Ocala — Charlie Horse Restaurant & Lounge, located at 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, was immediately shut down after an emergency order was issued on March 5, following a routine inspection. The restaurant was reinspected on March 6 but will need a follow-up inspection after a time extension was given.
When the health inspector returned, roaches were still present. The owner, Guy Iannone, then made the decision to have the business tented and fumigated.
The restaurant was allowed to reopen a few days later, but again, with a follow inspection order and time extension given due to the presence of live roaches.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation cites violations of Florida’s sanitation and safety laws, which are based on the standards of U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code. High Priority violations are those which could contribute directly to a food-borne illness or injury and include items such as cooking, reheating, cooling and hand-washing.
Many of the offenses were repeat violations.
Violations:
- The build-up of food debris, dust or dirt on nonfood-contact surface. Hood filters on cookline, wall on cookline, gaskets on reach-in make table. Fans at end of cookline all have buildup.
- Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Several stained in the kitchen area.
- Dead roaches on-premises. One dead roach on the floor in the back chemical room. Discarded. Four dead roaches in a chest freezer containing glasses behind the bar.
- Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Drink on shelf over straws. Manager moved.
- Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Yogurt on a shelf over cake in reach-in cooler. Milk and dish on top of kegs at the bar. Moved all.
- Employee personal items stored with or above food, clean equipment, and utensils, or single-service items. Jacket sitting on case of crackers. Nicorette gum on the dry storage shelf. Drink mix on a shelf over prep table. All moved.
- Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. Several in kitchen area.
- Potentially hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In reach-in make table on cookline: tomatoes 50°. Cheese 50°. Moved items to the bottom of the unit.
- Â Raw animal food stored over or with ready-to-eat food in reach-in freezer – not all products commercially packaged. In walk-in cooler, portioned raw beef over onion rings. In the reach-in freezer at cookline, containers of portioned raw chicken and raw beef over potatoes.
- Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately thirty live roaches on the wall of the bar near bus pans and shelves containing bus pans.
- Required employee training expired for some employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. One current employee’s certificate expired.