TAMPA, Fla. — State health inspectors with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation were extra busy last week working to protect the public from health code violations discovered inside local restaurants.
The state agency shut down 11 restaurants across the 10-county Tampa Bay media market.
Among the restaurant ordered to temporarily close last week was one of the oldest establishments in Ybor City, Carmine’s on historic 7th Avenue.
The problems started last week when a health inspector reported finding live roaches along the cook line and in the food storage area. The state returned the following day and officially shut the restaurant down after even more insects were discovered near the walk-in cooler and under the dish machine.
Carmine's was cleared to reopen the following day but still requires another follow-up visit from the state.
Further south in Venice, at Bushido Sushi, a health inspector reported finding 11 violations resulting in an emergency closure on April 23. The violations included live roaches on a shelf with the clean cups, according to the inspection report.
Restaurant employees were also cited for sprinkling powdered roach poison all around the shelf near where those same drink cups were stored.
And if your drink doesn't make you sick hopefully the sushi won’t either. The health inspector discovering temperature violations on the raw fish including the tuna, salmon, and BBQ Eel found between 49-52 degrees.
The safe temperature for potentially hazardous cold food is considered below 41 degrees.
In Clearwater, Tan's Chinese didn't just have roaches, but rodents too! The state shut the restaurant down with 13 violations, including rodent droppings behind the freezer and live roaches crawling around the dishware.
And two St. Pete restaurants were tied for the most violations among the closures across Tampa Bay.
Lonni's Sandwiches on Central Ave in St. Pete was shut down last Monday with 23 violations, including tuna salad, chicken salad and potato salad found at 60 degrees.
The inspector also reported finding rodent droppings by the slicer and under drink coolers, with a dead rodent left in a sticky trap that no one bothered to clean up.
And finally, Derby Lane along Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete had its kitchens for the Derby Club restaurant up on the 5th and 6th floors also shut down last week with 23 violations.
At that establishment, the state reported finding flies, roaches and rodents throughout the kitchen, including roach excrement found on a shelf by the toasters.
There was also a black or green mold-like substance inside the ice machine and around the soda dispensing nozzles.
The state also reported not finding any soap or paper towels at an employee hand sink.
For a full list of restaurants shut down by the state of Florida last week, click here.
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