A downtown Ocala Mexican restaurant that opened just seven months ago was temporarily shut down last week by a health inspector.
Sayulita Taqueria, located at 10 NE 1st Street, was ordered to close last Friday, May 17 at 12:50 p.m. after a health inspector cited 28 violations – 10 of which were listed as high priority.
The most egregious violations centered around flies found in the eatery and food being stored at improper temperatures, according to a report on file with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
All told, more than 50 flies were found behind the bar, while eight were spotted in the women’s restroom, five in the men’s restroom, two in the prep area and two in the kitchen, the report says.
The health inspector also found various issues with food stored at improper temperatures and issued stop sales on salsa, beans, corn, fish, shrimp and pork that was more than seven days old, according to date markings.
The inspector found cold food being held at greater than 41 degrees – corn (50 degrees), salsa (49-50 degrees), cheese (49 degrees), beans (46 degrees), fish (54 degrees) and shrimp (51 degrees), the report says, adding that fish and shrimp were moved to a different refrigeration unit.
A violation also was cited regarding mahi being held at 124 degrees – nine degrees below what is allowed. Salsa and sour cream were found in a server station with no time marking. And a bag of beans was left in a microwave for one hour at room temperature.
Other high priority violations were cited for tea not covered on a counter in the dining area, a male employee touching his face and continuing to work without washing his hands, a toxic substance/chemical being stored in bottles on a shelf next to clean dishes in the bar area and a container of soap not labeled.
Intermediate violations cited by the inspector were for:
- A handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times;
- No paper towels or mechanical hand-drying device provided at a handwash sink in the bar area; and
- A reach-in cooler not maintained in good repair – the unit was at 50 degrees.
Basic violations included:
- Clean glasses, cups, bowls, plates, pots and pans not stored inverted or in a protected manner.
- Several employee drinks over prep areas and reach-in coolers.
- Employees’ personal items stored with or above food, clean equipment and utensils or single-service items – purse stored inside a case of ketchup, a fan and phone on a make table and glasses on a prep table.
- Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried – glasses in a server station.
- Knobs in both restrooms must be turned numerous times to allow water to run at hand sinks.
- Floors soiled with an accumulation of debris – under equipment in the kitchen area, trash, food debris and grease. Wads of wet toilet paper on the floor near walls in both restrooms. Packaging materials, food and dishes in the prep area under tables and equipment. Food debris and paper under equipment behind the bar.
- Holes in walls throughout the restaurant.
- A build up of ice in a freezer in the kitchen area.
- Tongs stored on an oven handle.
- Interior of a microwave oven soiled with encrusted food debris.
- No hot running water at a mop sink.
- Standing water in the bottom of a reach-in cooler.
- Door to back patio near bar propped open while in service and “vermin and/or environmental cross contamination present.”
The inspector returned Friday afternoon and cited 21 remaining violations, but the restaurant was allowed reopen at 4:27 p.m., a report shows.