- Egg Station (Bartoletti LLC), 1625 Shepherd Road, Lakeland: On Nov. 13, the restaurant had 17 violations, including four high priority. Those were for an employee washing hands without soap, a missing vacuum breaker at the mop sink faucet, a bottle of ibuprofen improperly stored next to a microwave on a shelf above the salad flip-top, and an employee handling toast with her bare hands instead of tongs or gloves.
There were two intermediate violations: one for an employee washing his hands at the three-compartment sink (instead of the handwash sink), and another for failing to provide proof of required employee training.
The other 11 violations were basic: The current Hotel and Restaurant license wasn’t displayed; an employee was drinking from an unenclosed beverage in a food-prep or clean dishware area; an employee with no hair restraint was preparing food; a faucet/handle was missing at the mop sink; food was stored on the floor in the walk-in freezer; an in-use knife was stored in a crack between the reach-in cooler and steam table; in-use tongs were stored on an oven handle; an in-use utensil wasn’t stored with the handle above the top of the food; no mop sink or curbed cleaning facility was provided inside; the exterior of the cooking equipment was soiled with grease or food debris; and a back door was propped open.
- Uncle Nicks Bagels and Subs, 6955 Old Highway 37, Lakeland: On Nov. 13, the restaurant had nine violations. Three were intermediate: a cutting board soiled with debris; a handwash sink blocked by a cooling rack; and no proof of required employee training.
The other six violations were basic: a bathroom door left open other than for cleaning or maintenance; torn gaskets on a reach-in cooler; no handwashing signs at any handwash sinks used by employees; a soiled gasket on a reach-in cooler; single-serve forks, knives and spoons not stored so that only handles are touched; bulk containers in the bakery were unlabeled.
- China Garden, 1527 Bartow Road, Lakeland: On Nov. 12, the restaurant had seven violations.
There was one high-priority violation: chicken pieces stored in non-food-grade bags in the freezer. And it received one intermediate: no proof of required employee training.
There were five basic violations: a container of potato starch had a scoop with no handle; an employee with no hair restraint was preparing food; buckets of food and a bag of ice were stored on the floor; in-use knives were stored in cracks between a cooler and a prep table; and to-go containers were stored on the floor.
- Mitchell’s Coffee House, 235 N. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland: On Nov. 12, the coffee shop had six violations, including two high priority. Those were for cold-held eggs, butter and hash browns lacking time markings and a toxic substance improperly stored (in this case, warmer fuel stored over a box of coconut).
Two intermediate violations were for a soiled slicer and the person in charge lacking proof of food-manager certification. And there were two basic violations: a bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food (a plastic cup in coconut); and shelving in the walk-in freezer was not 6 inches off the floor.
Sept. 30 to Oct. 20:5 Polk County restaurants fell short of standards. There was a common theme
- Spice Thai Sushi, 3895 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland: On Nov. 13, the restaurant had six violations, one of which was high priority. That was for using non-food-grade paper to line spring rolls in a flip-top cooler.
The other five were basic violations: a mold-like substance inside the ice machine; a case of eggs stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler; broccoli, bok choy and tomatoes stored outside; all reach-in cooler gaskets were soiled with black buildup; and walk-in cooler shelves were soiled.
On Nov. 14, the restaurant met standards in a follow-up inspection with two basic violations remaining – the soiled gaskets and the soiled ice machine.
- China Taste Take-Out Restaurant, 7880 Lake Wilson Road, Davenport: On Nov. 7, the restaurant had six violations. One was intermediate: Required employee training was expired for all employees. The other five were basic: a buildup of food debris on equipment door handles; cardboard used to line food-contact shelves in a freezer; jugs of oil stored on the floor on the cook line and sauce in the walk-in cooler; in-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses; and rust on the shelves in the walk-in cooler/freezer.
- Metro Diner, 5293 Florida Ave. S., Lakeland: On Nov. 14, the restaurant had five violations, two of them high priority. One of those was for operating without a license. The other was for several foods “cold held” at greater than 41 degrees, including sausage (45F), pulled pork (45F), shredded cheese (44F), hamburger patties (46F), meatloaf (45F) and steak (45F).
There were two intermediate violations: An employee was washing a slicer at the two-compartment prep sink, and the wash solution in a hot-water sanitizing dish machine wasn’t reaching the proper temperature of 140 degrees.
The lone basic violation was for pans on a shelf that wasn’t properly air-dried.
In a Nov. 15 follow-up, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
- La Gran Muralla Restaurant & Lounge, 2810 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland: On Nov. 7, the restaurant had five violations, including one high priority. That was for a nonexempt fish offered raw or undercooked without proper parasite destruction. One intermediate violation was for offering raw or undercooked animal food without a written consumer advisory. Finally, there were three basic violations: several open bottles of water and a grape soda were on prep tables in the kitchen, an ice scoop handle was in contact with ice in the bar area, and a light on the hood system wasn’t functioning.
In a follow-up inspection on Nov. 13, two violations remained: the basic one for the hood light, and the high-priority one for the raw or undercooked fish. An administrative complaint was recommended and another follow-up ordered.
- Dairy Queen, 5239 U.S. 98 S., Lakeland: On Nov. 8, the restaurant had five violations, including two intermediate. Those were both clerical in nature: no written procedures for employees to follow in a vomiting or diarrheal event, and no proof of required employee training.
There were three basic violations: a case of whipped dessert topping stored on the floor in a cooler and a case of cookie dough on the floor in the walk-in freezer; a gasket on a reach-in cooler was soiled; and unwrapped single-serve utensils were not presented so only the handles are touched.
- The Red Top Pitstop, 12160 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 8, there were four violations, including one high priority. That was for raw beef stored over soft drinks in a refrigerator. There were two intermediate: the person in charge lacked certification, and the well-water testing report wasn’t available. Finally, one basic violation was for an accumulation of debris on the interior of an ice machine.
- Links Of Sandpiper, 6001 Sandpipers Drive, Lakeland: On Nov. 4, the restaurant had four violations, including one intermediate and three basic. The intermediate violation was for the manager’s food certification being expired. Among the three basic, the inspector noted a warewashing machine with a soiled exterior, a soiled floor in the bar area and a bucket of pickles stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler. In a follow-up inspection on Nov. 15, the restaurant met standards with two basic violations remaining.
- Taqueria Hidalgo, 6914 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 4, the food truck had four violations, including two intermediate. Those were both clerical in nature: the food manager’s certification was expired and there was no proof of required state-approved employee training. Two basic violations were food debris inside a microwave and soiled shelves in a reach-in cooler.
- Mr. Pollo Mexican Grill, 4981 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 8, the restaurant had four violations, including one high-priority. That was for raw meat stored over dairy products in the walk-in cooler.
There were two intermediate violations: one for a mold-like substance in the ice chute at the self-serve soda station, the other for lacking proof of required employee training. Its lone basic violation was for a box of cheese stored on the floor in the walk-in cooler.
- Chick-Fil-A, 4132 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 4, the restaurant had three violations, two basic and one intermediate. The intermediate was for an inoperable handwash sink. The basic violations were for a soiled floor near the potato fryer and debris on the handle of a single-door thaw cabinet. In a Nov. 8 follow-up inspection, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
- Northside Asian Kitchen, 6737 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 4, an inspector noted three violations, including two high priority. Those were for operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license and raw chicken stored over ready-to-eat sauce in a walk-in cooler.
- Brewlands Bar and Billiards, 5161 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland: On Nov. 6, the restaurant and bar had three violations, including one intermediate. That was for the person in charge lacking food-manager certification. The two basic violations were for a mold-like substance on an interior shield in the ice machine and a wiping cloth sanitizing solution not mixed to the proper minimum strength. In a follow-up inspection on Nov. 8, the establishment met standards with zero violations.