LARGO, FL -- They're known for their home cooked meals, serving up breakfast and lunch.
"It was good food," said David Clark, a customer.
Clark comes to Europa Restaurant on Indian Rocks Road in Largo because a family member loves the place.
"This is my aunt's favorite restaurant," Clark said.
So Clark was surprised when I told him inspectors had recently closed Europa's doors for 24 hours.
"Did you know they were recently shut down for a roach infestation?" asked ABC Action News Anchor Wendy Ryan.
"No I didn't," answered Clark.
On July 13, inspectors said there were so many live and dead roaches in the kitchen there were 'too many to count.'
The inspector found the bugs in an oven, reach-in cooler, near the cook line, cutting board, in cabinets, in the dry storage area and on and around the prep
table.
Inspectors also demanded the restaurant throw out 50 potatoes because they were infested with roaches.
At the back of the restaurant, we found the back kitchen door wide open which is a violation, allowing more bugs to get in.
Just a few weeks ago inspectors also documented that the walk in cooler was at a dangerous temperature of 51 degrees. It should be held at 41 degrees or below.
And some food had to be thrown out because of that temperature violation, including 2 pounds of sausage, 4 pounds of hamburgers, and 2 gallons of chicken and brown gravy.
"Are you the manager?" asked Ryan.
"No ma'am, I'm just the waitress," answered a female employee.
"Do you have a manager on duty here?" asked Ryan.
"Cristin, the owner," she responded.
But the owner had taken a walk, so we waited and looked around.
"He just called and said he's busy right now and to call him before you can talk to him," said another employee.
"We can stick around," said Ryan.
"I don't know. I'm just giving you the message," said the employee.
"Did you tell him we were here?" asked Ryan.
"Oh yeah, I doubt if he seen you or what," said the employee.
An hour later, the owner still had not come back but his loyal customers say they will be back.
"Would you come back?" asked Ryan.
"Sure, I'm coming back. It's home to us," said a Europa's customers as he was leaving.
"It's a little bit disconcerting to know that. I hope my chili stays down good," said Clark.
The owner of Europa, Cristin Vrunott did not want to go on camera but when we spoke to him on the phone he said, "the inspector came in from the health department and we fixed the problem and after a couple of hours, we were open again."
As far as the roach problem, he said "the roaches got in through the cardboard boxes that get delivered so now all deliveries stay outside."
