Diners in Palm Beach County probably did not sign up for roaches in the cookware and hundreds of flies stuck to glue traps, but that is what state inspectors say they found at a half-dozen local restaurants this week. Six spots were temporarily shut after officials documented heavy pest activity and unsanitary food handling, including an employee handling plantains without gloves.
The emergency closures hit a mix of independent eateries and a buffet chain, including Excell Restaurant, Buds Chicken & Seafoods, Golden Corral Buffet & Grill, Two Drunken Goats, Atlantic Sushi and Carmine's La Trattoria. The shutdowns were recorded for July 8–9 in state inspection logs and were also covered by WPEC.
What inspectors found
Inspection notes describe roughly 300 dead flies caught in sticky glue traps along a food prep line, dead roaches inside a wok and stuck to cutting boards, and an employee serving plantains with bare hands. Those details appear in state inspection summaries and in local reporting by Boca Post.
Why inspectors can shut restaurants
The Florida Division of Hotels & Restaurants can issue emergency vacate orders when inspectors find conditions that pose an immediate health risk, and a closure stops operations until problems are fixed. According to Florida Food Safety, Palm Beach County has led the state in the number of emergency closures this year, with roach activity listed as the most common cause so far in 2026. State records and tracking tools also show that fly and rodent activity together make up a significant share of recent shutdowns.
Reopens and penalties
Most of the restaurants ordered closed were later cleared to reopen after making corrections and passing follow-up inspections. In one example, Excell Restaurant had a callback inspection the next day that recorded zero violations. Regulators can still pursue disciplinary action if problems keep showing up, and reporters note that recent records list nearly 200 final orders in Palm Beach and Broward counties, totaling more than $91,000 in fines, according to Boca Post.
Bare-hand rules and how to report
Florida generally bans bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods unless a restaurant has an approved Alternative Operating Procedure, or AOP, on file with the state. The Division of Hotels & Restaurants publishes the AOP form along with industry guidance to help operators comply.
Customers who spot unsafe conditions or want to flag a concern can submit a complaint through the state’s online portal or call the DBPR customer contact center. Forms and step-by-step instructions are available on MyFloridaLicense (DBPR).
