An Ocala restaurant was temporarily closed last week after a health inspector found 18 violations – the most egregious of which involved insects, roaches and issues with food temperatures.
The inspector visited Black Sheep on Broadway, located at 128 S.W. Broadway St., on Feb. 9 and closed the eatery at 4:12 p.m. The inspector reported six high-priority, three intermediate and nine basic violations, according to a report on file with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
The inspector reported finding 25 live roaches on a wall around a water heater near discarded pieces of wood, three live roaches in cardboard located in a freezer on the cookline and one live roach behind a wooden baseboard. The report also makes note of more than 20 live flies under a drink bar as well.
Three of the high-priority violations centered on issues with food. One involved corn that was date marked Jan. 29, which meant it had exceeded the seven days it could be used after opening/preparation. A stop sale also was issued for chicken wings that were prepared on Feb. 7 but weren’t date stamped, the report says.
Two violations, including a stop sale, were issued for a variety of food “due to temperature abuse.” Those included corn, beef, alligator, fish, chicken, tomatoes, slaw, cheese and shrimp. The final high-priority violation was issued for cleaner on a table next to a prep sink containing pork and seafood, according to the report.
An intermediate violation was issued for an accumulation of a black/green mold-like substance on a deflector plate on the ice machine and the interior of a beer cooler at the bar. Another one cited a handwash sink in the kitchen that wasn’t accessible for employee use because it contained trash cans, brooms and dust pans. And the third one involved the lack of a written consumer advisory regarding raw/undercooked animal food.
Nine basic violations also were cited. Those included:
- Buildup of food debris, dust or dirt on the gaskets of several reach-in coolers and shelves in the kitchen area;
- Thirty-five dead roaches located throughout the restaurant;
- Employee personal items – drinks, medicine, a jacket and a bag – on top of food containers and cases of food;
- A reach-in cooler with an ambient temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit with a puddle in front of it; cardboard, duct tape and wood being used in several areas of the kitchen; and three reach-in coolers with torn gaskets;
- Grease accumulated on the kitchen floor and under cooking equipment, as well as an accumulation of food debris on the floor under reach-in units near a hot water tank;
- Several pairs of tongs stored on an oven door;
- No handwashing sign provided at a sink used by food employees in the kitchen area;
- An open container of an employee’s juice drink in a freezer on a shelf over French fries; and
- Water leaking under an ice machine.
The inspector returned to the restaurant the following day and found three high-priority violations regarding roaches and food temperatures still in place, as well as a basic violation for dead roaches. The restaurant was forced to remain closed until the inspector returned later in the day and reported no violations. The eatery was then allowed to reopen for business at 4:12 p.m., the report says.