Latin Flavors Bar & Grill at Village Crossroads in Lady Lake was forced to temporarily close its doors last week after a health inspector found a live roach infestation and multiple other high-priority health code violations.
An inspector with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation visited the restaurant, located at 13769 N. U.S. Highway 441, on July 14 and ordered an emergency closure after discovering nine violations.
According to the inspection report, roach activity was prevalent throughout the establishment. The inspector found live roaches in sticky traps on top of a beer cooler, near a handwash sink, under a bench seat near the front door, under the bar in the dining room, and on the floor by a dry storage rack in the kitchen.
Additionally, dozens of dead roaches were discovered across the premises. The inspector tallied 14 dead roaches in front of a small cooler, six on the bathroom floor, two inside a drawer cooler on the cook line, approximately 20 in a sticky trap under the register, 20 more under soda boxes in the kitchen, and 15 on the floor next to the stove. The inspector also noted a roach egg sac in front of a coffee maker and roach excrement in the gasket and hinge of a white freezer.
The restaurant was also cited for high-priority temperature control violations. Cooked pork, refried beans, and cooked rice were found holding at 45 degrees in a drawer cooler on the cook line, rather than the required 41 degrees or colder. The items were moved to the freezer to cool down and the violation was corrected on-site.
Intermediate and basic violations included a lack of proof of food manager certification, no paper towels at a three-compartment sink, an employee drinking from an unenclosed water bottle in a food prep area, and cases of water bottles stored directly on the floor.
The restaurant remained closed on July 15 after failing its initial callback inspection when the inspector found a live roach under the dining room bar and two dead roaches sitting on soda cup lids by the kitchen soda machine.
Later that same day, the restaurant met the inspector’s standards during a second callback and was permitted to reopen. A final inspection on Thursday, July 16 resulted in a disposition of “Inspection Completed – No Further Action.”