TAMPA, Florida— A number of restaurants across the Bay area are cleaning up after serious health code violations showed up on unannounced inspections.
Jaimie from St. Pete sent us an image showing the closure sign posted on the door of Big Apple Buffet II on 62nd Avenue North in St. Pete.
The restaurant was shut down by the state last week with 26 violations. Foods like the fish, shrimp and chicken were found at unsafe temperatures according to the state.
An inspector also reported finding roaches all around the sushi cabinets, crawling in boxes with the plastic gloves employees wear to handle food and in with the aluminum foil. The inspector also reported spotting 5 cockroach egg sacks near the hibachi buffet.
Marchello’s Pizzeria on North Dale Mabry in Lutz was shut down June 26th with 26 violations.
The inspector reported seeing an employee who showed up to work and started touching the hamburger meat without first washing their hands. There were also temperature violations according to the state on the sausage, ham and cheeses and more roaches with around 25 crawling near where the soda is stored.
Down the road on historic 7th Avenue in Ybor City, Kelly Days Firehouse Tavern was shut down June 28th with 19 violations. The inspector reported finding small flying insects in the food prep and bar area with a dead fly in the ice bin. There were more dead flies according to the state in a bottle of grenadine, along with a black or green mold like substance in the ice machine.
Over the phone, management told 10News that building issues led to the problem which was quickly corrected in just a few hours.
Finally, the Denny’s on 44th Ave West in Bradenton was shut down June 27th with 14 violations. An employee was spotted touching ready to eat food with their bare hands according to the state. Inspectors also report finding live roaches near the stove, under the dish machine and behind the bread rack.
The inspector notes an employee was able to kill all the roaches but one which escaped behind equipment on the cook line.
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