Action 9 goes inside restaurants that keep flunking state inspections

ORLANDO, Fla. — Action 9 pored through thousands of state inspections to find restaurants that keep breaking the rules and that could sicken diners.

Action 9's Todd Ulrich again took a food safety expert behind kitchen doors to expose violations that can trigger real problems.

A Titusville restaurant tops a list of repeat offenders. Behind the kitchen doors at New Buffet Village, Action 9's expert discovered big trouble.

"I definitely don't like what I saw there," food safety expert Paul Cook said.

A wall in the dishwashing area was coated with a black substance.

"A critical violation?" Ulrich said.

"Yeah, that's nasty," Cook said.

An earlier state inspection issued four warnings about soiled walls.

"A lot of bacteria grown in and around that area," Cook said.

"That could make someone sick?" Ulrich said.

"Oh, without a doubt," Cook said.

Action 9 spotted dirty utensils soaking in what Cook described as filthy water.

"I don't mind you doing that, but you need clean water," he said.

The retired safety expert said he saw ceiling tiles with a mold-like substance on them, a cracked rice cooker that could contaminate food and rusty, debris-coated shelves over uncovered food in a cooler.

"That would be on your report today?" Ulrich said.

"Yes, it would be," Cook said.

Action 9 spotted improvements, including proper food temperatures and hand washing.

The restaurant’s general manager said everything Action 9 discovered is being fixed, including the removal of the black substance.

"Will you do something about that wall?" Ulrich said.

"Yes. Stainless steel on the wall," the restaurant general manager said.

Action 9 analyzed 60,000 inspections over two years to identify top violators.

A big surprise on this year’s list is Ferg's Depot on West Church Street in downtown Orlando.

State records show that since 2016, the restaurant flunked 12 inspections. Violations included sausage that was thawed in a mop sink, no hot water at a hand washing sink and a mold-like substance in an ice machine.

The restaurant’s owner said he's working with the Florida Department of Health to correct the violations and to improve its systems.

Also new to the list this year are Melbourne’s Dove III and Old Cuban Cafe on East Colonial Drive in Orange County.

At New Peking in Titusville, uncooked food was stored in the food temperature danger zone. The restaurant failed nine state inspections.

Cook discovered that the restaurant still hadn’t cleaned up its act. He found risky food temperatures, uncovered food on a floor and a debris-caked can opener.

"No good training there," Cook said. "Basically, cleaning. It was a dirty restaurant."

Managers at New Peking, Dove III and Old Cuban Cafe said they passed their most recent inspection and they’re improving food safety in their kitchens.

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Mark Ferguson, who owns Ferg’s Depot, provided Action 9 with the following statement:

"Thanks for giving us the opportunity to respond to your piece on repeat offenders in the Orlando area restaurant business. We have been working with the Health Dept. to correct any violations and improve our systems and checklists to ensure a safe environment for our customers and employees. All violations have been corrected. We take seriously the fact that we one of the most historic and visible landmarks in the area. We feel lucky that we were able to transform the Church Street Train Station and turn it into a gathering place for both locals and visitors. Our locations are all within walking distance of major sports arenas, and our goal is to improve the experience of both fans and residents in major cities. We strive to improve and always do better. By making the necessary adjustments, we look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the community. Our company just celebrated our 25th anniversary and we are honored to be a part of the awesome Orlando entertainment scene."

Listen to News 96.5 WDBO at 8 a.m. Friday to hear Ulrich and University of Central Florida food safety expert Robb Seltzer discuss this story further.

Cox Media Group