After a day in Clearwater Beach today at the International Citrus and Beverage Conference, I’m glad I ate lunch at the hotel instead of heading over to Lenny’s Restaurant on U.S. 19. According to ABC Action News Lenny’s has had some recent issues with health inspections.

Sanitation and safety inspectors found over a dozen live and dead roaches near the food prep area, cooks line, dry storage area and dishwashing area, issuing Lenny’s an emergency closure for 24 hours on Aug. 14.

Also during that August inspection, Lenny’s had to throw out 150 pounds of boiled potatoes at dangerous temperatures that were being improperly cooled. And sausage and half and half were stored in temperatures well above 41 degrees, the minimum temperature required by the state.

Dozens of other violations in the last eight months included employees not washing their hands, live small flying insects in the food preparation area, raw chicken stored over cooked beef in the walk-in cooler, a cross contamination issue, and black/green mold in the ice machine.

[Owner Dan] Farrell explained that he’s had little employee turnover but his entire staff will be attending a refresher course on food safety next week.