Ants in honey, 115 flies, La Carreta: South Florida’s worst restaurant visits

Flies and ants in food, safety issues and cleanliness were common problems inside nine Miami-Dade and Broward restaurants closed by inspection.

This week’s Sick and Shut Down List includes a mall food court, a Walmart and Miami International Airport.

A reminder: We don’t choose who gets inspected and we don’t do the inspections. The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation does both, sometimes from consumer complaints. You can file a complaint to the agency online.

Restaurants failing inspection remain closed until they pass a re-inspection, also known as a callback. That usually happens the next day.

In alphabetical order:

Brandon Asian Cuisine, 6417 Stirling Rd., Davie

Routine inspection, 11 total violations, four high priority violations

Two dead roaches and a live one were spotted on a kitchen shelf next to the dishwasher. Five live roaches were in a container under a prep table. One was sashaying on a kitchen prep table, another on a prep table’s lower shelf.

Among the roach activity, a “bag of carrots stored on the walk-in cooler floor.”

A worker switched from raw pork and raw beef to vegetables without changing single-use gloves or washing hands.

“Employee picked up trash from floor, then engaged in food preparation without washing hands.”

The “interior of the small oven has an accumulation of black substance, grease and food debris.”

Chicken Guy, inside Walmart, 4301 S. University Dr., Davie

Routine inspection, nine total violations, four high priority violations

About 10 ants were “crawling on and in a container of honey in the prep area.” Stop Sale on the honey.

Of the estimated 61 flies the inspector spotted, 15 were “in the prep area, landing on containers of spices, walls and tables” and another 15 greeted customers “at the front counter, landing on registers, containers of ice cream toppings and boxes of bread.”

The dishwasher area had six flies “landing on clean dishes and walls.” In dry storage, about 20 flies used sealed packs of cereal and boxes of single service items as landing pads. Five flies cavorted around the mop sink.

A handwash sink had a sanitizer bucket, an indication of a low-traffic area for its stated purpose.

The front handwash sink lacked paper towels or a hand blower.

The Knife Argentinian Steakhouse, Miami International Mall, 1455 NW 107th Ave., Doral

Routine inspection, 38 total violations, six high priority violations

Common violations: “Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin” and “in-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment.”

Over 20 roaches were “crawling at the dishwasher machine electric box in the kitchen area.”

“Throughout the establishment, including the dining room area,” the inspector saw “ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance.”

“Heavily soiled equipment under the buffet line with the presence of mold-like substance, all rotten cardboard boxes … soiled gaskets at all the reach-in coolers units … dusty walk-in cooler fan.”

The “interior of the oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”

“Employees at the cookline without hair restraint.”

“Croutons and chips at the salad bar were uncovered and exposed to contamination.”

At the cookline, the “cutting board had cut marks and is no longer cleanable.”

The can opener blade was “soiled.” The mixer was “heavily soiled.”

The wet wiping cloths weren’t stored in sanitizing solution between uses.

The “equipment and utensils not properly air-dried — wet nesting.”

On the floor of the walk-in cooler sat “a bucket with eggs and mayo stored.”

“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at the handwash sink.”

La Carreta, Concourse D, Miami International Airport, 2100 NW 42nd Ave., Miami

Complaint inspection, 16 total violations, four high priority violations

Yes, this is the airport La Carreta that has lines for cafecito and pastelitos in the morning and, during lunch and dinner, usually a packed dining area under mid-century modern lighting.

Popular with American Airlines passengers, the restaurant had 15 roaches, 12 of them living. Among the ditty dozen were two on the kitchen floor, one behind a cookline cooler, one on a kitchen wall, two behind a prep table and two on a wall in the prep table area.

As for the flies, seven were “on the wall in the back area kitchen” and three were “around the second cookline kitchen handwash sink.” About 10 flies swarmed clean containers on a shelf. Three flies were by the three-compartment sink.

The tray cart was “heavy soiled.” There was a “grease buildup behind steamers located in the second cookline and prep area. Also described as “soiled” were a back area wall under a fan, the wall under the three-compartment sink, the kitchen area wall, and the wall behind the ice machines.

Also dirty enough to be noted were the floor under storage area shelves, the floor next to the cafeteria dishwasher, the back of the cafeteria dishwasher, the top of the oven; the outside of the grills, and the underside of the flat grill and the steam table.

Two cans of seafood paella broth were dented enough to be sent to the garbage with Stop Sales.

La Union Restaurant of Fla., 1000 S. State Rd. 7, Margate

Routine inspection, 44 total violations, 12 high priority violations

Broward’s inspection champion over the past month racked up 10 more violations than second place Chow Time Grill & Buffet.

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”

“Objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment. … a strong odor of urine.”

The walk-in coolers shelves were “rusted and have a buildup of slime, and mold-like substance.”

A dead roach found in a bucket sitting in a handwash sink, with the bucket also an issue in a place that needed to be clear for handwashing.

Six roaches died around the hot water heater. One roach died on the side of a reach-in cooler. Seven roaches were “crawling on the wall and shelves around the three-compartment sink.”

“At the dish washing area, there was a buildup of roach excrement along the shelves and wall.”

The flies numbered about 66, and 25 ended up “landing on dirty and clean dishes at the dish washing area.” Another 25 were “landing on walls in the dining room and behind reach-in coolers where a large puddle of water is on floor.” Four were hanging out on the women’s restroom walls.

Now to the handwashing problems:

An “employee cracked raw shell eggs and, without washing hands, handled plate and utensils” in assembling a meal.

Someone else “handled a container of raw chicken, and, without washing hands, handled clean plates and utensils.”

Someone else “pulled up pants and, without washing hands, resumed cooking eggs.”

Then again, the handwash sink had a hat trick of failures: no soap, no way to try hands and no hot-enough water.

“Multiple cutting boards are grooved and no longer cleanable.”

“Throughout the kitchen, multiple floor tiles are missing and in disrepair with food and standing water.”

The “sides of cooking equipment are soiled with a thick buildup of grease and food debris.”

In the walk-in cooler, containers of raw fish and sauces had been left uncovered.

Raw chicken sat thawing at room temperature. That’s a major problem.

“Raw or cooked meat, poultry or egg products, as any perishable foods, must be kept at a safe temperature during ‘the big thaw,’” the USDA explains. “They are safe indefinitely while frozen. However, as soon as they begin to thaw and become warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply.”

For the same reason, food kept in cold storage needs to be at or below 41 degrees or suffer “temperature abuse.” That’s why Stop Sales rained down on milk, pork tamales, cheese, pasteurized eggs, coleslaw, sliced ham and cooked beans that had been in a reach-in cooler for more than six hours without properly getting down in temperature.

Sawa, 360 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables

Routine inspection, 15 total violations, five high priority violations

We told you earlier this week about this Shops of Merrick Park restaurant that took two callback inspections to reopen.

READ MORE: Roaches and moldy fruit at a Coral Gables restaurant that failed 2 inspections

SoCal Tacos Co. & Cantina, 1000 S. Miami Ave., Miami

Routine inspection, 24 total violations, five high priority violations

An “accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior and on the exterior” of an ice machine.

“Extensive accumulation of food debris, grease, and dead roaches along the entire floor and wall junction in the storage area, near the ice machine and reach-in coolers.”

Thirty 30 roaches died on the prep area floor.

“Approximately 40 roach droppings along the floor and wall junction.”

The dishwasher wasn’t sanitizing.

The “hood filter was missing from the automatic fire suppression/exhaust system at first floor kitchen.”

Inspectors observed cutting boards with cut marks and no longer cleanable in the first-floor kitchen.

Stop Sales sent raw marinade shrimp that measured 48 degrees to the trash.

The first-floor kitchen handwash sink didn’t have a way to dry hands.

Sushi Sake, 9565 SW 72nd St., Kendall

Routine inspection, 14 total violations, six high priority violations

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.”

The inspector counted 115 flies. Eight landed on a container of lychees and one got inside. About 20 flies were “landing and crawling inside bag of onions underneath prep table across cook line.” Stop Sales on the lychees and the onions.

A swarm of 25 flies were “landing on trays of soy sauce and eel sauce, on boxes of single service cups at the wait station area.” About 10 were “landing on top of rice cookers with rice inside, on a wall and on a prep table next to the cookline.” A vegetable chopper and sanitizer bucket were the playground for 15 flies. In the bar area, 10 flies were “landing on beer taps, liquor bottles and on top of garnish containers.”

A clean cutting board was a runway for six flies. Five were landing on clean bowls and equipment.

A prep table shelf with clean equipment was lined with cardboard.

Standing water was near the back door.

“Observed a chef put on a pair of gloves and begin to prepare a customer order without first washing hands.”

Yumwich, 11400 North Kendall Dr., Kendall

Routine inspection, 15 total violations, eight high priority violations

“In-use knife/knives were stored in cracks between pieces of equipment,” the equipment being a reach-in cooler and a prep area counter.

A worker entered into the kitchen from outside and began to make a drink for a customer without washing hands. An employee didn’t wash hands before donning single-use gloves for food preparation.

Someone else touched a cellphone, then went back to handling food without changing gloves or washing hands.

There were no Stop Sales on food, even though the only reach-in cooler had an ambient temperature of 49 degrees. The cooler needed to keep food at or under 41 degrees.