The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation releases its inspection reports for Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties each week, highlighting the restaurants with the most violations in the past 30 days.
Violations range from basic to intermediate to high-priority, with each based on the level of immediate threat to diners’ safety, according to state inspection criteria.
The following key can be used as a guide:
High-priority: Could contribute directly to a food-borne illness or injury.
Examples: Handwashing, correct heating/cooling temperatures, separation of raw animal foods, missing vacuum breaker (to prevent backflow), evidence of pests and live roaches.
Intermediate: If not addressed, could lead to risk factors that contribute to food-borne illness or injury.
Examples: Personnel training, documentation, record keeping and labeling, ice machine mold and stained cutting boards.
Basic: Best practices to implement.
Examples: Broken ceiling tiles, soiled floor, open dumpster lid, gouged cutting boards, hair not restrained during food preparation and dead roaches.
Administrative Complaint:
A form of legal action taken after insufficient compliance with a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action has taken place.
Stop Sale:
Issued to give notice that an item, processing equipment, area or storage is in violation and has been detained or embargoed and therefore cannot be used or sold until given permission.Sarasota County (Wellen Park, Venice, North Port)
In the past 30 days, 41 restaurants did not pass the inspection at the first visit.
POKEHUB 1693 Us 41 Bypass S Unit A, Venice: 25 Violations
Six high-priority violations found during June 3 inspection.Follow-up inspection required, resulted in only 4 violations.Original violations included observing employees smoking and eating and not washing hands before handling food.Repeat time/temperature violation found for items like cut fish, pork, tofu, sauces and boba drink mixes, which were prepared more than a day before.
VALENTI RESTAURANT 1200 E Venice Ave, Venice: 20 Violations
Two high-priority violations found during May 21 inspection.Follow-up inspection required, resulted in 14 violations.Original violations included rodent rub marks on an electrical cable in the equipment storage area.Stop Sale issued for seven foods, including raw chicken and cooked clams/mussels, for being held overnight.
SUSHIOO JAPANESE 14415 Tamiami Trl, North Port: 17 Violations
Five high-priority violations found during May 22 inspection.Follow-up inspection required, resulted in just 4 violations.Original violations included an accumulation of dead flying insects in the control device in the kitchen and a time/temperature control warning.Violation given for white tuna being advertised on the menu but restaurant serves escolar in place of it.
BOB EVANS 4312 Tamiami Trail South, Venice: 16 Violations
Three high-priority violations found during June 3 inspection.Follow-up inspection required, resulted in just 6 violations.Original violations included were for employees cracking raw eggs and changing tasks without washing hands first or wiping hands on dirty apron at the cook line without washing hands.Multiple basic violations, some repeat violations, for kitchen areas with built up soil residue, grease and rust.
BANYAN HOUSE 19725 Wellen Park Blvd, Venice : 15 Violations
Four high-priority violations found during June 2 inspection.Follow-up inspection required.Violations include warnings for 1) meats, fish, chicken and pasta that had been prepared onsite more than a day prior and 2) A/C vent condensation dripping onto guest tables and service ware.Stop Sale on grouper in reduced oxygen packaging due to it being kept in cooler with no time/date stamp.Charlotte County (Englewood, Port Charlotte)
In the past 30 days, 10 restaurants did not pass the inspection at the first visit.
WHITE ELEPHANT PUB 1855 Gulf Blvd, Englewood: 15 Violations
One high-priority violations found during June 5 inspection.Follow-up inspection required.Violation and warning given for raw steaks stored above cooked ribs and raw pork.Multiple violations for lack of food service management certifications and/or employee training verification.
LITTLE GUYS PIZZA & SUBS 1100 El Jobean Road No. 126, Port Charlotte: 15 Violations
Four high-priority violation found during June 4 inspection.Follow-up inspection required.Time/temperature violation given for pizza warming cabinet not held hot or on time and violation given for eggs stored over unwashed bag of onions.
MISAKI SUSHI 1948 Kings Hwy, Port Charlotte: 13 Violations
Five high-priority violation found during June 3 inspection, no follow-up inspection required.Time/temperature control violations given for raw steak left out and no time stamp on cooked sushi rice.Violation also given for cook, from their mouth, blowing air into gloves prior to putting hands into a glove.DeSoto County (Arcadia)
In the past 30 days, 1 restaurant did not pass the inspection at the first visit.
AZUL TEQUILA MEXICAN RESTAURANT 1121 E Oak St, Arcadia: 15 Violations
Two high-priority violations were found during June 9 inspection.Violations given for having a can of household raid in the kitchen and raw fish stored over cooked shrimp in the reach-in cooler on the cook line.
Dining and Cooking