DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — Very few restaurants ever pull off a perfect food-safety inspection but three South Florida spots just did, earning zero violations on their unannounced state reviews.

Local 10’s Jeff Weinsier stopped in to surprise each of them with a Clean Plate Award and hear what it takes to stay spotless.

LA ESQUINA DEL CAFE — DEERFIELD BEACH

Tucked inside a BP gas station at Sample Road and North Dixie Highway, La Esquina del Cafe is the definition of an unexpected standout. The take-out counter serving Mexican and Cuban favorites just landed a flawless inspection.

Manager Darlene Tortosa could hardly contain herself as she held up the award:

“It’s amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing,” she said.

Asked whether maintaining a perfect kitchen is difficult, she didn’t hesitate:

“Yes it is very difficult. The boss is very, very, very particular,” Tortosa added.

When Weinsier asked if “the boss is on you,” she replied: “Yea.”

And about keeping standards high: “Every day I clean -- everyday -- every time. Ours is very clean.”

She proudly lists what they serve:

“Yes, taco, burrito -- this is our menu. I’m open Monday to Sunday. I have juice, coffee, breakfast sandwiches, lunch, croquetas.”

La Esquina hasn’t had a high-priority violation since 2023. As Tortosa put it simply:

“Everything! Everything is good? Everything!” she said. “Everything is fresh -- everything is clean so it’s the most important for me.”

SEASIDE SUBS — DEERFIELD BEACH

A few miles away in the Cove Shopping Center sits Seaside Subs, where owner Andrew Eisnitz was handed his own Clean Plate Award.

“We are at Seaside Subs in Deerfield Florida in the Cove Shopping Center,” he said proudly.

Accepting the award, he added: “Look at that .. even you guys know. This is the Local 10 Clean Plate Award. I’ve seen you man.”

Asked whether earning a perfect inspection is tough, he didn’t sugarcoat it:

“It is hard to do. I spend a lot of extra hours. I wish I was home doing something else.”

The shop celebrates its seven-year anniversary on December 7. And Eisnitz makes his pitch with confidence:

“We make the best subs in town!”

He describes the lineup with the enthusiasm of someone who does it all from scratch:

“We make cold Italians, roast beefs, we do cheese steaksm we do chicken cutlets.. we have the best chicken cutlets.. we make them to order.. they are not sitting in a pan all day waiting for you to come in.”

He added:

“We make French dips, make our own turkey, make our own roast beef, make our own mac salad.”

Holding up his new award, he sealed the moment:

“I love it man. Thank you very much. I’m very proud of that,” he said.

GUATEMALA RESTAURANT — FORT LAUDERDALE

On Davie Boulevard, west of Interstate 95, Guatemala Restaurant has been a neighborhood fixture for nearly 26 years — a true family operation now honored with its own perfect report.

“We work hard every day,” said manager Emilser Estrada. At the end of the day, we make sure everything is clean .. and we check twice. In some cases, we check three times.”

And about the job:

“When you love your job you try to do the best,” she said.

The customer loyalty spans generations.

“We have a good amount of good customers. We treat them like family. Actually, now we see their children, the children of your original customers. They bring their family,” she added.

From the kitchen — where everything is visible to diners — Estrada points to what keeps people coming back:

“We have soups. People love our soup.”

And yes, it’s all made from scratch:

“Nothing frozen. We cook everything fresh and our customers can see us while we are cooking,” she said.

When handed the Clean Plate Award, he heard the words every restaurant hopes for:

“Thank you for keeping it clean and keeping us safe. So we are going to give you that to put up for everyone to see.”

Three spotless kitchens. Three perfect inspections. Three proud local businesses doing things the right way. These restaurants don’t just serve good food — they put health and safety on the menu. And that’s exactly the kind of place we should be supporting.

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