'Top Chef' winner faces Local 10 News about restaurant violations

South Florida restaurants found with roaches, flies, other violations

PEMRBOKE PARK, Fla. ā€“ Howie Kleinberg is used to being in the spotlight. He opened Bullbog BBQ in North Miami Beach after his appearance on season three of "Top Chef."

However, the spotlight he recently received from his restaurant being featured on Dirty Dinning wasn't welcomed.

"This mortifies me,"Ā Kleinberg, who earned the nickname "Bulldog" for his tough guy attitude on the show, said. "This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my career."

Last week, an inspector found 16 violations in the restaurant, which was once named a top 10 new barbecue restaurant by Bon Appetite Magazine, and ordered to be shut down and cleaned up.

The violations included 40 live roaches in the kitchen and a mold-like substances in soda nozzles.

While many who have their restaurants featured on Dirty Dinning run and hide from Local 10 News cameras, Kleinberg didn't.

Kleinberg said he's embarrassed and wants to apologize to his customers for the violations. Ā 

"We weren't aware that the issue was as bad as it was," he said. "When the inspector came in they moved some equipment and found a couple of spots."

Kleinberg said he understands customers concerns.

"I know that it turns people off. It would turn me off," he said. "And we need to work extra hard to rebuild the trust and make sure people understand that this is not acceptable to us. This is not something we wanted and ever wanted to happen."

Kleinberg said they have his promise that the restaurant will improve.

"I say to customers, you will see me here doing my due diligence to make sure nothing like this ever happens again," he said.

In Aventura, Mr. Chef's Fine Chinese Cuisine, located behind the Aventura Town Center, had 21 violations last week. The violations included live and dead roaches, roach excrements in the kitchen and mold-like substances in the ice bin.

The only reaction Local 10 News got from the restaurant was an irate chef who didn't want cameras around.

"Get out of here," he said, shooing away the camera.

Inspectors also visited On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, located at 15301 Northwest 67th Avenue in Miami Lakes, after getting a complaint.

"Turn (the camera) off and then we will talk," an employee said.Ā 

An inspection found 14 violations found at the establishment. The violations included live roaches found crawling on a break room table, on the wall near a chip machine and behind booths near the bar.

There were also about 130 flies around the sink, in the hallway, food prep and storage areas and at the to-go counter. Behind every booth in the dining room, crumbled tortilla chips were found.

Corporate management issued a statement about the violations: "After a recent citing by the health department, our teams immediately took action along with EcoSure to correct the issue. We regularly work with third party services to ensure the highest level of operations and had completed such an audit about three weeks prior."

In Pompano Beach, a Tijuana Flats located south of Atlantic Boulevard on Federal Highway was found with 12 violations, including live roaches in the sink, dead roaches next to the cook line and live flies in the kitchen and in a food prep area.

A manager from the restaurant refused to speak about the violations. However, a chief marketing officer with the company did issue a statement: "The violations sited were immediately addressed and the location was re-inspected. The store was given a thumbs up and opened the very next day. We take these things seriously and work diligently to ensure our standards are above expectations."Ā 

All the places listed in this article were allowed to be re-opened following an ordered clean up and re-inspection.Ā