Eight St. Johns County restaurants had double-digit violations in the second week of December, according to state reports.
In total 27 restaurants fell short of standards during the week of Dec. 8-14, requiring follow-up inspections.
Only a couple of restaurants had violations related to flies. There were no violations for rodents or roaches.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation describes an inspection as “a snapshot of conditions present at the time of inspection,” not necessarily an indication of ordinary conditions.
In fact, many of the violations that can cause a restaurant to fall short of standards are not the type that would alarm the common diner. Many are clerical by nature, issues with training, licensing, etc.
The St. Augustine Record details the violations for restaurants that failed to meet standards, so readers can decide.
To do your own research, look up inspection reports for any restaurant in St. Johns County with our searchable database: https://data.staugustine.com/restaurant-inspections/st-johns.
Restaurants with double-digit violations
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The King & Bear, 1 King & Bear Drive, St Augustine: On Dec. 8, the restaurant had 13 violations, one of which was high priority: the dish machine wasn’t mixing sanitizer.
Five were intermediate: The food manager’s certification was expired; no currently certified food manager on duty; no chemical test kit provided for using sanitizer in the dish machine or sanitizer spray; no proof of required state-approved training for some employees; and a spray bottle with a toxic substance was incorrectly labeled.
The rest were basic: Ice buckets were not stored inverted or in a protected manner; two cooks were wearing bracelets; floor tiles were missing near the dish machine; cases of fries were stored on the floor in walk in freezer and boxed soda on the floor at the soda rack; the ice scoop handle was in the ice; no handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees; and standing water in the bottom of a reach-in-cooler.
A warning was issued. In a call back on Dec. 17, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
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Tank’s Sushi Bistro, 46 Tuscan Way Suite 303, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 8, the restaurant had 13 violations.
Five were high priority: The inspector noted a single live fly in the sushi area; non-food grade paper towels were lining containers of raw fish; an open packet of raw prawns was stored above ready-to-eat cheesecake in a reach-in freezer; tempura shrimp was cold-held at greater than 41 degrees, in this case 54; and wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeded the maximum concentration of chlorine allowed.
Five more were intermediate: Cutting boards in the sushi area had a black substance on the sides; plastic wrap was blocking the sushi handwash sink and a scrub pad was in another; no measuring device available for measuring utensil surface temperature when using hot water as a sanitizer in a dishmachine; required employee training expired for all employees; and a spray bottle with a toxic substance wasn’t labeled.
Three were basic: In-use spatulas were stored in standing water of less than 135 degrees; gaskets on two reach-in coolers and the underplating of the soda nozzles were soiled; and shelves in a flip-top cooler and the walk-in cooler had rust.
A warning was issued.
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Saint, 44 Avenida Menendez, St Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had 13 violations.
Five were high priority: Cooked foods weren’t cooled from 135 degrees to 41 degrees within six hours, including lasagna dated 12/9 (97-98F); lasagna dated 12/9 (52-57F); meat balls dated 12/8 (55-77F); lasagna dated 12/9 (51-53F); cooked demi glaze wasn’t cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours; a stop sale was issued on those items; pork was cold held at greater than 41 degrees; and meatballs were hot held at less than 135 degrees.
Three were intermediate: A shellfish tag was missing the last date served on a label; no currently certified food service manager on duty; and no written procedures for use of time as a public health control for food safety.
The other five were basic: An employee failed to rinse a sheet pan before placing it in sanitizer after washing; an in-use knife was stored in between reach-in coolers; cook line drawer gaskets were soiled with food; old labels were stuck to cleaned containers; and a rubber spatula’s plastic handle was melted.
An administrative complaint was recommended. In a call back on Dec. 19, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
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Daruma Asian Cuisine, 107 Nature Walk Parkway Suite 109, St Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had 12 violations.
Three were high priority: The dish machine wasn’t mixing sanitizer properly; non-food grade paper towel were used as liners for several food containers; and raw beef and chicken were stored over cut oranges and packages of raw beef were stored over open packages of potato tots.
Two were intermediate: no proof that an employee was informed of his responsibility to report information about his health and foodborne illnesses; and spray bottles with toxic substances didn’t have labels.
The rest were basic: Employee beverages were stored on a food prep table or in a flip-top reach-in cooler in the kitchen; ceiling tiles were soiled, as well as the floor in dry storage; buckets of sauces were stored on the floor; ice buildup in a reach-in freezer; interiors of the kitchen microwave and sushi toaster oven were soiled; gaskets on a reach in cooler and the walk-in cooler door were soiled; and prepared salads in walk in cooler weren’t covered.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Back 40 Urban Fresh, 450 State Road 13 Unit 113, Saint Johns: On Dec. 9, the restaurant had 11 violations.
Five were high priority: Containers of assorted pain reliever were improperly stored in a small pan over a reach in cooler; a stop sale was issued on five packages of fish that were fully thawed inside their packaging; queso cheese sauce was reheated improperly, not reaching a temperature of 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds within two hours; a stop sale was issued on the queso; and a vacuum breaker was missing from the slitter at the mop sink.
Two were intermediate: A certified food manager was unable to answer two basic Food Code questions; and no chemical test kit provided for sanitizer.
Four were basic: An accumulation of a mold-like substance on the interior lid of the ice bin; five packages of fully thawed raw fish were still inside packaging in the walk in cooler (see stop sale above); floors under equipment had a buildup of food debris; and the soda gun holster at the bar was soiled with food debris.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Nori, 304 Ashourian Ave., Unit 101, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had 11 violations, one of which was high priority: A stop sale was issued on a pack of raw tuna that was fully thawed in its packaging against the instructions.
Four were intermediate: A handwash sink had cooking utensils in it; no currently certified food service manager on duty; no proof of required training for an employee hired more than 60 days prior; and a spray bottle with a toxic substance wasn’t labeled.
Six were basic: an accumulation of debris on the exterior of the warewashing machine; raw tuna was thawed in its vacuum sealed package against the package instructions; a microwave interior was covered in food splash; gaskets on a reach-in cooler were soiled with a mold-like substance (two coolers, two violations); standing water in a small reach-in cooler; and wet rag on a sushi bar prep station wasn’t stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Taps Bar & Grill, 2220 County Road 210 W., #314, St. Johns: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had 11 violations.
Three were high priority: The dish machine wasn’t mixing sanitizer to the proper minimum strength; cut tomatoes and cheese were cold held at greater than 41 degrees; and blanched fries that were being held on time controls had no time marking.
Three were intermediate: An employee washed their hands in a sink other than an approved hand wash sink; a French fry cuter had dried food debris; and no proof of required state approved training for some employees.
The other five were basic: Multiple floor tiles were missing near a beer walk-in cooler; walls, ceiling tiles, vents, fan guards and parts of the floor were soiled; hood filters had grease buildup, and gaskets on a reach-in freezer were soiled; walk-in cooler shelves had a buildup of a white substance; and a wiping cloth solution in the kitchen wasn’t at the minimum strength.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Kazu Sushi Burrito, 935 Durbin Pavilion Drive #104, St. Johns: On Dec. 8, the restaurant had 10 violations.
Three were high priority: An employee switched from working with raw food (breaded chicken) to ready-to-eat food (cooked dumplings) without washing hands between tasks; raw animal foods were not properly separated from one another based upon minimum required cooking temperature, including raw chicken stored over raw fish, raw fish over various sauce bottles, and raw salmon over cooked chicken and other ready to eat food; and cut lettuce and dumplings were cold-held at greater than 41 degrees.
Two were intermediate: Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection, including cut cabbage and chicken; and the food manager’s certification was expired.
The rest were basic: Multiple bags of raw tuna were partially thawed in their package against the package warnings; employee drinks were stored with to-go containers in the kitchen; an employee with no hair restraint was prepping food; a container of ginger, multiple containers of soy sauce and other products were stored on the floor; and stacks of to-go containers weren’t stored inverted or protected from contamination.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
Eight or nine violations
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Green Papaya Thai Sushi Cuisine, 841 S Ponce De Leon Blvd. Unit 10, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had nine violation, two of which were high priority: A stop sale was issued on garnishes for sushi dishes that were placed in a hand wash sink and contaminated; some items were cold held at greater than 41 degrees, including sprouts and reconstituted noodles.
One was intermediate: A hand wash sink was blocked and used for rinsing utensils.
And six were basic: Employee drinks were sitting on a prep table; gaskets on cook line coolers were torn; the floor in the kitchen was soiled with food debris; several cases of frozen food were stored on the floor in a walk-in freezer; several gaskets were soiled with mold and food debris, a backsplash on the counter had food debris, and a receipt printer had grease and food debris; prepared foods were being thawed on a prep table.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Murray Bros Caddyshack, 455 S. Legacy Trail E. 106, St Augustine: On Dec. 9, the restaurant had eight violations, including one high priority: The dish machine wasn’t mixing sanitizer.
Two were intermediate: A spray bottle with a toxic substance wasn’t labeled; and no hot water was available at an employee hand wash sink.
Five were basic: Multiple vents in the kitchen and dish room were soiled, as well as the floor under the fryers and the walls below the dish machine; ice buildup in the walk-in freezer; an open employee beverage was stored in a reach-in cooler along with food to be served; standing water in the bottom of a reach in cooler; and wiping cloth sanitizing solution was stored on the floor.
A warning was issued. In a call back on Dec. 17, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
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Cantina Louie, 465 State Road 13 Unit 6, Saint Johns: On Dec. 9, the restaurant had eight violations.
Four were high priority: The inspector noted three live flies at various parts of the facility; a stop sale was issued on a dented can of tomato puree; French fries and sour cream were cold-held at greater than 41 degrees; and ground beef was hot held at less than 135.
One was intermediate: Salsa wasn’t being cooled correctly and was taking too long to reach temperature.
Three others were basic: An employee drink was stored over single-use jugs, and other employees’ drinks were over prep tables; standing water on the floor of the ware washing area; and soda gun holsters were soiled with a slimy substance.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Jenks Pizza, 2245 W. County Road 210 #112, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had eight violations, including one high priority: An employee was cutting and touching lettuce for a sandwich wrap with their bare hands.
Two were intermediate: a cutting board in the prep area with a heavy black substance; and no proof of required training for an employee hired more than 60 days prior.
The other five were basic: a cook in the kitchen wearing bracelets; two cooks prepping food without hair restraints; in-use tongs stored on an oven door handle between uses; hood filters soiled with grease buildup; and meatballs in a walk-in cooler were stored uncovered.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Carriageway Florida LLC, 70 Cuna St., St Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had eight violations, including one high priority: several items were cold held at greater than 41 degrees, including cut melon (46), eggs (47), yogurt (44), milk (46), quiche (46) and raw bacon (50).
Five wre intermediate: The person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification; no currently certified food service manager on duty; no proof of required employee training; no soap provided at a handwash sink; and a spray bottle with a toxic substance wasn’t labeled.
Two were basic: The three-compartment sink had spray foam underneath that made it difficult to clean; and wood next to a grease trap wasn’t sealed.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
Research for yourself: See inspection reports for any vendor in St. Johns County with our searchable database
Six or seven violations
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Sofresh, 505 Durbin Pavilion Drive Suite 101, St. Johns: On Dec. 8, the restaurant had seven violations.
Three were high priority: Quaternary ammonium sanitizer wasn’t at the proper minimum strength for manual warewashing; cooked rice and cooked green beans were cold-held at greater than 41 degrees; and a stop sale was issued on a can of black beans that was dented.
Two were intermediate: The interior of a reach-in freezer had a build up of food debris on the bottom; and the soap dispenser at a handwash sink wasn’t working.
Two others were basic: a buildup of food debris on the back splash of grill tops and side of oven; and an employee was cutting unwashed onions.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Keke’s Breakfast Café, 450 Durbin Pavillion Drive Suite E106, St Johns: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had seven violations.
Five were high priority: A stop sale was issued on four dented cans of red raspberry preserves; an employee cracked raw eggs with gloved hands, then changed gloves and handled ready-to-eat food without washing hands between tasks; batter on the cook line was missing time labels; a spray bottle of glass cleaner was on a rack over cans of various ready to eat foods; and the warewashing sanitizing solution exceeded the maximum concentration allowed.
Two were intermediate: An employee used the handwash sink to fill a pan with water; and required employee training was expired for some employees.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Burger King 28843, 307 Harper Lane, St. Johns: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had seven violations.
Three were high priority: An employee placed frozen raw hamburger patties with gloved hands, then took the gloves off and handled clean equipment and bags of fries with bare hands without washing hands; liquid dairy foam cold held at greater than 41 degrees, sitting out on a counter at 59 degrees; a stop sale was issued on cut lettuce and cut tomatoes that were on the make line for more than four hours
Three were intermediate: Cut tomatoes were being cooled by an unapproved method and weren’t cooling fast enough; a hand wash sink didn’t have enough water pressure to properly wash hands; and a hand wash sink was used to dump coffee.
One was basic: The interior of an oven on the cook line had a buildup of food debris.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Bono’s Bar B Q, 100 Bartram Oaks Walk, St. Johns: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had six violations.
Four were high priority: An employee rubbed their hands together for less than 10 seconds while washing; raw egg wash was stored over banana pudding; some foods were hot held at less than 135 degrees, including sausage links (121), turkey breasts (105) and baked chicken (109); and a spray bottle of sanitizer was stored with a sauce bottle at the front counter.
One was intermediate: turkey was cooled too slowly using an unapproved method.
And one was basic: cabinets under soda machines had a buildup of a moldlike substance and soda syrup residue.
An administrative complaint was recommended.
Three or four violations
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The Slammer & The Squire, 2 World Golf Place, St Augustine: On Dec. 9, the restaurant had four violations: A bottle of multi-surface cleaner was improperly stored against single-service takeout utensils (high priority); vacuum breakers on a mop sink faucet were improperly installed (high priority); no handwashing sign provided at hand sinks used by employees (basic); and walk-in cooler shelves were rusted (basic).
An administrative complaint was recommended.
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The Commander’s Shellfish Camp, 7579 A1A S., Saint Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had four violations: An oyster display case had an ambient air temperature of 44-47 degrees. (high priority); employees’ water bottles were on a flip-top cooler (basic); an employee with no beard guard was on the cook line (basic); and walk-in cooler shelves were rusted (basic).
A warning was issued. In a follow-up the next day, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
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Trattoria Di Bernardone, 425 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Saint Johns: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had four violations: A container of cooked pasta in a reach-in cooler was more than seven days old (high priority); an carton of ice cream drink mix in a reach-in cooler did not have a date mark (intermediate); the ice chute on the soda machine had spots of a mold like substance (intermediate); and shrip was thawing in a hand wash sink (intermediate). An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Natural Greens Café, 90 Durbin Pavillion Drive Unit C105, St. Johns: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had four violations: An employee failed to wash hands before putting gloves on and handling clean utensils (high priority); cut tomatoes were cold held at greater than 41 degrees, in this case 45 and 46 (high priority); the tomatoes weren’t being cooled in an approved manner (intermediate); and a spray bottle with a toxic substance wasn’t labeled (intermediate). An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Cafe Genovese, 1515 County Road 210 W., Suite 108, Saint Johns: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had four violations: Raw sausages were stored over blueberries in a flip-top cooler (high priority); a wiping-cloth sanitizer exceeded the maximum concentration allowed (high priority); cases of oil were stored on the floor of an outside storage building (basic); and hood filters had grease build up. An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Samira’s Café, 119 Bartram Oaks Walk Suite 101, Saint Johns: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had four violations: Raw beef was stored over open bags of tortillas and over chicken in a reach-in freezer (high priority); fresh garlic in oil was cold held at greater than 41 degrees, in this case 69 degrees (high priority); a stop sale was issued on the garlic (high priority); and a hot water handle on a hand wash sink was broken (basic). An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Carriage Florida LLC, 26 Cordova St., St Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had three violations: The person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification (intermediate); no proof of required training for any employees (intermediate); and the interior of the ice machine had a black moldlike substance. A warning was issued.
Only one violation
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Home2 Suites By Hilton St Augustine I95, 270 Outlet Mall Blvd., Saint Augustine: On Dec. 8, the restaurant had a second call back related to an Oct. 2 inspection in which six violations were found. In the latest call back, one intermediate violation remained: no proof of food manager training for the person in charge. An administrative complaint was recommended.
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Outback Steakhouse #1034, 245 State Road 312, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 10, the restaurant had a single, high priority violation: A stop sale was issued on a honey wheat loaf of bread because of mold. A warning was issued.
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Chipotle Mexican Grill, 4285 U.S. 1 Suite 1, Saint Augustine: On Dec. 11, the restaurant had a single basic violation: A walk-in cooler was down and needed a part. A warning was issued. In a call back on Dec. 15, the restaurant met standards with zero violations.
Perfection
It’s tough to get a perfect initial inspection with zero violations. But these five vendors did so Dec. 8-14. Not included are restaurants that achieved zero violations in a follow-up inspection mandated by previous violations.
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St George Inn, 4 St George St. #101, St Augustine
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Mcdonald’s #33505, 37 Epic Blvd., St. Augustine
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Inn Dining Room, 200 Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach
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Dunkin, 8800 W. Church St., Hastings
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Rub’n’Butts Bar-B-Que, 4255 A1A South, Suite 6, Saint Augustine
Keep in mind as you read
Remember that in some cases, violations are noted are technical issues not directly linked to hygiene or cleanliness. Remember, too, that broken refrigerators, chipped tiles or fast work may add up to unintended mistakes.
Regardless, if you notice abuses of state standards, report them and DBPR will send inspectors. Call 850-487-1395.
The terminology
What does all that terminology in state restaurant inspections mean?
Basic violations are those considered against best practices.
A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report.
An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: “Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over.”
An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health, safety or welfare of the public.
A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license and the establishment may reopen only after inspection shows that all high-priority violations that caused the suspension are corrected.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: 8 St. Johns County restaurants had double-digit violations Dec. 8-14
