Hillsborough Eateries Temporarily Closed Due To Health Violations

TAMPA, FL — A live rat in a storage area, rodent bite marks on packages of rice and beans and chew marks on a package of buns led the Florida Department of Health to temporarily close three restaurants in Hillsborough County this month.

They include the Silver Dollar Golf, Trap Club & RV Resort, 12711 Silver Dollar Drive, Odessa; the Garden Grill Café at 8425 W. Hillsborough Ave., Town N' Country; and New York New York Pizza Bar and Grill, 1512 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City.

New York New York Pizza Bar and Grill was shut down for one day on April 9 after inspectors found a live rat in the storage room and flies in the food preparation area. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for 44 other violations.

The restaurant at the Silver Dollar Resort also closed for a day on April 17 when inspectors found improperly stored raw meat, rodent chew marks on a package of buns, expired food ingredients and 21 other violations.

The Garden Grill was closed and reopened the same day after employees took care of several concerns inspectors had on April 11 including the presence of a rodent nest in the ceiling tiles of the dining room, rodent droppings under the shelving in the dry storage area and flies in the food preparation area. All together the restaurant was cited for 22 violations.

The Garden Grill was temporarily closed for similar violations on March 22.

All three restaurants passed subsequent inspections and are open for business.

While inspectors may not have discovered live rats running around these restaurants, they had more code violations than any other restaurants in the county in April:

38 violations: Weng’s China Garden, 10019 N. Dale Mabry Highway #500, Tampa

38 violations: The Eagles Golf Club, 16101 Nine Eagles Drive, Odessa

32 violations: Outpost Taphouse & Tavern, 909 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

30 violations: Orient Express Restaurant, 510 E. Jackson St. Tampa

29 violations: Jerk Hut Jamaican Grille & Rhum Bar, 926 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa

29 violations: Trinity Delights Restaurant, 4330 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa

38 violations: Irie Bay Jamaican Cuisine, 10035 Adamo Drive E., Tampa

28 violations: Salty Shamrock, 6186 N. U.S. 41, Apollo Beach

28 violations: Mana Mana Fresh Falafel & Grill, 931 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

27 violations: 3 Coins Diner, 7410 Nebraska Ave., Tampa

26 violations: Chen Garden Chinese Restaurant, 7827 Palm River Road, Tampa

25 violations: Biriyanie Café, 1251 E Fowler Ave., Ste. B2, Tampa

24 violations: Petra Restaurant, 1118 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

23 violations: Cask, 208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

23 violations: Heights Pizza, 7504 N. Florida Ave., Tampa

22 violations: Ulele, 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa

To find out more about the specific violations, visit the Restaurant Inspection website.

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