A Golden Corral buffet on West 49th Street in Hialeah was ordered closed this week after state inspectors found live roaches crawling on the hot food dispenser, rodent droppings under the buffet line, and rusted sauce cans that had to be pulled from service. The restaurant reopened the very next day after passing a follow-up inspection.
The closure happened Monday, when a state inspector documented 11 total violations at the buffet, according to the Miami Herald. Roach-control devices inside the buffet-line hot-holding units held 10 dead roaches, while a similar device on the cold-holding unit contained eight more, per the same report. The inspector also found three dead roaches and two live ones on kitchen and prep-area equipment, one dead roach on the dishwasher drain board, and another on the meat room floor.
Live Roaches Spotted Near the Food Line
Beyond the dead pests found in traps, the inspector reported seeing two live roaches crawling on the hot food dispenser itself and two more moving underneath a rack near the dishwashing area, the Herald’s report states. Six rodent droppings were also found under the buffet’s hot-holding units. The buffet-line waffle maker was noted as soiled with food debris and grease.
Inspectors also flagged canned goods on site: two tomatillo sauce cans were rusted, and five creamy mushroom sauce cans showed rust and dents, according to the same report. The inspector issued a stop-sale order on all seven affected sauce cans as a result.
Temperature Hazards Added to the Pest Findings
The pest and equipment issues weren’t the only concerns raised at the Hialeah location. During the same inspection, state health inspectors also cited temperature control hazards involving salads and melon held at unsafe temperatures, according to Local 10 News. The station’s report also placed the Hialeah closure within a larger enforcement sweep: state inspectors shut down two other Miami-Dade establishments that same day, temporarily closing Victory Restaurant & Lounge in Midtown Miami and Club Fellowship in South Miami-Dade over pest infestations…