JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three restaurants were temporarily closed in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and Green Cove Springs. Roaches and rodent droppings temporarily shut the kitchens down.
The bugs weren't the only problem, inspectors found, that could get you sick, but they were the reason for the shutdown.
Tomo Japanese Restaurant on Penman Road in Jacksonville Beach was shut down for the night with five high-priority violations. An inspector found more than six roaches underneath the dish machine area.
Workers also had to throw out fish eggs, krab stuffing and raw meat because they were at a dangerous temperature.
The next day, the inspector found more roaches and kept the restaurant closed until later that day.
During a third inspection, Tomo Japanese Restaurant passed with zero high-priority violations.
Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant on Lem Turner Road in Jacksonville had a closure last week. An inspector found nine live roaches running to and from the preparation cooler. There were also roaches on a cart with rice and sauce on it.
The next day, when the inspector came back, there was still one roach by the cooler. It was enough to keep the restaurant closed until later that afternoon. Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant did reopen with zero high-priority violations.
A local favorite, G's Slow Smoked BBQ, was shut down because of rodent droppings. An inspector found 40 hard and dry rodent droppings under the air conditioning unit in the dining room and on the kitchen floor.
The same day, the inspector came back to recheck. The inspector found no droppings and G's reopened with zero high-priority violations.
G's was temporarily closed by the state this summer. Back in late July, an inspector found close to 600 droppings all over the kitchen. It took a couple of days to reopen the restaurant in the summer.
This latest rodent-induced closure was resolved in just hours.