By Ryan Yousefi
Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant saw investigators slap warnings and close orders on two locations last week, including the closure of its Lauderhill store.
Prompted by an anonymous complaint, Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant, located at 5434 North University Drive, recently underwent an inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on December 6 that led to the discovery of 15 health violations and an eventual shutdown order issue.
According to the report, the most glaring and concerning discovery was rodent activity, with droppings found in various areas of the restaurant. The report outlined instances in the lounge dining area, under the bar, on shelves behind the bar among liquor bottles, on the floor around booths, and in the buffet area.
Additionally, the far back stock room behind the walk-in cooler showed droppings too numerous to count.
Inspectors also noted sewage and wastewater backing up through floor drains, with water pooling under the reach-in cooler in the kitchen and in front of the hand sink at the front of the kitchen. Inspectors noted in the report that this posed a potential health hazard as employees were observed walking through grey water and tracking it around the kitchen area.
The restaurant’s hygiene was questioned as inspectors discovered soiled ceilings, ceiling tiles, and vents with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substances. These violations were marked as repeat offenses, as they had been flagged during previous check-ins.
Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant in Lauderhill. {Google Maps}
The kitchen, lounge dining room, and dish room areas were found, with multiple areas of the floor exhibiting a buildup of food debris along the edges of the wall. The report also highlighted employees failing to wash their hands before wearing gloves, posing a risk of cross-contamination.
A “Stop Sale” was issued due to temperature abuse, affecting various food items, including marinated chicken, cooked kidney, whole raw chicken, raw marinated oxtail, and more. The violation indicated that certain things were left in the unit overnight without appropriate temperature control.
The establishment also faced issues with some employees having expired required training, contributing to the overall severity of the situation.
Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant’s Lauderhill was not the only location to receive a visit and a subsequent slap on the wrist last week. Its Miami Gardens location also violated several health codes and food safety protocols, including evidence of roach activity.
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