DIRTY DINING: Six Monroe County Restaurants Pass Inspections With Zero Violations; Two Others Temporarily Shuttered
Most Keys restaurants passed state inspections over the past 30 days, but a Key West cafe racked up 24 violations and two eateries were temporarily closed
KEY WEST — Six Monroe County restaurants earned perfect marks from state inspectors over the past 30 days, passing their inspections with zero violations, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The spotless reports went to Mary Jane’s Closet (a DPBR-licensed retail store) on Cudjoe Key (July 14); Paul’s Beach Bar & Grill in Islamorada (July 1); Ocean Reef Pizza and Desserts Bliss, both at Ocean Reef in Key Largo (July 1); Cayos A La Carte in Islamorada (June 25); and Clemente’s Wood Fired Trolley Pizzeria in Key West (June 18).
Overall, 43 of the 57 inspections conducted from June 18 through July 14 resulted in a passing grade on the first visit. Fourteen restaurants did not pass.
But the inspection period was not without serious problems. Two establishments received emergency orders — the most serious enforcement action available to state inspectors — and a Key West cafe racked up 24 violations in a single visit.
Riviera Coffee Shop Temporarily Closed
Riviera Coffee Shop at 3100A Flagler Ave. in Key West was temporarily closed July 13 after inspectors discovered the kitchen hand sink had fallen off the wall, leaving employees with no way to properly wash their hands while the restaurant was open and operating.
Inspectors documented 10 violations during the initial visit, including:
Employees handling and preparing food with no functioning hand sink.
Water damage to ceilings.
An expired license.
A fryer and flat top operating with no hood system.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen the same day after a callback inspection found the establishment had addressed the most critical issues, though six violations remained under extended timelines.
Hungry Tarpon Shut Down in Islamorada
Hungry Tarpon Restaurant at 77522 Overseas Highway in Islamorada — near the popular Robbie’s Marina tourist destination — also received an emergency order June 18 after inspectors found rodent droppings and widespread insect activity.
Among the findings:
Approximately seven rodent droppings on the kitchen window sill.
Approximately 12 to 15 rodent droppings on top of the dish machine, which were cleaned off during the inspection.
Approximately 10 live, small flying insects in the kitchen and prep area above a lift-lid unit on shelving holding takeout containers.
Approximately six flies in the dry storage area.
Four dead flies on sheet pans inside the walk-in cooler.
A dish machine dispensing zero parts per million chlorine sanitizer, rendering it unable to sanitize dishes.
The restaurant passed a callback inspection June 19 with one remaining violation for soiled walls.
Karlitas Cafe: 24 violations, 11 high priority
Karlitas Cafe at 934 Truman Ave. in Key West logged the most violations of any Monroe County restaurant in the 30-day period, with 24 violations — 11 of them classified as high priority — during a July 13 inspection. An administrative complaint was recommended.
Inspectors observed multiple employees handling food without first washing their hands, a finding flagged as both a repeat violation and the basis for the administrative complaint.
The high-priority violations included:
An employee put on gloves and began preparing food without first washing hands. (Repeat violation; administrative complaint.)
An employee emptied food into a trash can, wiped hands on pants, put on new gloves and began preparing food without washing hands.
An employee touched a trash can, then put on gloves without washing hands. The same employee grabbed a cellphone and continued touching clean equipment without changing gloves or washing hands.
Raw chicken and raw pork stored over ready-to-eat sauces inside the walk-in cooler.
Raw pork thawing inside a triple sink at room temperature. (Repeat violation.)
Raw beef and raw chicken stored in non-food-grade bags inside a reach-in freezer.
Cooked potatoes held at 50 degrees, cooked chicken wings at 48 degrees and hot dogs at 47 degrees — all in cold holding for three hours inside a walk-in cooler. (Cold holding must be 41 degrees or below.)
Cooked beef held at 108 degrees on top of a grill for three hours. (The operator reheated the product upon the inspector’s finding.)
Walk-in cooler ambient temperature measured at 46 degrees.
Household insect spray stored inside the employee bathroom.
A can of degreaser stored next to cooking oil under a prep table.
Equipment stored inside hand sinks, blocking their use. (Repeat violation.)
The cafe passed a callback inspection July 14, though six violations remained.
Punta Morada Cited for 17 violations in Islamorada
Punta Morada at 81001 Overseas Highway, Suite 3, in Islamorada received a warning with 17 violations during a July 9 inspection.
High-priority violations included:
Raw pork stored over strawberries.
Raw beef stored over pizza crust and raw beef held at 70 degrees in a cold-holding unit — nearly 30 degrees above the required maximum.
Inspectors also cited the restaurant for operating food preparation equipment outdoors without proper permits, having no written employee health procedures, no proof of employee food safety training and no food manager certification on file.
Islands Pancake House: 15 Violations in Big Pine Key
Islands Pancake House Bar & Grill at 29943 Overseas Highway in Big Pine Key was issued a warning June 23 after inspectors found 15 violations, five of them high priority.
A stop-sale order was issued on multiple food items due to temperature abuse:
Raw poultry was held at 49 degrees.
Cooked chicken wings at 50 degrees.
Mashed potatoes at 48 degrees.
Pasta at 47 degrees.
Brisket at 56 degrees during cooling — all well above the required 41-degree maximum for cold holding.
Other high-priority findings included raw beef and raw pork stored in the same tray inside the walk-in cooler, a broken chlorine line on the dish machine that left it unable to properly sanitize, and a can of WD-40 stored alongside food.
Inspectors also found:
Items stored inside the hand-wash sink.
The bar hand-wash sink blocked by equipment.
No proof of state-approved employee food safety training.
The walk-in cooler and lift-lid salad unit failing to hold temperatures at 41 degrees or below.
A frozen drink machine nozzle soiled with debris.
Buttonwood Grill: 15 Violations in Key Largo
Buttonwood Grill at 45 Garden Cove Dr. in Key Largo was issued a warning June 19 after inspectors found 15 violations stemming from unauthorized renovations.
Inspectors discovered:
3-compartment sink had been removed and reinstalled in the kitchen area.
Interior wall separating the kitchen from the front counter had been taken down.
All without the required plan review approval from the state.
The restaurant was ordered to submit plans and a plan review application to the DBPR office in Tallahassee. A follow-up inspection June 22 resulted in a time extension.
DJ’s Clam Shack: 14 Violations on Duval Street
DJ’s Clam Shack at 629 Duval St. in Key West was issued a warning July 13 after inspectors found 14 violations, including six classified as high priority.
Among the findings were:
Garbage cans being used as containers for breading food
Clam tags not marked with the last date served.
Rusty walk-in cooler shelves and food stored on the floor.
The restaurant passed a callback inspection July 14 with seven violations remaining.
Cafeteria La Guajira Warned in Key Largo
Cafeteria La Guajira at 102970 Overseas Highway in Key Largo was issued a warning June 24 after inspectors found food containers not properly labeled, cut ham held at 45 degrees and sliced tomatoes at 46 degrees in a reach-in cooler — both above the 41-degree cold-holding maximum — and an expired food manager certificate.
Buzzards Roost Grill & Pub Warned in Key Largo
Buzzards Roost Grill & Pub at 21 Garden Cove Dr. in Key Largo was issued a warning June 22 for violations involving kitchen equipment, the salad station reach-in cooler and the walk-in cooler. A follow-up inspection June 23 resulted in time extensions on all three violations.
The Bent Prop Warned on Cudjoe Key
The Bent Prop at 457 Drost Drive on Cudjoe Key was issued a warning June 19. Inspectors found frozen lobster thawing in an outside sink and an employee cutting ready-to-eat onions without wearing gloves. Both violations were corrected on-site during the inspection.
Paradise Cuban Restaurant, Marathon
Paradise Cuban Restaurant at 2603 Overseas Highway in Marathon failed its initial inspection after inspectors found cooked pork, black beans and chicken stored in the walk-in cooler without proper date marking. A callback inspection July 10 found the items had been properly date-labeled, but an administrative complaint was recommended.
La Nina Restaurant, Marathon
La Nina Restaurant at 1571 Overseas Highway in Marathon did not pass its initial inspection. A callback inspection June 23 resulted in an administrative complaint recommendation.
Coast to Coast Pizza Company, Marathon
Coast to Coast Pizza Company at 61 53rd St. Ocean in Marathon was issued a warning July 10.
Lumene’s Food Truck, Key West
Lumene’s Food Truck at 3316 N. Roosevelt Blvd. in Key West received an administrative complaint recommendation June 22 after the operator could not provide proof of food manager certification — a repeat violation.
Notable findings Among Restaurants That Passed
While 43 restaurants passed their initial inspections, several still had significant violation counts.
Cocomelon Blend & Brew, 1075 Duval St., Key West, passed its July 13 inspection with 15 violations, including a hose attached to a faucet at a mop sink eliminating the required air gap, no paper towels at a bathroom hand sink, an expired license, a broken light shield above the stove and food stored on the floor.
Cafe Marquesa, 600 Fleming St., Key West, passed with 11 violations July 13. Among the findings: butter held at 57 degrees and pooled eggs at 63 degrees in cold holding at the kitchen prep area; spoons stored in standing water at 56 degrees; cook line hood filters soiled with grease buildup; no chlorine test kit available for the dish machine; no certified food manager present with four employees on-site during the inspection; and missing oyster tags.
Kennedy Cafe, 924-A Kennedy Dr., Key West, passed with 10 violations July 14, including raw beef stored over cooked sausages in a reach-in cooler, food stored on the floor, standing water inside a reach-in cooler, and an open back door — all flagged as repeat violations.
Key West Poke House, 500 Truman Ave., Suite 1, Key West, passed with eight violations — four of them high priority — on July 13. High-priority findings included raw tuna stored over milk in the walk-in cooler, tobiko stored over pineapple at the front counter, ibuprofen stored on a shelf above food equipment, and boba pearls held at 112 degrees in a prep area. Inspectors also found rice paddles stored in standing water at 81 degrees and a plastic container stored inside a hand sink.
Disciplinary Action
City Hall Cafe in Tavernier was ordered to pay a $160 fine June 23, the only disciplinary action recorded during the period.
Ed. Note: Restaurant inspection information is based on data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, as compiled by the Tallahassee Democrat. Restaurants may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment.