Record 12 restaurants ordered shut last week in South Florida

North Miami Beach Ale House, Elwoods Gastro Pub among restaurants cited

Records show state inspectors were busy ordering restaurants shut and cleaned up last week.

We can't remember the last time 12 places were ordered shut in one week.

Below is a list of places and some of their violations. All the places listed were allowed to re-open following ordered clean ups and re-inspections.

North Miami Beach Ale House

3227 NE 163rd St.

North Miami Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 6

18 violations found

"Roach activity present as evidenced by approximately 15 - 20 live roaches found in the kitchen on the floor at the side of and behind a reach in cooler."

"Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, or food storage area. Approximately 4-8 live flies in the kitchen."

"Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation."

"We are embarrassed by the results of a recent health inspection at our North Miami restaurant," spokesperson Jim Kuehnhold said in a statement. "Upon receiving this inspection, we did close the restaurant that evening to ensure that all problems were immediately addressed and corrected, and then re-opened the restaurant the following morning after a thorough health department re-inspection."

"We have rigorous health and safety policies and procedures in place that were not adhered to. There is no excuse for this, and we have retrained our management and staff to ensure this doesn’t happen again," Kuehnhold's statement said. "The health and safety of our guests is our highest priority, and we want to assure everyone that we take this very seriously."

Havana 1957

Shops at Pembroke Gardens

14571 SW Fifth St.

Pembroke Pines

Ordered shut Jan. 7

38 violations found

Inspection based on complaint

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 10-15 live roaches in prep area in rear kitchen near hand sink behind working containers. 2 live behind stove in prep kitchen. Approximately 5 live in crack between wall and double of in prep kitchen in rear."

"Small flying insects in bar area and server stations. **Repeat Violation**"

"Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine."

"Employee touched bare body part and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Cook in rear was handling vegetables, placed his thumb in his mouth, and then attempted to continue cutting the vegetables. Inspector stopped him and requested that he was his hands. Employee washed his hands upon second request from inspector."

"Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Cook handling vegetables that have been washed and ready to eat with bare hands. Inspector requested that he wash his hands and put gloves on."

"Employee failed to wash hands before changing gloves and/or putting on gloves to work with food. Dishwasher put gloves on without washing hands. **Repeat Violation**"

"Employee handled soiled dishes or utensils and then handled clean dishes or utensils without washing hands. Dishwasher. **Repeat Violation**"

"Manager lacking proof of food manager certification."

"No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling."

Havana 1957 released a statement Monday that said in part, "Havana 1957 highly values the health and safety of our customers. We are taking immediate action and doubling our efforts to ensure that this incident does not occur again. We can assure our customers that all our managers are certified. However, we will take all measures to secure that each and everyone re-certify. We will be re-training and certifying all staff to ensure that every individual that works at all Havana 1957 locations is aware and up-to-date on health and safety codes."

Elwoods Gastro Pub

188 NE Third St.

Miami

Ordered shut Jan. 6

18 violations found

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed six live roaches crawling on wall inside kitchen area."

"Dead roaches on premises. Nine dead roaches found on floor in between reach-in coolers, in back kitchen area."

"In-use utensil in non-potentially hazardous (non-time/temperature control for safety) food not stored with handle above top of food within a closed container. Inside frozen green beans."

China Wings

12938 NW Seventh Ave.

North Miami

Ordered shut Jan. 5

18 violations found

"Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed 3 moist and fresh rodent droppings and approximately 50 dry rodent droppings. Observed these droppings along the baseboards on the walls, along electrical lines, underneath shelving holding single serves items and food products, on containers located in dry storage in the kitchen of the establishment."

"Interior of reach-in cooler soiled with accumulation of food residue."

"Establishment operating without a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants."

Empire Szechwan

3427 NE 163rd St.

North Miami Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 8

32 violations found

"Roach activity present as evidenced by approximately 60-75 live roaches found in the kitchen in wall cracks, underneath food prep tables, inside reach in cooler, inside reach in cooler and freezer gaskets, on walls and floors, underneath dish machine table."

"Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Throughout kitchen walls and inside reach in cooler and freezer gaskets."

"Employee with soiled clothing."

"Dead roaches on premises. Throughout kitchen."

"Food debris/dust/grease/soil residue on exterior of oven."

Siam River Thai Cuisine

3455 NE 163rd St.

North Miami Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 8

13 violations found

"Dead roaches on premises. Approximately 30 dead roaches around in kitchen area."

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 20 plus live roaches in kitchen area. 12 plus inside wood cabinet next to ice machine, 10 around and inside reach in gasket, 8 by dish washing machine."

"Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine."

"Interior of reach-in cooler soiled with accumulation of food residue."

China Lakes Restaurant

19589 NW 57th Ave.

Miami Gardens

15 violations found

"Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Approximately 12 hard dropping by back door."

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found, approximately 35 lives roaches under three compartments sink."

"Dead roaches on premises. 15 plus under three compartments sink."

"Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Insecticide for home use. By cooking equipment."

Waffleworks

3265 Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood

Ordered shut Jan. 4

10 violations found

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed more than 50 live roaches under dish machine, between broken cove moldings and wall and around sanitize buckets. There are no doors between dish area, cook line and prep area."

"Roach excrement and/or droppings present on seals of chest freezer and on top of dish machine."

"Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Sausage patties, sausage links, tuna salad and egg whites between 50°F and 56°F in two flip top coolers at cook line, overnight. See stop sale. Cream cheese in bar area on ice at 49°F. Waitress placed cream cheese in refrigerator."

"Required employee training expired for some employees."

Area 57 Colombian Restaurant and Bakery

16850 Collins Ave.

Sunny Isles Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 7

21 violations found

"Rodent activity present as evidenced by approximately 30 - 40 fresh rodent droppings found in the kitchen underneath the dish machine on top of the sanitizer 5 gallon container, on clean food tray near the dish machine, and along an elevated base board behind a reach in cooler."

"Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, or food storage area. Approximately 10-15 live on the walls in the kitchen."

"Slicer blade guard soiled with old food debris."

Mexico Bravo

16850 Collins Ave.

Sunny Isles Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 7

10 violations found

"Rodent activity present as evidenced by approximately 15-25 fresh and dried rodent droppings found. Approximately 10-15 dried droppings, approximately 5-10 fresh , all located in the kitchen area inside a mop sink, on a food tray and a box , both sitting on a storage rack near the mop sink."

"Build-up of mold-like substance on nonfood-contact surface. Walls in the kitchen."

"In-use tongs stored on a garbage can rim between uses."

"Grease accumulated on kitchen floor and/or under cooking equipment."

"Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine."

Notre Dame Restaurant

4859 N. Dixie Highway

Pompano Beach

Ordered shut Jan. 4

19 violations found

Also ordered shut Sept. 22, 2014

"Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach by soda box storage area, 5 live in box for powder drinks in chest freezer area, 4 live roaches in gaps by entryway from dining room to kitchen, 2 live roaches inside FRIGIDAIRE chest freezer, 1 live roach in unmarked chest freezer, 6 live roaches in gaps on doorway to cook line, 3 live roaches by hand wash sink in cook line, 6 live roaches under shelving in cook line, 2 live roaches by 3 compartment sink, 1 live roach under prep table at cook line, 21 live roaches under steam table at cook line, 8 live roaches under pick up window wood board , 6 live roaches on shelving above steam table, 1 live roach on wall by steam table, 1 live roach inside stove, 3 live roaches on piping behind stove, 7 live roaches by Whirlpool chest freezer near back door, 9 live roaches on doorway near pot storage room by back door, 14 live roaches under shelving in pot storage room , and 1 live roach on doorway to front counter area."

"Employee washed hands with no soap."

"Food-contact surfaces not sanitized after cleaning, before use. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. Live roach crawling in drinking glass."

"Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, or food storage area. Flying insects under the 3 compartment sink. Flying insect at the pot storage room , dishwashing area, cook line and back door area."

"Manager lacking proof of food manager certification."