Dirty Dining: Green Iguana Bar and Grill had rodent activity during 3 inspections in 2011

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Correction:  We reported that The Green Iguana in St. Petersburg was shut down twice by the state due to rodent activity. 

But the state never ordered the restaurant to close.

The Green Iguana did have the presence of rodent droppings in November, July, and March of this year.  However, they closed voluntarily to address the issue.  

Below is an updated version of our story.

*********************************************

Carly Perkins loves living and dining on the water in St. Petersburg, so she often ventures out to the Green Iguana Bar and Grill on Bay Pines Blvd.

"The food is great. We eat it all the time. We go there for lunch, dinner, and we just enjoy it," Carly said.

But behind the kitchen doors, the state found things not on the menu.

On November 30, 2011 the restaurant's rodent activity was so extensive, inspectors documented "there were too many rodent droppings to count" on pans, shelves, floors, on top of the dishwasher and near the walk-in cooler.

"I'm surprised they're in the building, in the restaurant.  Yeah, that surprises me," Carly admitted.

And this wasn't the first time the Green Iguana had problems with rodents. State inspectors found more rodent droppings during their visits in on July 13, 2011 and on March 24, 2011.

So ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan went to the restaurant to see what's been done to get rid of the infestations.

"There were rodent droppings in their latest report? Do you know anything about this? Ryan asked Chris Rhodes, who has worked as Green Iguana's manager for the last year. 

"I don't have a comment. You'd have to contact our corporate office for any of that stuff," Rhodes answered.

Also during that most recent inspection in November, the eatery was ordered to throw out two and a half gallons of corn crab chowder, due to temperature abuse because the soup was not properly cooled.

In addition, inspectors found cooked onions on the cooks line at 126 degrees instead of 135 or above.

Over the last year, the Green Iguana has had five follow-up inspections, with the state writing up 69 critical violations. But the rodent issue worries Carly the most.

"I probably won't eat there again. I won't eat there again until I know that they're all gone," Carly said.