Inspectors find food safety issues at these 5 Bradenton, Anna Maria Island restaurants

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 issues including lack of employee handwashing and raw meat stored over food.

Here’s what inspectors found:

Angela’s Kitchen, 1707 First St., Bradenton (food truck) — Inspected Oct. 20

• High priority: An inspector observed an employee handle raw beef with gloved hands and then fail to wash hands during a glove change. The employee then cut clean tomatoes for a sandwich. Corrective action was taken. The employee changed gloves/washed hands. A stop sale was issued for the tomatoes and they were discarded.
• High priority: Raw bacon was stored over fruit juice in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
• High priority: Ground beef was date-marked more than a week old. Corrective action was taken. A person in charge discarded it.
• Intermediate: Soiled dishes were stored in a handwash sink. Corrective action was taken.
• Intermediate: Wastewater was leaking from the outside of the food truck.
• Intermediate: There was no proof of required food safety training for an employee hired more than 60 days prior.
• Basic: Bottled water was stored on the kitchen floor. Corrective action was taken.
• A follow-up inspection was required.

Grand Buffet, 4848 14th St. W., Bradenton — Inspected Oct. 17

• High priority: In a walk-in cooler, raw frogs’ legs were stored over seaweed salad and raw fish was over cut onions. Corrective action was taken.
• High priority: Chicken, fish, shrimp, pork, krab salad, beef roast, cheese, tofu, cooked rice and cooked noodles were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a walk-in cooler. A stop sale was issued due to temperature abuse, and all of the items were discarded.
• Basic: Three violations, including hood filters soiled with grease and an accumulation of debris inside a warewashing machine.
• A follow-up inspection was required. The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit.

Hungry Street, 44th St. E., Bradenton (food truck) — Inspected Oct. 18

• High priority: Raw pork was stored over cheese in a reach-in cooler.

• High priority: Cooked beef, cooked ground beef and two quantities of cooked chicken were date-marked more than a week old. A stop sale was issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition, and the items were discarded.

• Intermediate: There was no proof of required food safety training for an employee hired more than 60 days prior.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

King Buffet, 1429 Eighth Ave. W., Palmetto — Inspected Oct. 18

• High priority: A dishmachine was not sanitizing properly. Corrective action was taken. An owner set up a three-compartment sink to sanitize dishes until the machine could be fixed.
• High priority: Raw chicken was stored over cut potatoes. Corrective action was taken.
• High priority: An inspector observed dented cans of food. Corrective action was taken. The cans were removed from service.

• Intermediate: There was no proof provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.

• Intermediate: No written procedures were available for use of time as a public health control to monitor a potentially hazardous food (sushi rice).

• Basic: Three violations, including a damaged cutting board.

• A follow-up inspection was required.

Poblanos Mexican Grill & Bar, 5779 53rd Ave. E. #9724, Bradenton — Inspected Oct. 16

• High priority: Black beans had not been cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees within six hours. A stop sale was issued due to temperature abuse and the beans were discarded.
• High priority: Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer was not at the proper minimum strength. Corrective action was taken.
• High priority: Raw animal foods (ground beef and beef roast) were not properly separated from each other in a walk-in cooler based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Corrective action was taken.
• Intermediate: An employee handwash sink was used as a beverage dump sink. Corrective action was taken.
• Intermediate: Stuffed peppers in a walk-in cooler were not date-marked. Corrective action was taken.
• A follow-up inspection was required.

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.