EL POTRO MEXICAN RESTAURANT
2470 W US HWY 90 · LAKE CITY · Columbia County · FL 32055
Inspection Summary
Emergency Closure Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
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All DBPR Inspector Observations
34 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 13
12A-07-5High Priority – Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee touched raw chicken changed gloves with no hand wash. **Warning**
12A-13-4High Priority – Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Dish washer loaded soiled dishes on rack then put away clean dishes. **Warning**
12A-12-4High Priority – Employee switched from working with raw food to ready-to-eat food without washing hands. Observed employee touch raw chicken with bare hand then touched spatula and clean plates. **Warning**
12A-28-4High Priority – Employee touched soiled apron/clothes and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee wipe hands on pants then touched clean plates. **Warning**
09-01-4High Priority – Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands – food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Observed employee grab tortillas off of grill and put on plate no gloves. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
01B-07-4High Priority – Food with mold-like growth. See stop sale. Approximately 10 chicken wings. **Warning**
35A-02-6High Priority – Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Observed 1 flying in dish area. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
08A-05-6High Priority – Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw beef over cream in walk in cooler. Chicken over beef in walk in freezer. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
02C-01-5High Priority – Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food marked with a date that exceeds 7 days after opening/preparation. Pork 1/4/2022 chicken 1/1/2022 see stop sale. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
01B-24-5High Priority – Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food not consumed/sold within 7 days after opening/preparation. See stop sale. 1 pan of pork 1/4/2022, 1 pan of chicken 1/1/2022. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
35A-04-4High Priority – Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 4 on floor in liquor closet in dish room in kitchen area, 5 on top of beer cases in closet in kitchen, and 3 on shelf holding canned goods in outside storage building. **Warning**
41-23-4High Priority – Rodent bait not contained in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station. Rodent pellets all over floor in side liquor closet and under shelves in outside storage barn. **Warning**
35A-21-4High Priority – Rodent burrow or rodent nesting materials present. Observed beer cardboard box chewed in side liquor closet. **Warning**
Intermediate 3
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Interior of walk in freezer and chest freezer by dish area. Interior of ice machine. Can opener blade. Drink mixer at server area. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
31A-11-4Intermediate – Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Employee rinsed metal container in Handwash sink by Three compartment sink. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
41-17-4Intermediate – Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Bottle with yellow liquid hanging by dish area. **Warning**
Basic 18
35A-06-4Basic – Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. Roaches on sticky pad in side room. **Warning**
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Water bottle opened next to clean bowls at kitchen service window. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
08B-49-4Basic – Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Banana chips on shelf above reach in freezer. **Warning**
40-06-5Basic – Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Jackets on top of sugar bag at server chip/salsa area. **Warning**
24-08-4Basic – Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried – wet nesting. Containers on shelf at dish area. **Warning**
14-11-4Basic – Equipment in poor repair. Cutting board in server area and dish area with deep cut marks. **Warning**
36-11-4Basic – Floors not maintained smooth and durable. In front of walk in cooler door and reach in cooler leading into the dish room. **Warning**
08B-38-4Basic – Food stored on floor. Container of horchata in walk in cooler. Beef in walk in freezer. Oil and soda boxes in outside storage shed. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
36-24-5Basic – Hole in or other damage in ceiling above prep by walk in cooler door. **Warning**
14-69-4Basic – Ice buildup in reach-in freezers in outside storage barns. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
14-47-4Basic – Nonfood-contact equipment exposed to splash/spillage not constructed of materials that are corrosion resistant, non-absorbent, smooth and easily cleanable. Wooden shelf in reach in cooler by door to server area and kitchen. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Soiled shelves in walk in freezer. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
35B-08-4Basic – Sticky trap on top of liquor in side liquor room. **Warning**
08B-12-5Basic – Stored food not covered. Peppers and flan in walk in cooler. Taco shells in bins on top of reach in cooler and shelf in kitchen. **Warning**
33-31-5Basic – Unnecessary items/unused equipment on the premises. Discarded cooler outside and misc items. **Warning**
14-17-4Basic – Walk-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. **Warning**
36-27-5Basic – Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. At dish machine. Floor soiled in walk in cooler and walk in freezer. Ceiling soiled in walk in cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
02D-01-5Basic – Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Sugar container at server alley. **Warning**
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on August 10, 2026 9:20 AM.
Violation category totals
2 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
5 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
5 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
Inspection records and inspector observations reflect conditions documented by DBPR at the time of the inspection and may not reflect current conditions.