2 Restaurants ordered Shut after 25 Live roaches were found amid other appalling conditions in Hollywood and Boynton Beach in Florida

State inspectors found approximately 25 cockroaches in a kitchen cooler, poor food storage, and an employee handling food with broken gloves, two eateries in South Florida briefly closed last week.

Restaurant inspections in Florida are carried out by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Recent inspection was conducted in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

In this weekly inspections, the investigators looked for “high-priority violations,” such food that is too hot or cockroaches that have died, and they shut down any establishments that violate certain criteria.

Dragon City, Hollywood

6706 Stirling Road

The kitchen was found to have nine violations, two of which were high-priority. One of the cockroaches was found crawling around the area “on table next (to) rice warmer.” Another one was found “under unused slicer on shelf under prep table.” One more was found “next to closed container containing bowls under prep table.”

There were three roaches that were found dead in the kitchen, specifically “on floor behind microwave” and “under prep table,” according to the report.

Water from an opened bottle was discovered “stored over sauces in dry storage room,” according to an employee. The following faults were also noted: “hood filters soiled with accumulation of grease in cook line,” “floor soiled/has accumulation of debris behind chest freezers in storage room,” and a dirty ice machine reflector in the ware washing area.

On top of that, the dry storage room had a few broken or damaged ceiling tiles.

A follow-up inspection found two serious infractions, yet the authorities still gave the eatery the go-ahead to reopen the next day.

Porto Bella Italian Restaurant, Boynton Beach

9770 S. Military Trail

“One dead roach on ground next to steam table in kitchen” and “25 live roaches inside of door jamb of left-side cook line flip-top cooler in kitchen” are two of the ten infractions, four of which are considered high-priority.

The employee in question was observed “handling food with damaged gloves,” and the walk-in refrigerator contained “raw animal food” (chicken cutlet) “stored above unwashed onions.”

In addition, there was a dirty “metal stem-type thermometer,” a microwave that had “accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris” inside, and a reach-in cooler that had “accumulation of soil residues” on the inside.

The eatery was allowed to reopen after the authorities discovered two infractions during its inspection on March 8. In January, Porto Bella was already ordered shut four times.

List of Restaurants Ordered Shut-Over Rodent Violations in Florida