A Fernandina Beach favorite is among four local restaurants back open after being forced to temporarily close.

Four restaurants in Northeast Florida were shut down by the Department of Business and Professional Regulations last week due to extreme risk of spreading food-borne illnesses.

Four restaurants in our area are back open after emergency shutdowns by inspectors with the Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

From Lake City to Jacksonville Beach, local restaurants were caught off-guard and unprepared for routine inspections with the Department of Business and Professional Regulations last week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A food truck is back open after receiving emergency shutdown orders from the Department of Business and Professional Regulations on March 11. The restaurant report shows that when inspectors arrived, the truck was dumping wastewater and grease through a drain line that wasn’t properly connected. On a return inspection the next day, all violations were cleared except for a stained cutting board that needed to be replaced and Ruta Catracha was allowed to reopen. We reached out to the owner of Ruta Catracha, but haven’t heard back yet. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing inspection | Failing inspection | Near-perfect inspectionAdNews4Jax monitors restaurant inspections in District 5 every week with the Division of Hotels and Restaurants under the Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

The 1904 Music Hall Spliff’s Gastro PubThe 1904 Music Hall Spliff’s Gastro Pub on Ocean Street was temporarily shut down by health inspectors on March 1. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing inspection | Follow-up failing inspection | Return failing inspection | Additional failing inspection | Perfect-score inspectionAd904 Burgers904 Burgers, a Jacksonville food truck, was momentarily shut down during a routine inspection on March 3 for not having running water hooked up to the truck and improper temperature control for burgers. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing inspection | Passing inspectionChopstick Charley’sChopstick Charley’s off Phillips Highway in Jacksonville is still working to make corrections after an emergency closure triggered by a complaint inspection on March 4. AdAt the return inspection on March 8, more rodent droppings were found and the restaurant remains closed. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing inspection | Failing follow-up inspectionNews4Jax monitors restaurant inspections in District 5.

Casa Maria Mexican Restaurant on Main StreetA customer complaint first brought inspectors to Casa Maria Mexican Restaurant on Main Street in Jacksonville on Feb. 24. The inspector’s report shows 17 total violations during that visit, including 37 dead roaches throughout the business and 14 live ones. Of those, three live roaches were found crawling inside the warming oven where rice is kept. The inspector returned three more times, finding live roaches each time. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Emergency closure inspection | Failing inspection | Failing inspection | Failing inspection | Perfect score follow-upAdAll restaurant reports are provided by the Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

That’s considered a high priority violation. The inspector issued an emergency closure for the restaurant, but Hibachi Express reopened within a few hours with an immaculate report. The inspector’s report shows 50 rodent droppings were found. The inspector noted, approximately 20 rodent droppings were found on the floor at the bar, 15 rodent droppings were located behind a freezer in the kitchen, 5 rodent droppings were counted by the in mop sink in the closet by the kitchen, and 12 rodent droppings were seen in the closet by the server/drink room. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing inspection | Return inspection requiring follow-upEmergency closures of area restaurants are published every week by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The restaurant had only 5 violations total, but 2 of those three posed a major health threat, according to health inspectors report. A report from the routine inspection on May 29, shows the inspector found 24 rodent droppings in the kitchen of the pizzeria, noting 12 rodent droppings were found on the floor behind a mixer in the kitchen; 5 more rodent droppings were counted on the floor behind the reach-in freezer; 7 rodent droppings were seen on the floor behind the oven. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing Inspection | Perfect Score Follow-up InspectionThe restaurant scored a second, high priority violation after the inspector measured temperatures inside a reach-in cooler. RESTAURANT REPORTS: Failing Inspection | Operating while under Emergency Order of Suspension | Met Standards InspectionThe restaurant was given two high priority violations for improper food storage. At a surprise follow-up inspection, the restaurant was cited for operating while under an emergency closure.