JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A popular Jacksonville Beach restaurant temporarily shut down after a failed inspection, but it wasn't because of bugs.
After digging through the most recent inspection reports, only one restaurant in the area had an emergency closure in the past week. The inspection was prompted by a complaint and when the inspector arrived they found serious storage problems.
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The 3rd Street Diner in Jacksonville Beach was cited for 25 violations during its latest inspection and nine of them were high-priority.
According to a report the inspector found eggplant and tomatoes with mold-like growth in the outside walk-in cooler. The manager removed those veggies but the report goes on to say that dozens of food items including; lamb, sausage, pork, cheese and potato salad were being held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees, which could pose a health risk.
This was a repeat violation for this restaurant and the inspector issued a stop sale on those items and temporarily closed the diner due to the temperature violations.
The 3rd Street Diner was able to open the next day and underwent a third inspection that resulted in zero high-priority violations. The owner did not want to speak on camera and was very upset when News4Jax showed up.
He said he's been in the business for 40 years and said that he felt the inspector unfairly closed his restaurant. He said his restaurant has the best Greek food in town that keeps customers coming back.
Next on this week's Restaurant Report Card list is Hot Wok in Argyle Forest after it received 15 violations during it's latest inspection, six of which were high-priority. According to the report the inspector found roach droppings between the cracks in the cabinets in the dining area.
The Chinese restaurant was also cited for not marking cook times or expiration dates on cooked broccoli. They were also cited for storing raw eggs above noodles in the reach-in cooler. Hot Wok was given a warning and passed a follow-up inspection with zero high-priority violations.
Last on the list is Tuni's Wings and Subs in Springfield. It received 17 violations during its latest inspection, four of them high-priority.
According to the report, the inspector found live-flying insects in the kitchen, food prep and storage areas. An employee there noted the restaurant keeps its rear drive-through window open at all times.
Tuni's was also cited for storing raw chicken over cooked chicken wings. The employee rearranged the food storage but the inspector noted this as a repeat violation. The restaurant will have to go through a follow-up inspection.
News4Jax mades it easy for viewers to search the inspection reports of other local restaurants at News4Jax.com.