Why 7 restaurants in Bradenton, Sarasota, University Park got poor health inspections

Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues. The reports are public information.

During the most recent inspections in Manatee County, restaurants were cited for problems including food that was too old, dirty equipment and lack of employee handwashing.

Here is what inspectors found:

Popi’s Place, 6409 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

• An employee cracked raw shell eggs and then failed to wash hands before handling clean utensils. An inspector advised the employee and a manager on proper handwashing procedure.
• Blue cheese dressing, tzatziki sauce, brown gravy, meat sauce and chili were date-marked as more than a week old. A stop sale was issued. Corrective action was taken. manager discarded all of the items.
• Shell eggs were stored at room temperature on the cook line. Corrective action was taken.
• Butter packets that were stored at room temperature on dining room tables were re-used between customers. A stop sale was issued, and a manager removed and discarded the butter packets.
• Hashbrowns were stored at room temperature on the cook line. Corrective action was taken. The food was relocated to a walk-in cooler.
• A spray bottle containing insecticide was stored in a restricted area. Corrective action was taken.
• Two cans of raspberry pie filling were dented at the seams. Corrective action was taken. A manager discarded the cans.
• A mixer and a can opener blade were soiled.
• An ice machine was stored outside without a locking device to protect the contents.
• A can rack was soiled.
• A back kitchen door had a gap at the threshold that opened to the outside.
• A follow-up inspection was required.

Jersey Mike’s Subs, 8210 Tourist Center Dr., University Park

• Raw chicken was stored over ready-to-eat frozen bread dough in a freezer. Corrective action was taken.
• An ice chute was soiled with mold-like substance.
• A manager or person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification.
• A cutting board on the cook line had cut marks and was no longer cleanable.
• A follow-up inspection was required.

Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota Lakewood Ranch, 8565 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park

• Eggs and turkey sausage links were cold-held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
• A toxic chemical was stored in a restricted area. Corrective action was taken.
• Required employee food safety training was provided by an unapproved provider.
• A wet wiping cloth was not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
• Knives were stored unprotected from contamination.
• Employee personal items were stored on top of single-service items for customers.
• A follow-up inspection was required.

Solorzano’s Pizzeria University, 5897 Whitfield Ave., Sarasota

• A pesticide-emitting strip was hanging on a food storage shelf. Corrective action was taken.
• A bottle containing a toxic chemical was stored on top of a dish machine. Corrective action was taken.
• There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in the interior of an ice machine.
• A hood and hood filters were soiled with grease, dust and food debris.
• Reach-in cooler gaskets throughout the kitchen were soiled.
• The interiors of microwaves on the cook line were soiled.
• Pizza oven paddles were stored on a soiled surface. Corrective action was taken.
• Floors throughout the kitchen were soiled.
• Ceiling vents throughout the kitchen were soiled with dust.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Pigout BBQ And Southern Soul Food, 5718 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

• An employee handled raw chicken and then failed to wash hands hands during a glove change. The employee then handled a clean spice container. An inspector advised the employee and a manager on proper handwashing procedure.
• Raw ground beef was stored over packaged okra in a reach-in freezer. Corrective action was taken.
• Raw fish was stored over cooked chicken in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
• Spray bottles containing cleaning fluid were unlabeled.
• Walls in the cooking area were soiled.
• Reach-in cooler shelves were soiled.
• There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in an ice machine.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Gulf Drive Cafe, 900 Gulf Dr. N., Bradenton Beach

• Crab cakes made with raw egg were stored over cheese in a walk-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
• French toast batter and cooked potatoes were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees on the cook line. Corrective action was taken.
• Fuel was stored over a box of packets of fruit jelly in a storage area. Corrective action was taken.
• No paper towels were provided at an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken.
• The establishment offered raw/undercooked animal food without a written consumer health advisory. Corrective action was taken.
• Walk-in cooler shelves were pitted with rust.
• A reach-in cooler drawer was soiled.
• A hood on the cook line was soiled.
• Soda machine nozzles were soiled. Corrective action was taken.
  
  
• There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in the interior of an ice machine.
• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Mademoiselle Paris, 8527 Cooper Creek Blvd., University Park

• Dishmachine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength. An inspector took a sanitizer reading of zero. Corrective action was taken. A service call was placed for the machine, and a three-compartment sink was set up for manual warewashing.

• Sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength for manual warewashing. Corrective action was taken.

• An employee cracked raw shell eggs and then failed to wash hands before touching clean equipment. An inspector advised on proper handwashing procedure.

• A chemical test kit was not used to ensure proper sanitization of equipment and utensils when using a chemical sanitizer.

• Hoods and hood filters on the cook line were soiled.

• There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in the interior of an ice chute on a soda dispensing machine in a wait station area.

• The restaurant met inspection standards.

Editor’s Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a “snapshot” of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and “high-risk” establishments tend to be inspected more frequently.

When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed at www.myfloridalicense.com.

The Bradenton Herald’s weekly dirty dining reports list restaurants where inspectors found issues that might concern the average diner — such as unsafe food temperatures, employee hand-washing issues or moldy drink machines — regardless of whether or not the businesses passed inspection.