violations, including four intermediate and four basic. Of the intermediates, one was for failing to provide proof of employee food-safety training. One was for no chemical test kit provided for sanitizer at the three-compartment sink. One was for no paper towels or hand-drying machine at the handwash sink. And the last was for no soap at the handwash sink.
Among the basics, the inspector noted an employee beverage on the food prep table, an employee preparing food with no hair restraint, a box of cut strawberries on the floor in the walk-in cooler, a box of oil next to the kitchen entrance, and unwashed Avocados stored with read-to-eat food in a reach-in cooler.
In a follow-up inspection the next day, the restaurant had just one violation related to the employee training.
La Villita Bakery, 89 U.S. 17-92 N., Haines City: On Feb. 12, the restaurant had eight total violations, including two high priority. One of those was for raw chicken stored above cooked beans in a cooler. The other was for an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license.
Of four intermediate violations, one was for no chemical test kit at the three-compartment sink. The other three were related to training: no proof of required food-safety training for employees, no written procedures for handling vomiting or diarrheal events, and no proof employees were informed of their responsibility to report information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.
Two basic violations were for a container of oil stored on the floor on the cookline and unwashed avocados stored with ready-to-eat food in a reach-in cooler.
Feb. 5-11: One Polk County food vendor shut down by inspector. Among violations: No potable water
Catfish Country, 2400 EF Griffin Road, Bartow: On Feb. 13, the restaurant had nine violations, only one of which was high priority. That was for an employee failing to change gloves between tasks, instead rinsing them in a container of water.
Among four intermediate violations, one was for using water from the handwash sink to store utensils. One was for no soap provided at the handwash sink. Another was for no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event. And the restaurant received another violation for making renovations without submitting plans for approval.
Among four basic violations, one was for an employee preparing food without a hair restraint, another was for fish, shrimp, rice and cole slaw that was stored without a cover, another was for a scoop that was stored in water of less than 135 degrees, and finally, one was for not having a copy of the latest inspection report.
In a follow-up inspection on Feb. 13, the only remaining violation was for the renovations that lacked approval.
Cookie Jar Bakeshop and Eatery, 305 E. Main St., Bartow: On Feb. 13, the restaurant received eight violations, including one high priority. That was for shredded mozzarella cheese stored above 41 degrees (in this case, 45 degrees).
Among four intermediate violations, one was for an employee washing her hands at the three-compartment sink (instead of the handwash sink). Another was for a stained cutting board. One was for a lack of hot water at the handwash sink, and the last was for for the person in charge lacking proof of certification.
Among three basic violations, one was for soiled ceiling tiles or vents in a dry storage area, one was for an employee prepping food without a hair restraint, and another was for a case of sausage gravy stored on the floor.
Ramada Inn Davenport, 43824 U.S. 27, Davenport: On Feb. 13, the restaurant received six violations. Its only high-priority violation was for operating with an expired license.
It had four intermediate violations: no written procedures for vomiting or diarrheal events, no proof that employees are informed of their responsibility to report information about their health and foodborne illnesses, missing soap at the handwash sink, and an expired certification for the food manager.
Its lone basic violation was for a box of single-service containers on stored on the floor.
Jan. 29 to Feb. 4: 7 Polk County restaurants fall short of inspection standards. 16 pass with zero violations
Tua Pasta, 315 E. Main St., Bartow: On Feb. 13, the restaurant had seven violations. Among its five intermediate violations, one was for a wine glass in the handwash sink. The other four were related to training and certification: no written procedures for vomiting or diarrheal events, no proof of employee food-safety training, no proof that employees are told to report information about their health and no proof of certification for the person in charge.
Its two basic violations were for a carbon dioxide tank that wasn’t properly secured and an employee prepping food without a hair restraint.
Hershey's Ice Cream, 3800 U.S. 98 N., K005, Lakeland: On Feb. 14, the restaurant had two violations, both related to licensing and training. One was for operating with an expired license. The other was for failing to provide proof of employee food-safety training. Both were repeat violations from a Dec. 12 inspection.
Charm City at Lake Ashton, 4141 Ashton Club Drive, Lake Wales: On Dec. 15, the restaurant had just three violations, including one high priority. It was for raw shrimp stored above a box of vegetables in the walk-in cooler. Another violation was for tongs that were stored on an equipment door handle between uses (basic). The last was for failing to provide proof of employee food-safety training (intermediate).
Bedrock Wings, 127 Kentucky Ave. S., Lakeland: On Feb. 16, the restaurant received a single intermediate violation for failing to submit plans for a renovation. The violation was a repeat from its Dec. 28 inspection.
Simply Bahamian, 525 S Lakeshore Way, Lake Alfred: On Feb. 16, the mobile food vendor received a single intermediate violation: the person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification.
Mama Juanas Antojitos Mexicanos, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland: On Feb. 16, the mobile food vendor had 14 violations, including two high priority. Those were for a single live roach found on a reach-in cooler gasket and a pot of rice held at below the minimum temperature of 135 degrees.
Among seven intermediate violations, the inspector noted: no chemical test kit provided at the three-compartment sink, no sanitizer of any kind available for warewashing, cleaning supplies stored in the handwash sink, no hot water at the three-compartment sink or handwash sink, no probe thermometer for measuring the temperature of food products, no proof of employee food-safety training, and no proof that employees are told to report information about their health.
And five basic violations included: an in-use knife stored between pieces of equipment, a mobile food dispensing license number that wasn’t displayed correctly, no conspicuously located air temperature thermometer in a holding unit, a soiled gasket on a small flip top reach-in cooler, and package of carry out containers on the floor.
Beef O’ Brady’s, 110 Van Fleet Drive, Bartow: On Feb. 16, the restaurant received six violations, three of them high priority. One of those was for an employee who left the bathroom and returned to the work area without washing her hands. Another was for several cold-held items in a flip-top cooler and refrigerated draws that weren’t held below 41 degrees. The last was for operating with an expired license.
The restaurant also had three basic violations: One was for an accumulation of debris on top of a dishwasher. One was for grease or food debris inside a microwave. The last was for a soiled wall and broken kitchen floor tile.
Mexican Doll Paleteria and More, 350 E. Parker St., Bartow: On Feb. 16, the restaurant had five violations. One high-priority violation was for operating with an expired license. It had two intermediate violations: one for lacking paper towels or a hand-drying machine at the handwash sink, and another for no proof of employee food-safety training. Its two basic violations were for a bathroom door that was left open for reasons other than cleaning and an open dumpster lid outside.
Jan. 22-28: One Polk County restaurant closed temporarily for roaches. 9 others warned, 10 perfect
Perfect inspections
It’s tough to get a perfect inspection with zero violations. Here are the eight food vendors in Polk County that did just that from Feb. 12 to 18.
El Olivo Mexican Restaurant, 223 W. Central Ave., Winter Haven
Magli Delicious, 200 Post Ave. S.W., Winter Haven
Fruty Mania USA, mobile food vendor, 1719 E. Hinson Ave., Winter Haven
Taqueria Hidalguense, mobile food vendor, 750 E. Alfred St., Lake Alfred
Kingdom Foods, mobile food vendor, 186 Lewis Griffin Road, Lake Wales
Bonnet Springs Park, 630 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland
Masterpiece Gardens Family Confernce Center, 3900 Great Masterpiece Road
Chipotle Mexican Grille of Colorado, 804 Cypress Gardens Blvd. S.E., Winter Haven
Keep in mind as you read
Remember that in some cases, violations are noted are technical issues not directly linked to hygiene or cleanliness. Remember, too, that broken refrigerators, chipped tiles or fast work may add up to unintended mistakes.
Regardless, if you notice abuses of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 1-850-487-1395.
The terminology
What does all that terminology in state restaurant inspections mean?
Basic violations are those considered against best practices.
A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report.
An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: “Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over.”
An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health, safety or welfare of the public.
A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license and the establishment may reopen only after inspection shows that all high-priority violations that caused the suspension are corrected.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 15 Polk County food vendors fall short of standards. 8 were perfect