A popular Mexican restaurant in Ocala was temporarily closed by a health inspector last week for having 14 violations – one of which involved standing wastewater with food debris bubbling up through floor drains in the kitchen.
The inspector ordered the doors closed this past Friday afternoon at El Toreo Bar & Grill, located at 3510 S.W. 36th Avenue. Besides the issue with the sewage, five other high-priority violations were cited, according to a report on file with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Those included:
- Ceviche made with raw fish stored on a shelf in a walk-in cooler of cups of dressing;
- Stop sales issued after tortilla shells were found on the kitchen floor in wastewater;
- Cheesecake held at 51 degrees Fahrenheit in a dessert cooler;
- No time markings on salsa at the front counter; and
- Two live flies in the bar area.
Four intermediate violations also were recorded. Those included:
- An accumulation of a black/green mold-like substance inside the ice bin at the front counter and a pink substance on top of an ice machine near the chute;
- A handwash sink not accessible for employees to use due to items stored in it, a knife in the sink at the cookline and a business card in the sink in the ware wash area;
- Chicken prepared the previous day in a reach-in cooler at the end of the cookline; and
- A spray bottle containing an orange chemical that wasn’t marked in the ware wash area.
Four basic violations included:
- Floor equipment under the bar soiled with accumulated dust, grease or food debris;
- Multiple employee drinks on a prep table near silverware;
- Containers of chips on the floor in the kitchen and at a server station; and
- Ice buildup on the back wall of a dessert cooler.
The inspector returned to the restaurant later in the day and reported no violations. The eatery was allowed to reopen at 4:55 p.m., the report shows.